Paul Tessier
For The Morning Star
Roots-music troubadour and multiple Juno Award-winner Bill Bourne grew up with music.
害羞草研究所淚 remember so many times falling asleep upstairs in our farmhouse,害羞草研究所� Bourne said. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 be in my bed in and I could hear the music downstairs. That memory is still very comforting to me. That害羞草研究所檚 something I害羞草研究所檒l always remember.害羞草研究所�
He害羞草研究所檒l be playing some of that down-home, roots-based music live for the Vernon Folk-Roots Music Society Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Spitfire Lounge of the Army, Navy and Airforce Club.
Bourne grew up in a very musical family on a farm near Red Deer, Alta, and fondly remembers lots of music in the house.
害羞草研究所淢y mom and dad had a band when I was a little kid. They were pretty busy of course with the farming, but they害羞草研究所檇 always somehow find time to play music. Weekends would come along 害羞草研究所� especially in the winter months 害羞草研究所� people would come over and pretty soon there害羞草研究所檇 be all this music. As kids, it was kind of cool because we got to do stuff they wouldn害羞草研究所檛 let us do normally, because they were busy playing music,害羞草研究所� Bourne said with a hearty laugh.
At the age of 11, his uncle dropped off his clarinet.
害羞草研究所淚 put that thing together and started playing it immediately. I loved it but then a couple of years later, I started hanging out with some guys at school who wanted to start a band. The clarinet didn害羞草研究所檛 work with guitars. They said, 害羞草研究所楾hat害羞草研究所檚 crazy. What害羞草研究所檚 with this clarinet? Get that thing out of here.害羞草研究所� That sort of put a damper on the clarinet playing so I started playing guitar.害羞草研究所�
He then naturally gravitated the songwriters like Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. He played in bands throughout high school and got his ticket as a licensed diesel mechanic. He was working as a mechanic for about a year when he got into the music business.
害羞草研究所淚 quit my job, took my guitar and went to see a booking agent and auditioned,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey put me to work right away, playing in bars in northern Alberta.害羞草研究所�
It proved to be a quick learning experience.
害羞草研究所淲hen all of a sudden your living depends on your music 害羞草研究所� you learn a lot in a hurry,害羞草研究所� Bourne said. 害羞草研究所淚t ends up being really good for your playing.害羞草研究所�
The booking agent wanted him to know 50 top 40 country songs and get a Rhythm Ace or electronic drummer.
害羞草研究所淚 never did get a Rhythm Ace,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 made a pact with myself when I quit my job as a mechanic that I was only going to play music that I really wanted to play. I wasn害羞草研究所檛 going to let anybody tell me what to play. I害羞草研究所檓 glad I made that pact with myself because that way I was able to pursue the music that I liked best. I sort of understood from the very beginning that the greatest asset you have as an artist is your own uniqueness.害羞草研究所�
It was around then that he started writing songs 害羞草研究所� a process he finds to be both an art and spiritual in nature.
害羞草研究所淎s a songwriter, I can sit down and write lyrics all day,害羞草研究所� Bourne said. 害羞草研究所淏ut every once in a while, all of a sudden, something seems to take over my body and a song will come up that blows everything else away. That to me is art. You can premeditate to a certain degree what you害羞草研究所檙e going to write about but when this phenomenon 害羞草研究所� this sort of inspired moment occurs 害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 what really gets my attention.
害羞草研究所淪o, as an artist, if you害羞草研究所檙e fortunate enough to have those inspired moments occur and you manage to capture them, what happens is that there害羞草研究所檚 a uniqueness that comes out 害羞草研究所� a unique perspective. There害羞草研究所檚 a real potency to those moments,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲ithout those songs, it害羞草研究所檚 much more difficult to be unique. But to me, sometimes I feel like I can害羞草研究所檛 really claim authorship to those songs because it害羞草研究所檚 like it came from another place.害羞草研究所�
Over the years, he害羞草研究所檚 been nominated for eight Juno Awards and has won three Junos, including Best Roots Recording in 1991 for Dance and Celebrate.
He害羞草研究所檚 collaborated with all sorts of folks, including the Tannahill Weavers and Alan McLeod, Shannon Johnson, Wykham Porteous, Madagascar Slim and others. Along the way, he害羞草研究所檚 noticed a common thread running through the themes of most great songwriters.
害羞草研究所淭he message is consistently about universal love,害羞草研究所� Bourne said. 害羞草研究所淭hose inspired moments, which give life to those inspired songs, almost always have that underlying, powerful message.害羞草研究所�
Although the message on Saturday, Nov. 18 might be about universal love and other themes, expect his show to be joyous and even raucous.
害羞草研究所淢y music is essentially based on dance rhythms. Lately, I害羞草研究所檝e taken to playing some blues on banjo, which I害羞草研究所檓 really getting into. I also play the stomp-box a lot because I like to play music that害羞草研究所檚 uptempo and very danceable. If people want to get up, shake a leg and sing along, that害羞草研究所檚 definitely fine by me.害羞草研究所�
Bill Bourne will be performing many of his inspired songs for the Vernon Folk-Roots Music Society Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Spitfire Lounge of the Army, Navy and Airforce Club. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available through The Ticket Seller, 250-549-7469, , the Bean Scene Coffee House and at the door if available.
