billy jones come out of retirement

Wayne Brown · Post by **Wayne Brown** » 7 Jun 2004 3:18 am

for those of you who know billy jones who is a fellow forum member will be coming out of retirement to do a summer tour with stomin tom conners...billy in my mind, is one of canada's finest non pedal players...this is one guy if you get the chance to see play you would agree with my last statment. he's also one of the greatest guys i've ever met in my life and i call him my 2nd dad. so when he comes to my town in july you can bet that i'll be front row center. i have part of the tour dates that i will put on here and i will keep you updated when i recieve some more

thanks
wayne brown
c/o out west pac-seats

Date Venue Time City Ticket Info.
Jul. 1 Community Auditorium 7:30pm Thunder Bay 807-684-4444
Jul. 4 Centennial Auditorium 8pm Brandon, Manitoba 204-728-9510
Jul. 8 Big Valley Jamboree 10pm Camrose, Alberta 888-404-1234
Jul. 12 Multiplex 8pm Prince George, BC 250-614-9100
Jul. 16 Orpheum Theatre 8pm Vancouver 604-280-444
Jul. 18 Kelowna Community Theatre 8pm Kelowna, BC On Sale Soon
Jul. 22 Calgary Folk Festival 10pm Calgary, Alberta 403-233-0904
Jul. 24 Rexall Place 8pm Edmonton, Alberta 780-451-8000
Jul. 27 Sask Place 8pm Sasakatoon, SK 306-978-7800
Jul. 29 Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts 8pm Regina 306-525-9999
Aug. 1 Burton Cummings Theatre 8pm Winnipeg, Manitoba 204-780-3333
Aug. 7 Kiwanis Community Theatre 8pm Sault Ste. Marie, ON 705-945-7299
Aug. 12 Blyth Community Arena 8pm Blyth, ON 800-465-7829
Aug. 14 The Aud - Norfolk Country Fair Grounds 8pm Aug. 14Simcoe, ON 800-456-7829
Aug. 17 Sanderson Centre 8pm Brantford, Ontario 519-758-8090
• MORE DATES TO BE POSTED WHEN CONFIRMED •

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 7 Jun 2004 5:06 am

Great to hear the news about Billy. He was a great contributor during the precambrian and jurassic days of the forum and I miss seeing his electronic byline.

Post by **Joey Ace** » 7 Jun 2004 5:10 am

Winderful News!
Not only is Billy a GREAT player and fine gentleman, but he also BUILDS his own steels!

Congrats Billy!

Thanks for the update, Wayne.

Joe Delaronde · Post by **Joe Delaronde** » 7 Jun 2004 8:56 am

I have a gang coming to see you when you reach Winnipeg.

You always make a big hit with the people at the Mid Canada Steel Show.

Congratulations my friend.

Joe, Lu & Joey

Dean Neeley · Post by **Dean Neeley** » 7 Jun 2004 1:07 pm

Yes Sir, Billy is one of a kind.Truely a first class act.

Dean Neeley[This message was edited by Dean Neeley on 08 June 2004 at 07:12 AM.]

Billy Jones · Post by **Billy Jones** » 9 Jun 2004 3:48 pm

Thankyou guys. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous after all this time but my wife, kids and grand kids told me to go for it. Not to mention all my friends.
Joey, I missed your smilin' face this year.
Dean, your back on line? wonderful. I'm so glad that we were able to pair up. I think you were playing Sir Georges guitar and had to buckle your knees a bit.
Mr. Delaronde, what a wonderful man. Please give my love to Lu.
Andy, thank you and you are right about the jurassic part. That's just about the way I feel right now. I haven't been contributing much to the forum in the last while because I didn't think I had too much of any value to say.
This forum is a terrific vehicle for information. It's also the place where you can get a second opinion (Thanks b0b)
Wayne, you are the man. I've got your pacseat crammed with goodies. I will be using my 10 string Carlyn (the green one). It is so light and portable. BTW, they've also asked me to double on dobro. That might get me a free flight home.
The other day, I was thinking of Ronnie Hyatt and his wonderful sense of humor. I think I'll carry his memory with me on this trip.
Thanks again and God bless
Billy

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 9 Jun 2004 5:23 pm

Congrats Billy!
You should have some stories to tell after
travelling with "those guys". Stompin Tom is quite a character.

I note the tour stops in Ontario. What about the Maritimes?

------------------
http://www.houstonsteelman.com/RoyT/

Billy Jones · Post by **Billy Jones** » 9 Jun 2004 6:26 pm

I really don't know Roy and thanks. He just phoned me two weeks ago and asked me what I was doing and asked me to go. I said I'd let him know by the end of the week and he said ... You've got two days. I was with him for two and a half years when we both packed it in, in 1978. I settled in Medicine Hat and Tom wrote two books. K D Lang and Dwight Yokem pulled him back to the stage some years later.
Maybe after the western tour they might invite me to do one down east but I'm 74 this year and I guess I'm not as confident as I used to be. He's quite a guy.
It seems funny because I co-write a music column in the Medicine Hat News here and I had just finished doing a piece on him the week before with reference to him being the supreme Canadian folk singer. I have to tell you that I was knocked out when he called.
Stevie Petrie was with him last time I saw them in Calgary. I'm curious as to why he's not with him now.
Billy

Joe Delaronde · Post by **Joe Delaronde** » 10 Jun 2004 5:25 am

Billy
What are the names of the books ST wrote????

Thanks
Joe

Billy Jones · Post by **Billy Jones** » 10 Jun 2004 6:55 am

Tom's first bio is called "Before the Fame" ... the second is "The Connors Tone". There are nine books. A few of them are childrens books and songs. Before the Fame has sold over 50,000 copies.
He doesn't socialize too much because he is always mobbed. This is one reason he keeps his band so close to him at all times. He's a very strict employer. Some say too strict.
He is an amazing success story considering his humble beginning and very limited formal education. The University has awarded him a Doctors degree. Imagine.. Dr. Stompin' Tom Connors.
My father, who ran a Sunday night Jam, met Tom when he was only about fifteen years old. He told me that there was something very special about Tom and predicted that he would prove it one day. Tom has never forgot my father who, I'm sure, would be very proud today.
Billy

Billy Jones · Post by **Billy Jones** » 10 Jun 2004 7:07 am

I sould have added that ... if any of you would like to have a look at his site, you can go to http://www.stompintom.com
Billy

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 10 Jun 2004 8:41 am

wow!

What an amazing individual. Thanks BIlly, and good luck on tour![This message was edited by Dave Van Allen on 10 June 2004 at 09:41 AM.]