Artist: Tom Wilson
Recording: We Live In Dreams (4 song digital EP)
Mini-Review:
Hamilton's Tom Wilson has been releasing a few beautiful singles lately and he's collected four of them into a digital EP. Tom's unique voice shines through the sparse instrumentation, leaving room for the incredible lyrics to move you.
Available on: Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp (as separate singles)
Personnel:
Links: Rodeo Kings, More BARK stories, Video above courtesy of The Rodeo Kings - Topic
Links: Bob Bryden (AOM singer), More Bob Bryden Stories, Video above courtesy of Bob Bryden
Links: Colin James, More Colin James Stories, Video above courtesy of Colin James - Topic
Ensemble! the wonderful Cable 14 music TV show recently received some well-deserved recognition. The program won in the Outstanding Social Media Promotion category at the 2024 Impact Awards that first aired on June 11, 2024. The program was also nominated for Outstanding Entertainment Series. Ensemble, created/produced by HBL's Linda Fraser and hosted by the incredible Dave Rave has been entertaining audiences for over a decade.
The live event itself took place at the Westdale in Hamilton on May 28, 2024.
Below you can see the full ceremony. Presenters included musician Tom Wilson, Mayor Andrea Horvath, former CHCH personality Connie Smith & many more.
Video above courtesy of Cable 14
Below is a complete list of winners
Rave On Russel Wilson
We look into the faces of wild things to try and see ourselves. We want to know what part of us might live in there behind the eyes.
Russel was a live wire, powerful, off his rocker, loving, conducting the spirits and hanging on by a thread. It’s impossible for me to even imagine knowing anyone like him again in this lifetime.
He was funny as Hell, unpredictable, incredibly talented, loud, sensitive and he could scare the shit out of ya if you weren’t paying attention.
I was lucky enough to the go deep into the trenches with him. We ran around globe together in our band taking on stages from Belgium to Brantford. We played in castles and in barrooms and hockey arenas living on a very long road and we had the best time of our lives.
Russel was guided by instincts not by sight and he ignited pure fire at high volume, came out swinging’ with a bass around his neck that he made look like a ukulele.
The lord never patted him on the head but he may have booted him in the ass a couple of times.
He was out of this world as long as we knew him and now he’s closer to us than he’s ever been.
Rick Prinsthal (Paperboys, Deacons. Rick & the Krickets, Rocket & the Renegades)
I'm so glad that Russ Wilson and I had a chance to hang out at the Junkhouse show in Hamilton last December. Russ and I first met nearly 40 years ago at a Florida Razors gig in a pub called 'Rebel's Roadhouse' on the mountain. Over the years, when I saw Russ perform live, either with Junkhouse or as solo performer, I was always amazed by his musical ability.
Every once in a while, Russ and I would see each other in the community. He always took an active interest in what I was doing and made me feel like he was in my corner. Russ had an affinity for the underdog and a genuinely caring heart. He was a good person.
R.I.P. Rusty keep on rockin', bro
Just gutted to learn that my cosmic soul brother, the singular Russ Rusty Wilson, thumping bass player of the beloved Canadian band Junkhouse, passed away this morning.
He was a funny, loyal, passionate giant of a man and we became fast and furious friends during the countless tours and festivals Barstool Prophets played with Junkhouse throughout the mid-90s.
A short testament to the heart in this man: in 1996, when Lori had freshly given birth to our #1 son, Liam, Russ drove from Hamilton, ON to Cornwall to personally deliver a gift. He showed up at the door of our apartment with gift in hand, chatted with me quickly (Lori was still in hospital) and offered congratulations and unsolicited but sage words of parental advice - “Don’t let the baby chew on electrical cords or get access to your credit card brother. Disaster in either case, guaranteed.”
He then hugged me, turned around and got in his car and drove back to Hamilton, as he was flying out to LA the next morning.
I’ve often described Russ as the sort of person who - if a friend needed a liver - would make sure you got a liver. It might not necessarily be HIS liver, but he’d make sure you got one in any case. 😆
A giant prince among mortal men. Taken too soon and profoundly missed. 💔
Hug your friends,
Graham
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| Photo courtesy of Tom Wilson |
Tom had the following to say on Facebook.
This is a very emotional and unexpected moment for me.
I bring with me Bunny and George Wilson , the two people who gave me a fighting chance, my family and every one of my Mohawk ancestors.
I hope this appointment will help to influence the results of my work for indigenous education and support my positive intentions as I help bring a deeper awareness of the true history of this country and the power and beauty of indigenous people forward through my art my writing and my music.
The future generations depend on the hard work we do today .
I’d like to thank my long time friend and art associate Stewart Pollock for bringing me into this circle of outstanding Canadians. I met Stewart in grade 9 at Sherwood Secondary Alumni on the East Mountain. We made mischief and got ourselves into plenty of trouble. I never would have imagined back then that Stew and I would soon be being standing toe to toe being honoured by the Governor General.
Below is the complete list of appointments.
Members of the Order of Canada
Officers of the Order of Canada
Companions to the Order of Canada
Long before recording with Gord, long before singing and playing this song (Home From the Forest) in Ronnie (Hawkins)'s room after a gig, and I was still just learning to play guitar a little when I'd first heard it.
