...has a comb-over. Kind'a sad. Was watching him on 'George Stroumboulopoulis' and he is now covering the bald parts with bangs. A guy that talented need not do that, but hey, we all have our "things". Started me thinking about the music scene in Ottawa when I was at Carleton. Man, was it rich!
I knew Bruce back then. I was mildly dabbling in being a hippie and waitressed at Le Hibou coffee house on Sussex for a while. Remember that legendary hangout? The hippie part didn't take, I was more of a Hull-rock-band-bar girl and hated the long, stringy, hippie hair deal. With such curly hair, I had to lay it out on the ironing board and pound it with a hot iron every day to straighten it. Trust me, that ordeal didn't endure and I cut it all off one morning in an epiphany (or is it epiphanous?) fit of "being me".
Anyway, lots of great acts passed through Le Hibou and I remember Bruce. He certainly was not yet a star, but he was very talented. He had just come back from New York, where he had been studying at Julliard and he used to go out back in the alley and play and practice. We all kind of ignored him, but wished him well. Now there was a hippie.
Ian and Sylvia played at Le Hibou regularly, so did Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee and all sorts of other folk acts. I think by then Gordon Lightfoot was too big, but I recall him coming in. Then there was Valdy. I grew up with Valdy and he used to bring his guitar to parties all the time where we used to sigh and say, "give it a rest Valdy." For some reason, the music scene in the sixties in Ottawa was very prolific. We had a ton of fun.
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I'm sorry to hear Bruce has a comb over; in no era or environment will this ever work for men, sorry; just sayin'. As for le Hibou, OMG, it brought back memories of my earlier years. I wasn't a regular..but I do think I saw Colleen Peterson (rest her soul) there in the ...hmm late 60's? (If you remember the 60s you really weren't there...) It might have been the 70s.
ReplyDeleteI remember Colleen well. Weird that she died so very young. I also remember David Wiffen and so many others who were locally big, but never made it any bigger. Like 'The Children' with Nev Wells, Sandy Crawley and of course, Bruce. It was the late sixties, but spilled over into the 70s, you're right. I am surprised I didn't run into you then!
ReplyDeleteI just googled Le Hibou and was absolutely amazed at the acts that played there. Neil Young, Van Morrison, Robert Charlebois, Edith Butler, Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot (yes), Taj Mahal, Murray Mclauchlin, Odetta, Otis Spann, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker.......have a look for yourself. Don't tell me today's musicians are that good. They aren't.
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