Page 19 - Biz X Magazine - July/August, 2014 Issue

greatly and whose music is very strong or a spiritual memoir, it kind of went in that Ready For Kingsville whose writing is strong, so I kind of found direction, but there’s a lot of biographical Cockburn’s visit to Kingsville features a myself inwardly shufing my feet.” stuf and a lot of musings and a fair amount trio with legendary drummer Gary Craig Kidding around he says that “the one thing of political comment along with song and fddle virtuoso Jenny Shineman. the flm is missing is somebody saying ‘that lyrics and discussion of how those songs guy’s an a..hole; he’s a terrible songwriter.’ came to be.” I think we could have used a little bit of that Te memoir was co-written with Greg coming from somewhere.” King, who kept Cockburn on track. Still, he says, it was nice to be the centre “I write short things,” Cockburn says. “A of attention. song might be 30 lines and that’s a long song, “Te cameras were pointed at me, look at so to write a book of close to 600 pages, I got me,” he jokes. “So it was a lot of fun to do.” bogged down afer 100 pages or so and didn’t know where to go. So I enlisted the aid of my Memoir Ofers Insights friend Greg, who’s a journalist and knows On the memoir front, in order to refresh how to do those things.” his memory, Cockburn had to dig through a vast collection of notebooks and memorabilia Guitar, Lessons & A Grateful Star he had donated to McMaster University. With the book in its fnal stages, there’s a What began as a “spiritual memoir” at bemused tone to Cockburn’s voice when he Harper Collins’ request, eventually emerged discusses his musical longevity, and more as a more rounded trip down memory than a hint of appreciation for how he got lane with Cockburn’s spirituality as a his start. recurring theme. He found his frst guitar in his grandmother’s attic in 1959, and his parents insisted if he was going to bang on it he’d have to take lessons. “I’m grateful for the fact that my parents were willing to support it in spite of their The inaugural “Kingsville Folk Music Festival” takes concerns,” Cockburn says. “It was like, place at Lakeside Park August 8 to 10. On May 2, 2014 ‘OK, well, play the guitar if you’re into it but during a press conference to announce the festival, Rhonda Chorba, left, of Heinz and Scott Jackson, don’t become a juvenile delinquent,’ which, Chief Union Stewart received 800 tickets for Heinz in their minds, was inextricably associated workers from festival organizers Michele and John Law. with Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Photo by Stella Ciancio. He continues, “I didn’t set out with a goal or any kind of vision where it would go. I just “It’s a exciting little group,” Cockburn Bruce Cockburn (who performs Aug. 9 in Kingsville) started his musical journey when he found a guitar in his started playing guitar and then I began to says. “It works really well, so I’m looking grandmother’s attic. The multiple award-winner has never write songs. Ten it was like, well, ‘I’m going forward to getting together with those guys forgotten the gift of music he received from his parents, who to play guitar and write songs and see where and playing because it’s been a little while insisted he take lessons as a condition of playing guitar. it goes. When I frst started writing songs I since we’ve done it.” “I’m grateful for the fact that my parents were willing to thought famous people would record them Tose who take in Cockburn’s show will support it,” Cockburn says. Photo courtesy of Kevin Kelly. – Judy Collins was going to record them – likely be treated to a cross-section of songs “Tere was lots of stuf in there, actually,” but, of course it doesn’t work like that. In the spanning his entire career, he says, and Cockburn says. “Te big issue in searching end, I had to sing the songs myself, so that hear such favourites as “If I had a Rocket the archives was for photographs, but there was kind of my unintentional slide into a Launcher,” “Lovers in a Dangerous Time,” was a lot of other memorabilia that helped career. I date my ‘professional career’ to 1966 and “Wondering Where the Lions Are.” us. Tere’s a lot about spirituality in the when I joined this band in Ottawa called Te “Te thing about festivals is, the book, but I don’t think that’ll surprise Children and I joined the union at the same atmosphere is less refective and less anyone. Because the invitation was to write time and became an ofcial musician.” available to mood manipulation than BIZ X MAGAZINE • JULY/AUG 2014 19 BizX2014JulyAug52.indd 19 2014-07-01 7:53 PM