An Article About the Return to Dawson Creek
Here’s an interesting article from the Alaska Highway News leading up to Roy’s 2015 concert in Dawson Creek.
Roy Forbes returns to the Peace Region this weekend
It doesn’t take much for Roy Forbes to launch into stories about home.
The Rolla-born musician, who plays Dawson Creek Saturday, brims with tales of the early days of rock n’ roll in the Northeast.
On the phone from North Vancouver Wednesday, he recalls practice sessions in a Pouce Coupe shack and a late-night trip down the Alaska Highway after a show in Fort St. John in the dead of winter.
“We had two guys in the bed [of a truck] with quilts over the equipment,” he said.
Forbes left for Vancouver at 18 and went on to become one of the region’s best-known cultural exports — a frequent performer at folk festivals and rock clubs, as well as a radio presenter.
On Feb. 14, he plays the Calvin Kruk Centre in what organizers hope will be the first of a regular concert series.
Since his first album 1975, Dawson Creek has featured prominently in both Forbes’ music and his story.
“It’s certainly more interesting to talk about that growing up in the suburbs, I think,” he said of his upbringing.
Roy’s 40th Anniversary Celebration!
Forty years ago, at the age of eighteen, Roy journeyed to Vancouver from Dawson Creek to make a life making music. In the fall of 2011, he celebrated ‘forty years a music guy’ with a series of concerts around the province of British Columbia. The shows were all solo – a guy and his guitar. Roy pulled out songs from all through his long career, including a few oldies that he hadn’t played in many years.
Go HERE to read a journal about how it all went down.
Roy Adds Two More to His Already Impressive List of Covers
The folks just keep on covering Roy’s tunes
Suzie Vinnick recently included Roy’s ‘Crazy ‘Bout Lovin’ Me’ on her superb new blues release, ‘Me ‘n’ Mabel’. This is the fourth Roy tune this great gal has covered over the past few years. Go HERE to see Suzie’s web site, and HERE to see her singing ‘Crazy ‘Bout Lovin’ Me’ on YouTube.
Denise Withnell (of ‘Cowboy Celtic’ fame) has a nice smoky version of Roy’s ‘Let Me Make It Up To You Tonight’ on her new CD, ‘Rose Petal Pie’. Go HERE to hear her fine CD.
“Snap Crackle Pop” on CBC Radio One
After thirty-plus years with the CBC, my pal and SCP co-host Paul Grant retired in the summer of 2009. He’s taking some well deserved time to do whatever the heck he wants and I know that all of us wish him well. We out here on the West Coast really miss his warm and knowledgeable presence on the CBC. He’s one of the good ‘uns!
Paul and I managed to slip in quite a few editions of Snap Crackle Pop over thirteen years. From our first national broadcast on Radio One in September, 1996, to the most recent show in January, 2009, the two of us spent many a happy hour spinning those records, unravelling the roots of today’s music and sharing our finds with all of you. I learned a lot about making radio from Paul during our run of ‘Snaps’ and I want to say ‘Thanks, buddy’.
As my good friend Bill Henderson wrote, back in the early 70s, ‘If there’s no audience, there just ain’t no show’. And, folks, you SCP fans have been the BEST audience a radio show could have. I treasure the e-mails I’ve received from you over the years, sharing your own musical finds, memories, information, mis-information corrections and tips for some great batches of records that have now become a part of my collection. And those supportive face-to-face comments in airport bookstores, restaurants, post-offices and coffee shops; at after-concert CD signing sessions and on street corners all across Canada – all have been much appreciated. Thanks for being there for SCP.
At this point, I can’t say what the future of Snap Crackle Pop will be with the CBC. If it’s meant to continue at some point, I’m in! If not, it’s been a great run.
Honours for Roy and a Concert in Dawson Creek
The press release from Dawson Creek says …
Northern Lights College, along with the City of Dawson Creek and the Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre joined forces to make June 8-9 an unforgettable weekend tribute for acclaimed singer/songwriter Roy Forbes.
The festivities kicked with Forbes receiving an Honourary Arts Degree from Northern Lights College. The degree was conferred on Friday, June 8th 2008 during the Convocation ceremonies at the North Peace Cultural Centre in Fort St. John.
Then, on Saturday, June 9th, the City of Dawson Creek recognized Forbes with a street-naming ceremony that took place at 2 pm. Mayor Calvin Kruk officially unveiled ‘Roy Forbes Drive’ – 11th Street from 96th Avenue to 97th Avenue.
The weekend was capped off on Saturday evening with a fundraising concert at the Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre, with half of the proceeds going to the KPAC fundraising initiative.