Billy Joel

Billy Joel Cost me my Job!
I loved doing the Lobsterman with Maclean & Maclean.
My last performance was at the El Macombo. We were doing the last set and as I was getting ready to go up to the stage I saw the manager whisk Billy Joel and his band to a reserved table.

So when I sang the Lobster song I stuck Billy Joel's name into it.

After the show we all got together and found that Billy Joel was a big fan of dirty Humor . The managent provided case of Heineken's and we drank and partied late into the night.  He raved about the show. But all that he could realy remember was me. The Macleans never asked me back to sing again.
http://macleanslobsterman.blogspot.ca/

Myrna Lorrie

Myrna Lorrie was a frequent visitor, She was a lot of fun and I caught a few of her shows and liked her music. She showed up on the arm of Jerry Reed one night. They had Rosanne Cash and one of the Eagles. They were there almost every night for a week or so.
Myrna Is Playing in Alberta



Myrna Lorrie (b. Lorraine Petrunka, August 6, 1940, Cloud Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian country singer.
Lorrie first sang publicly at age 12 on Fort William radio station CKPR. At age 14 she recorded the song "Are You Mine" with Buddy DuVall, which was released on Abbott Records. The song became a hit in both Canada and the United States; it reached #6 on the US Country Singles chart in 1955.[1] She then toured North America with Hank Snow.

Kid Bastien

Cliff Bastien: For a short while I was the manager of the band, I started off going to New Orleans with the band for the 1973 Jazz Festival. We hung out at Johny White's Bar and drank Dixie beer which we called Treefrog. I got to meet Jazz greats like Louis Nelson and band leader Kid Thomas which was a real honour.

  Kid Bastien knew everybody and we played gigs at Heritage Hall and couple of other bars I found. Hotel rooms were at a premium and I had 2 buddies traveling with me Gord Jones and Krash Radcliff. http://photosbykrash.blogspot.ca/
 We ended up with an Attic room in an old slave quarters with one bed and we slept in shifts. Which wasn't a real problem since New Orleans swung 24 hours a day.  I got to meet Dejean's Olympia Band which was much like the band in Treme. We partied and played with them and later that year they all came to Toronto where we got them a good paying gig and partied and played some more. Kid played 2 times at the Jazz Festival and I must sadly admit I never made it to either performance and I actually tryed to. New Orleans was like that.I was responsible for breaking up 'The Camelia Band' I made a deal for a them to play all week with a huge contract and Cliff turned it down, he was happy making signs and playing Grossman's.The rest of the band wanted to play full time and most move on including me.
Kid Bastien also introduced me to Fats Domino. We sat in the dressing room at the el Macombo. It seems Fats uncle had taught Kid to play the banjo and Cliff had lived with him for a while. As Kid ran down the names. Fats turned to me and said "wow man he knows more about my family than I do."

A side note: I gave the derby mute to Cliff it had belonged to a great Uxbridge jazzman Bruce Gould (Glenn Gould's Uncle)

False but funny as Cliff struggled to learn the cornet Donny Walsh meanly said That Kid Bastien was the only horn player he knew that only played with one lip. mean but funny

Labels: Donnie Walsh, Fats Domino, New Orleans. Cliff Bastien

MacLean and MacLean

MacLean and MacLean

The MacLean’s came to my club one night and we immediately became fast friends. I joined them in performing sing the second oldest recorded song in the English language. It is an old Scottish Ballad called the ‘Lobster’ and I was known as the Lobsterman. I couldn’t sing that well but mostly got through it. To begin with I took it very much in stride. But eventually I begin to care about how I did. That is when I ran into trouble and got stage fright and I actually used to sweat before I did my bit. Then one night I did it, I forgot the words. They waited through a chorus and then Gary Looked at me. “Did you forget the words?” I nodded my mind racing trying to find the words. “You Arsehole!” says the ever-helpful Gary. Somehow I found the words and finished the song and never really had much trouble again.