How many thousands of songs have I heard and how many I've loved so much how many have I played?
There is one song that from the very first time went beyond anything I knew about anything from a song, inside myself somehow,
I'd spent many a quietly desperate night roaming the dark lonely streets of Toronto when I was young, my dad was also a deeply alcoholic individual, I had an uncle that suffered the same fate in Toronto as the storyline in this song depicts.
I'd spent lonely nights looking down on various Toronto streets at night thru many different windows, I'd watched with heartache Native brothers staggering in rags with paper bags of booze, and many older men huddled in doorways sleeping on steps, these things and much more were in some sense just too hard for my inexperienced mind to come to terms with, somehow in a strange way, it helped me thru the personal pain and hardship of home life knowing I wasn't alone, what's going to become of me? will I wind up like that? them?And that's just one small angle of the picture
My heart was broken long before it had a chance to experience it's own growthTo this day and to my grave this is the one song of them all that taught me the meaning of life and death in my heart, its taken a lifetime of proof of it's truth
For this one song I've been and will always be grateful for Gord's insight and ability to put it so simply and deeply in words.
Links: Gordon Lightfoot, More Gordon Lightfoot Stories/Covers, Video above courtesy of hankgwe
Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond)
Rave On Gordon Lightfoot - My Mother used to come and visit me from time to time when I was a kid. I was maybe six years old or so. One time she showed up with an old portable record player with a shitty needle that made every record I played sound like it had a five o’clock shadow in the grooves.
She came through the door one day with a copy of a record by a guy she used to go see at Steele’s Tavern on Yonge Street. Across the top of the record in big letters LIGHTFOOT and a photo of a guy leaning back in a studio chair holding a guitar up towards the ceiling and looking cool as shit.
The photo alone captured my young imagination. He looked serious, like he knew something that he wanted to tell me.
Dropping the needle on that record changed my life immediately. It was responsible for igniting the devil in me and stirring the sludge up at the bottom of my lake. Everything sounded so real like the guy was standing right there beside me in my bedroom fingerpicking that guitar and singing in my ear. He opened up the doors of possibilities with the haunting Oh Linda, Steel Rail Blues and Rich Man's Spiritual.
Gordon Lightfoot has left us but he lives in our blood. His voice will always raise up our ghosts and reunite us with a tremendous joy we all hold in our hearts but may have forgotten about. Thank you Gordon.
Brian Mee (local fan)
I was in attendance at the Grand Hall at Hamilton Place in Nov 2004 for his first concert back after suffering / recovering from a life threatening aneurysm he incurred in 2002.
Gordon was treated at McMaster Health sciences and he showed his appreciation by donating many tickets to the medical staff that could attend and publically thanked the surgeon that headed the operation that saved hid life.
Understandibly, Gordon was initally a bit shaky to start off with, however the audience positive reaction to see him back on stage soon brought him back to form.
A memorable night and a win win for McMaster Health Sciences since Lightfoot also gave a generous donation to them as well as raised their reputation with the life saving surgery they gleaned with a celebrity patient such as Lightfoot.
Local Covers
Links: Stephen Fearing, More Stephen Fearing Stories,Video above courtesy of Stephen Fearing - Topic
Links: Rodeo Kings, More BARK stories, Video above courtesy of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings
Links: Evan Cameron, More Evan Cameron Stories, Video above courtesy of Evan Cameron
Rave On Greg Cannon. Greg was the coolest guy on the East Mountain when I was a kid. He wasn’t that much older than me but he already had a lifetime of experience playing in bands so when he agreed to play drums is The Florida Razors I was thrilled. We travelled together on the 401 from Detroit through to Montreal and back for five plus years. We laughed our asses off, got into a few mishaps along the way and had the time of our lives. Greg was my dear friend and my brother. Today my heart is broken.
My old friend Greg Cannon, far right,has passed away . . . this pic is from when we worked and played together with David Bradstreet, center, a prince of a human being, I loved him, great drummer funny and loving guy,,this is before he went on to join the Florida Razors with Tom Wilson.
Many people loved Greg, you couldn't not love him
Rest In Peace Greg ❤
This absolute legend is the inspiration that made me the musician I am today. He taught me to smack the hell out of those drums and when I was worried about breaking the snare skin on the kit he bought us, he was to our surprise sooooo proud. I will try to keep making you proud, uncle Greggy and pass that wisdom on to my kid ... I’m honoured to have the joy of gettin to have you in my life.You left quite a footprint, my friend.
Links: Florida Razors, Video above courtesy of I Don't Wanna Cry
Picture courtesy of Ron Ferroni of Steelore-Hamilton Rock History 1970’s to 2010’s
Links: Florida Razors, Video above courtesy of I Don't Wanna Cry
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I remember seeing the mighty Junkhouse live for the first time in the late 90's at a festival in Spencer Smith Park, Burlington. The guys played a then-unreleased tune called Lean on Your Peers and I was really blown away by it and looked forward to hearing it on CD. Unfortunately, the band broke up not that long after.A while later, I discovered the track on Blackie and the Rodeo Kings' 1999 album, Kings of Love and was grateful that this amazing song finally saw the light of day. Years after, I managed to experience a reformed Junkhouse rock the tune live again.
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