Classic Canadian Rock & Roll Band The Stampeders: A Family Affair - By: Alvin Starkman

On November 21, 2011, SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) presents Rich Dodson, Ronnie King and Kim Berly, iconic Canadian rock band The Stampeders, with a Lifetime Achievement Award at Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall. The honour will be as much for what these road warriors continues to do today, as a family, as for what they’ve done since the sixties. Indeed The Stampeders released Sweet City Woman 40 years ago, and in fact cut their first record much earlier, in 1965.

Now it’s all about family; entertaining diehard fans – men now grey or bald, women who shed their Laura Ashleys decades ago – and their children and grandchildren. The “mature” yet still artistically agile, wonderfully harmonious and always entertaining classic Canadian rockers now take their own families on the road, the days of fending off groupies long past.

A Classic Canadian Rock Band in Historical Context

When they first formed as a local, western Canada rock & roll band, The Stampeders wore blue jeans and cowboy hats. In 1968 band members moved from Calgary to Toronto, shedding their western garb. The doors to the world stage would soon open. By year’s end changes in personnel resulted in The Stampeders becoming a well – honed trio of rockers. The same three musicians, the winning formula of Rich, Ronnie and Kim would soon make rock & roll history by being one of the first Canadian bands to break onto the international scene.

The 1971 release of Sweet City Woman changed the lives of the band members forever. Their signature tune reached Billboard Top Ten. Canadian music and songwriting awards would mount. International attention lead to The Stampeders touring the UK, Brazil, and of course the US, with performances including “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert” and “Whisky A-Go-Go.” The band played to live concerts of up to 30,000.

While no tune garnered the global acclaim of Sweet City Woman, other songs received healthy airtime in the US, Mexico and South American, and Europe. The band continued to ride the wave of success with songs such as its unique rendition of Hit The Road Jack, its earlier southern rock tune Carry Me, and arguably their best hard rock & roll number, the fiery Wild Eyes. Popularity was also afforded sweet ballads sung by Kim Berly such as Oh My Lady and Minstrel Gypsy.

Recording deals changed from the late 1960s and through much of the 1970s. In 1977 personnel once again struggled, leading to the band’s breakup before the end of the decade.

In 1992, The Stampeders’ core reunited as a Canadian touring band, the triumvirate launching its rejuvenated career playing where else, but the Calgary Stampede. The group later recorded its first album in almost 20 years.

Dodson, King and Berly have continued to tour regularly since 1992, drawing sold-out crowds in a vast variety of venues including concert halls and stadiums, local fairs and dinner theatres throughout virtually all of Canada.

The Family Reunites for the First Concert Date of a Stampeders Five City Tour

On a picture perfect Sunday autumn afternoon in late September, band members sit in their dressing room. The Stampeders are waiting to perform just outside Ottawa at the Carp Fall Fair. There’s a strong family presence. Ronnie’s 13-year-old daughter Zoe has been with her dad for the past couple of days. They attended a wedding in Montreal, and have driven to Carp this Sunday morning. Zoe wants to catch a quick glimpse of the fairgrounds. Ronnie offers her some money, telling her, “Take it Zoe, why else do you think I’m working,” his voice cracking with emotion.

Rich has arrived from Toronto with wife Mary-Lynn. She leaves the dressing room to set up merchandise tables beside the stage. Their daughter Holly, also a talented musician, has come along for the show. She too is anxious to look around outside.

Kim and his partner Lori now live in British Columbia. Kim flew to Toronto to begin the five city tour, paying a visit to his daughter in Orangeville before driving to Carp. Lori’s daughter Danica has driven to Carp from college in Brockville to again be part of The Stampeders entourage. She joins the two other girls for a pre-concert stroll.

The Stampeders’ Carp Fall Fair Concert

Members of the classic Canadian rock band are each well into their sixties. Ronnie’s a great grandfather. Nevertheless the group performs to a packed crowd for close to two hours including encore, without so much as a short break.

Couples and singles of all ages and both sexes are dancing along the perimeter of the arena and in front of the stage. A woman is bopping with her two children a la Woodstock; or are they her grandchildren? The band plays their greatest hits and then some, effectively its live, double CD. Even Zoe, Holly, Danica and Mary-Lynn are making beat to the tunes. Ronnie reminisces when toddler Zoe would dance on stage.

The Stampeders return for a lengthy encore. Throngs rush the stage to watch, listen, hope for a hand shake or peck on the cheek. After the conclusion a sixtyish woman with young child in toe asks, “please, Ronnie dropped his pick and I just can’t reach far enough onto the stage to get it; I’ve been collecting picks since 1973; could you get it for me?”

Mary-Lynn and the three daughters are doing a brisk business selling CDs, a band history on DVD, posters and t-shirts. Many hover, awaiting the return of Rich, Ronnie and Kim to autograph new purchases as well as fans’ vintage 45s, LPs and books chronicling the history of Canadian rock & roll, of course including photo spreads of The Stampeders – still in blue jeans and cowboy hats.

For The Stampeders it’s an honour to perform for not only loyal fans (and their progeny), but also old friends who drop by including members of other historic Canadian rock bands and the radio personalities who changed their lives. With the utmost sincerity the band feels privileged to have the opportunity to perform for their own families and make them part of the experience of live rock & roll.

Next morning the families leave the Ottawa Valley in separate vehicles. Before heading out Ronnie drives Zoe to the Ottawa airport so she can get back to hometown Calgary for Monday afternoon’s classes. Danica drives back to college in Brockville. The band heads for Toronto for the next performance in Mississauga.

Mary-Lynn and Holly accompany Rich to the Stage West Mississauga dinner theatre venue. Kim smiles at the end of this second gig of the concert tour, almost embarrassingly admitting, “yes, it’s quite a nice way to make a living this way, after all these years; look at our families, the love and the appreciation which surrounds us.”

NOTE: A photographic essay of the first two gigs of this tour appears here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150355589203921.377241.651578920&type=3

About the Author

Alvin Starkman spent four days touring with The Stampeders, the first two concert dates of a five city, weeklong tour in Ontario and Manitoba. Alvin is a former Toronto litigation lawyer now living in Oaxaca, Mexico. Alvin runs Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast (http://www.casamachaya.com) with his wife Arlene, and Oaxaca Culinary Tours (http://www.oaxacaculinarytours.com) with internationally acclaimed chef Pilar Cabrera.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Alvin-Starkman/11848

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