One of my favorite memories of the boys is with Murray McLaughlin. Murray was a good friend and I used to drag him along when I sang. He didn’t like to go, not so much that he didn’t like the MacLeans I think but just didn’t’ t like to be seen at their performances. We were playing ‘The Chimney’ on Yonge Street and there was an hour between shows and we were all sitting in the dressing room with a couple of girlfriends drinking Heinekens when somehow we all started singing Show Tunes. It was hilarious. They are all good singers and we went through an incredible repertoire. I can only think of dressing room door opening and the startled audience looking in At Murray McLaughlin and MacLean and MacLean singing Oklahoma at the tops of their voices.

That night we ended up back at the boy’s Hotel room. Gary and I were trying to impress a couple of tag a long sweet young things and Gary asked Murray if he would sing the Farmers Song for us. Murray grabbed a guitar and obliged us. Murray did a beautiful job and Gary thanked him.. “Thanks Murray that was very nice I know it is just like me being at a party and someone asks me to do ‘The Shit Routine.”

On Sundays I used to entertain whoever was in town with free drinks a huge dinner (mostly seafood) and a Jam Session. MacLean and MacLean loved to run the bar and they were excellent bartenders. I especially remember Burton Cummings sitting on the counter in my kitchen singing ‘I got a letter from the postman’ with MacLean and MacLean and Murray McLaughlin doing the harmony. It was magic.

Robert Goulet

Robert Goulet was a star on CBC TV during the 1950's.

He was invited to our high school prom as a celebrity host. I was only on the decorating committee but when Mr. Goulet arrived at the door in his corvette. the student council president failed of confidence and I was somehow pushed out the door to greet him. I was super nervous I didn't have my own suit just then, and my mother had fitted me in to my father's old wedding suit. It was 3 button and the style at that time was 2 button suits. When I ushered Mr.Goulet in the door and took his coat he was wearing a 3 button suit. he looked at me and said Hey you are right in style. He reached over and undid the top button. thats the way to wear it he said. he had quite a night he ended up driving the prom queen home and partied with her and her parents to all hours.

Howard Duff

I met Howard Duff making Double Negative. I was the assistant to the producer and it was my job to look after Howard. I met him at the airport. "Hi I'm Howard Duff and if you don't think I'm tough, Remember I was married to Ida Lupino for twenty years". Howard and I became great friends and his girlfriend Judy. We spent many pleasant hours together over about 6 weeks. I showed them around Toronto and we had many lunches and dinners together. And far too many drinks.I took them to some clubs.

One night he was a bit long in the washroom and I went to check. he was being hassled a bit by some punks (not too seriously) I come in and say "Ready to go Mr.Duff" and flashing my genuine RCMP key chain. The punks evaporated and Howard thought that very cool and subtle.

If anything like Richard I found Howard a bit fragile. I was on Howard and Judys Xmas card list until he died and I feel really privileged

Jerry Santbergen

Moses and Pauline at Jerry's Opening at Jack Pollack Gallery
by John Krash Radcliff

Jerry Santbergan came on the Art Scene in Toronto around 1965
He came from Regina in a bit of a wave with his girlfriend Kaaren Blatchford and Warren Bowman, etc.
he soon became a favorite of the Telegram Art Critic Barrie Hale and seemed to make the Art Section week after week. I became friends with Jerry about then and we  hung around to-gether. I helped Jerry make (not create) a lot of his paintings. he had a great studio the old Bohemian Embassy Space on St.Nicholas St.
An example of our relationship.
I get a phone call eight in the morning.
Jerry. "Gary I got lecture i'm supposed to give at the teaches college at 10 o-clock.'
Me      'So?"
Jerry. "I dropped acid a couple of hours ago and I need you to give it for me."
Me huh?
Jerry, "I's $600. and I'll split it with you.
So we show up with a slideshow and go into a classroom full of teachers with a projector.
I show the slides and invite questions.
The Teachers ask Jerry a Question and he sits there stoned and stonedfaced and I answer the questions.
they ask him a question I answer on it it goes. We finish and go to the office to get the cheque. We are amazed they give it to us and tell us it was the best lecture they had seen.
We go to bank and to Pilot Tavern laugh and drink all day long.
This card was his his Death of an Artist show and was pretty much it for his art career. he tried working with the City Muffin Boys for a while and drifted into driving and owning a cab.(I took the photo)