APRIL 27 • 2023 | 57

planning to recall those 
earlier times. 
“We get people up and 
dancing,” Kay said. “
At the B1 
Tavern, we even get people up 
and singing as we play. Aside 
from me, the other members 
like to sing, and they have 
great harmonies that add to the 
effects of the songs.”
One evening, as the band was 
getting ready to go on stage at 8 
p.m., the power went off. While 
the musicians thought they had 
overloaded the power lines, they 
soon learned that power was off 
in the area. 
When the power soon came 
back, the group went ahead 
with the show feeling very 
relieved. 
It’s no coincidence that 
Kay’s law practice takes on 
cases involving entertainment 
because entertainment interests 
are so important to his lifestyle. 
He is nearing 46 years of being 
an attorney since earning his 

law degree at Cooley Law 
School in downtown Lansing. 
Kay, who studies Judaism 
with Chabad organizations, 
teaches copyright and 
trademark law at Oakland 
Community College. In the 
past, he moderated a radio 
program, “The Rock & Roll 
Lawyer Show,” presented on 

WPON, 1460 AM Detroit, and 
hopes to start that up again.
“The Alternatives actually 
have four-part harmony,” Kay 
said. “It allows us to do a lot 
more songs. With the horn 
section, it opens up all kinds 
of music that we couldn’t 
perform before. We like 
playing all of our songs.

“I’m steeped in music and 
always have been. When I 
was growing up, my parents 
listened to a lot of music on 
our record player, and I got 
to like that.” 

To connect with The Alternatives, go to 

the Facebook page for Sheldon Kay or 

call his Farmington Hills office at (248) 

539-1111.

Wayne Baraks, Mike Plouffe 
and Jeanne Whartson

