Canadian Pickers

Ray Leroux · Post by **Ray Leroux** » 3 Sep 2006 7:43 pm

I heard this thread calling my name.

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 4 Sep 2006 1:56 am

Hey John, Dave Paul's getting back at it? Haven't heard from him in 25 years!

John Cadeau · Post by **John Cadeau** » 4 Sep 2006 7:07 am

Hi John, Yes Dave has been doing a single act using keyboards, and backup tracks, and a little guitar. He's not playing much just doing a few special events at seniors centers and the like. And folks John Lacey and Ray Leroux are not only Canadian steel players, they are among the finest of Canadian steel players.
JC

Nigel Mullen · Post by **Nigel Mullen** » 4 Sep 2006 12:44 pm

Count me in. New Brunswick

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 6 Nov 2013 12:16 am

WOW! I just found this post tonight! I feel that I should add my steel teacher, Elizabeth West, from Surrey, BC. Since some of you know me more from my photos, I'll add one here that I took for one of Elizabeth's four CD's. I also noticed that two posters use my photos as their forum avatars. Elizabeth also uses this photo as her forum avatar.

Another Canadian steeler, from Cochrane, Alberta, is Neil Degraw. He also uses this photo as his Forum avatar.

Terry Winter · Post by **Terry Winter** » 6 Nov 2013 7:14 am

Oh yea, I'm here ........me too.

Terry W.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 6 Nov 2013 7:55 am

Here too...Peace River country, Northern Alberta, near Grande Prairie.

Ray Leroux · Post by **Ray Leroux** » 6 Nov 2013 9:32 am

Ahh John you are a silver tongued devil. Stick on the ice eh

Keith Davidson · Post by **Keith Davidson** » 6 Nov 2013 12:36 pm

Hello from the booming metropolis of River Ryan, Nova Scotia

Ted Russell · Post by **Ted Russell** » 6 Nov 2013 1:28 pm

I'm not from Canada, but will be playing in the Lake Ontario region with the John Eddie band the next four nights.

www.lightofdaycanada.com

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 6 Nov 2013 2:20 pm

Jim R. Harrison wrote:WOW! I just found this post tonight! I feel that I should add my steel teacher, Elizabeth West, from Surrey, BC. Since some of you know me more from my photos, I'll add one here that I took for one of Elizabeth's four CD's. I also noticed that two posters use my photos as their forum avatars. Elizabeth also uses this photo as her forum avatar.

Y'know, I think that's a Super Pro-II that lady is standing behind. Sho~Bud only made a small number of those guitars, like a dozen, and they're big b-u-c-k-s when they come up for sale. I'm thinking the low 5 figures.

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 6 Nov 2013 2:40 pm

Yes, Herb, you are correct! I believe there were only 9 of these guitars built. Elizabeth was actually given that guitar by Shot Jackson some many years ago. She is very proud of it!! Check her somewhat out-of-date website for details of this. http://www3.telus.net/public/west345/index.html

Jim Harrison

Jim Robbins · Post by **Jim Robbins** » 6 Nov 2013 3:15 pm

Doyle Weigold wrote:How many Canadian steel players have a Canadian built Linkon Steel guitar? Just curios. We have one in our band and everybody is impressed with it!

I'm another Canadian steel player.

The first psg I played was a Linkon, at a jam in Winnipeg many years ago. I don't remember the name of the fellow that owned it, maybe he's on the forum. Never owned a Linkon but Wayne Link kindly set up my first steel guitar (MSA Sidekick).

Neil Degraw · Post by **Neil Degraw** » 7 Nov 2013 2:53 pm

I'm proud to be Canadian but must say that because of steel guitar, have had the privilage to make friends from many parts of the world. Thanks to my friend, Jim Harrison, for starting this thread up again for back in 2003 I took my my steel out, after being in the closset for 20 years, when we moved from Ontario to Alberta.
To add a couple players, there is Paul Bartha and Jerry Streuaef from Alberta and Jim Vien from Ontario and Jimmy Parish from Ontario who will be celibrating his 25th wedding anniversary November 30th with his wife Sylvia. I'm going back to Ontario for this event since Jimmy took steel lessons from me and became a great steel player. I also look forward on getting togather with a lot of the old pickers that I played with when we were younger.
Neil

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 7 Nov 2013 5:11 pm

Hi Neil, Don't know if you remember me but we go back to 1973-4. I was fresh into Canada and you were one of the first steel players I met. You were playing with the New Covenant Children in London, your sibling gospel group. I went to a church one Sunday to listen to you and of course was taken away by your nice steel playing. I still have your album, I believe I bought it fro Bruce Armstrong back then.
Many years have passed and I hope you are doing well out west. It would be a blast to meet you when you come to Ontario.
By the way, I talked with Jim Veen this summer..he was playing at an antiques show with his group...your name was mentioned. He is playing an S12 GFI. take care!

