Paul Tessier
For The Morning Star
Roots-music troubadour and multiple Juno Award-winner Bill Bourne grew up with music.
香蕉视频直播淚 remember so many times falling asleep upstairs in our farmhouse,香蕉视频直播� Bourne said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檇 be in my bed in and I could hear the music downstairs. That memory is still very comforting to me. That香蕉视频直播檚 something I香蕉视频直播檒l always remember.香蕉视频直播�
He香蕉视频直播檒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.
香蕉视频直播淢y mom and dad had a band when I was a little kid. They were pretty busy of course with the farming, but they香蕉视频直播檇 always somehow find time to play music. Weekends would come along 香蕉视频直播� especially in the winter months 香蕉视频直播� people would come over and pretty soon there香蕉视频直播檇 be all this music. As kids, it was kind of cool because we got to do stuff they wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 let us do normally, because they were busy playing music,香蕉视频直播� Bourne said with a hearty laugh.
At the age of 11, his uncle dropped off his clarinet.
香蕉视频直播淚 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香蕉视频直播檛 work with guitars. They said, 香蕉视频直播楾hat香蕉视频直播檚 crazy. What香蕉视频直播檚 with this clarinet? Get that thing out of here.香蕉视频直播� That sort of put a damper on the clarinet playing so I started playing guitar.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淚 quit my job, took my guitar and went to see a booking agent and auditioned,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey put me to work right away, playing in bars in northern Alberta.香蕉视频直播�
It proved to be a quick learning experience.
香蕉视频直播淲hen all of a sudden your living depends on your music 香蕉视频直播� you learn a lot in a hurry,香蕉视频直播� Bourne said. 香蕉视频直播淚t ends up being really good for your playing.香蕉视频直播�
The booking agent wanted him to know 50 top 40 country songs and get a Rhythm Ace or electronic drummer.
香蕉视频直播淚 never did get a Rhythm Ace,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 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香蕉视频直播檛 going to let anybody tell me what to play. I香蕉视频直播檓 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.香蕉视频直播�
It was around then that he started writing songs 香蕉视频直播� a process he finds to be both an art and spiritual in nature.
香蕉视频直播淎s a songwriter, I can sit down and write lyrics all day,香蕉视频直播� Bourne said. 香蕉视频直播淏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香蕉视频直播檙e going to write about but when this phenomenon 香蕉视频直播� this sort of inspired moment occurs 香蕉视频直播� that香蕉视频直播檚 what really gets my attention.
香蕉视频直播淪o, as an artist, if you香蕉视频直播檙e fortunate enough to have those inspired moments occur and you manage to capture them, what happens is that there香蕉视频直播檚 a uniqueness that comes out 香蕉视频直播� a unique perspective. There香蕉视频直播檚 a real potency to those moments,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淲ithout those songs, it香蕉视频直播檚 much more difficult to be unique. But to me, sometimes I feel like I can香蕉视频直播檛 really claim authorship to those songs because it香蕉视频直播檚 like it came from another place.香蕉视频直播�
Over the years, he香蕉视频直播檚 been nominated for eight Juno Awards and has won three Junos, including Best Roots Recording in 1991 for Dance and Celebrate.
He香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 noticed a common thread running through the themes of most great songwriters.
香蕉视频直播淭he message is consistently about universal love,香蕉视频直播� Bourne said. 香蕉视频直播淭hose inspired moments, which give life to those inspired songs, almost always have that underlying, powerful message.香蕉视频直播�
Although the message on Saturday, Nov. 18 might be about universal love and other themes, expect his show to be joyous and even raucous.
香蕉视频直播淢y music is essentially based on dance rhythms. Lately, I香蕉视频直播檝e taken to playing some blues on banjo, which I香蕉视频直播檓 really getting into. I also play the stomp-box a lot because I like to play music that香蕉视频直播檚 uptempo and very danceable. If people want to get up, shake a leg and sing along, that香蕉视频直播檚 definitely fine by me.香蕉视频直播�
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.