Billy Webb · Post by **Billy Webb** » 7 Nov 2013 5:33 pm

Hi John Cadeau!! Im not Canadian, but I think Vancouver had an adoption thing going for me for a while. I played lead guitar and fronted Spade Nielson's band, the Canadian Gambler's back in the early seventy's. Our home base was the Bronze Boot Supper club on Canada way. Its been a long time. Ben and Patty both worked in the band, along with Spade on vocals,guitar,base,and Bagpipes.Karl Erickson,on vocals, base,tenor sax,and flute.Ben of course,on steel. Patty on vocals,guitar,and good looks. Dick Paul on drums, and vocals.These people were all great musicians and intertainers. It was an extreme pleasure to front this fabulous group.Please give my kindness regards to Patty, and does any one know about Karl? any news would be welcome neh regards,(BILLY WEBB)

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 7 Nov 2013 11:36 pm

It appears I posted the WRONG photo for Neil Degraw's Forum avatar - sorry Neil!! Here is the correct one.

Also, Neil mentioned two steelers from Alberta; one of whom should have been Jerry Strellaeff, from Rimbey, AB. Another one, from Condor, AB is Darren Stewart. Here is a photo of both, along with Kayton Roberts & Roger Carroll, the later two from Nashville (Note someone mentioned Kayton as a Canadian - he's not). This was following Kayton's induction into the SGHOF in St. Louis.

Jerry is on the left; Darren is on the right.

Another steel picker, from Calgary, is Luc Desharnais.

One last one, for now, is retired and a member of the BC Country Music Hall of Fame, Len Ryder, now living in Princeton, BC but originally from Surrey, BC.

Bob Taillefer · Post by **Bob Taillefer** » 8 Nov 2013 6:27 am

Bonjour!

Bob T.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 8 Nov 2013 6:40 am

I checked in briefly ten years ago when this thread started. Still here, hanging out in Alberta and BC's Gulf Islands, and playing quite a lot with an interesting variety of artists. I cut my teeth in the bars of Eastern Ontario and Toronto back in the days of six-nighters. Jim Harrison has taken some of the best steel guitarist photos I've ever seen, and I'm proud to have one of them as my avatar.

Robert Dunlop · Post by **Robert Dunlop** » 8 Nov 2013 3:23 pm

Count me in!

Bent Romnes · Post by **Bent Romnes** » 8 Nov 2013 4:40 pm

Count me in too...not so much as a player any more but I build'em, if that counts

Dennis Saydak · Post by **Dennis Saydak** » 9 Nov 2013 9:40 am

I'm just a closet player. T-Shirt is courtesy of Wayne Link promoting his Hawaiian Cowboy album.

Jim R. Harrison · Post by **Jim R. Harrison** » 9 Nov 2013 10:48 am

Bob Blair has been too kind with his comments re my photos. It is I that should be proud that he, & some others, are using my photos as their avatars on the Forum!

Here are some more Canadian Pickers that are - or were - members of the Forum.

This is Evan Egohetz, formerly from Calgary, AB, now in Powell River, BC.

This is Greg Derksen from Calgary, Alberta.

Rob Anderson is from Edmonton, Alberta.

Ian Stewart from Vernon, BC plays his guitar slightly differently from most - how?

Another one of Bob Blair, with his brother, Rick, from Toronto.

Ernie Unger is originally from Saskatoon, SK but is now in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Neil Degraw · Post by **Neil Degraw** » 9 Nov 2013 11:15 am

Jim Harrison is absolutely the best photographer we have and has helped us steelers out many times!!!

Tommy Mark · Post by **Tommy Mark** » 9 Nov 2013 12:29 pm

Who would have thought this thread would last this long !! Thank you all! Although Im not a steel player, I am a Dobro/Guitar player along with my son Clayton. I just love all things steel and love this forum !

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Canadian Pickers

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