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 Artists Unite to
Honour John Allan
Cameron
April
15, 2005
The Rebecca Cohn
Auditorium
Thursday May 19 at
8:00 p.m.
» with performances
by:
Rita MacNeil, Jimmy
Rankin, The Barra
MacNeils, Singalong
Jubilee Reunion,
Buddy MacDonald,
Jerry Holland, Dave
Gunning, Fred Lavery
and Scott Long
» hosted by:
Denis Ryan and Eric
MacEwen
» with an all-star
house band
including:
Al Bennett, Dave
MacIsaac, Stuart
Cameron, Sheamus
MacNeil, Wendy
MacIsaac and the
talents of Bruce
Timmins, Robbie
MacNeil , David
Isner and Ryan and
Boyd MacNeil
John Allan Cameron
"The Godfather of
Celtic Music" - The
Celtic heart beats
strong for John
Allan Cameron , a
man who has
captivated audiences
around the world.
His unique blend of
music and story
telling combined
with his quick sense
of humour guaranteed
to make his
performances
"events" that would
not soon be
forgotten. His
lifetime of music
and commitment to
the arts render John
Allan Cameron a
national treasure.
He has toured the
world and released
more than ten albums
in a career that's
spanned over thirty
years. A tribute
concert for John
Allan will take
place at the Rebecca
Cohn Auditorium on
Thursday, May 19th
at 8pm. This gala
musical event pays
tribute to John
Allan, his songs and
his innovative 12
string guitar
medleys that put
Celtic music on the
map. John Meir,
co-organizer of the
concert with Dave
Gunning and Brookes
Diamond , commented
"It is truly
heart-warming to see
the number of Nova
Scotia performers
willing to donate
their time and
talents to honour a
world-class
entertainer". All of
the performers have
been influenced by
John Allan at
various times in
their musical career
either through
touring or
recording, or by his
leadership role in
spearheading the
Celtic music
revival.
Tickets are now
available at the
Dalhousie Arts
Centre Box Office.
All proceeds from
this concert will go
to John Allan
Cameron to help with
his medical
expenses.
About John Allan
Cameron - John Allan
Cameron was Celtic
when Celtic wasn't
cool. He was a lone
voice for the Celtic
tradition for
decades and yet, he
became and still is
a household name in
Canada. He
introduced a brand
of what would become
known as Cape Breton
music in the 1960s
when he started
picking traditional
Scottish pipe tunes
on twelve-string
guitar.
On April 13, 2003,
John was honoured by
his family, friends
and fans at the Bow
and Arrow in
Toronto, in
celebration of his
induction into the
Order of Canada, to
be presented to him
later this year in
Ottawa by the
Governor of Canada.
John Allan is
receiving his OC in
recognition of his
efforts for over 30
years in
establishing and
growing the
wonderful Celtic
music scene in
Canada.
Born in Cape Breton
in 1938 to a very
musical family , h e
brought Celtic music
to the masses and
blazed a trail of
success for other
East Coast artists
to follow. He began
playing the guitar
as a teenager and
moved to Ottawa in
1957 to become a
priest. He left and
studied education at
St. Francis Xavier
University in Nova
Scotia performing on
campus with a group
called the
Cavaliers. After
teaching in London,
Ontario, he resumed
music in 1968
playing traditional
Scottish and Irish
music at the Newport
and Mariposa Folk
Festivals. Canadians
enjoyed the
nationally televised
John Allan Cameron
Show between 1975
and 1981.
He signed with Apex
and recorded Here
Comes John Allan
Cameron (1968) and
The Minstrel of
Cranberry Lane
(1969). A contract
with Balmur Ltd.
produced Get There
by Dawn (1972) and
Lord of the Dance
(1973). Cameron has
frequently performed
with the Cape Breton
Symphony comprised
of
accordionist/pianist
Bobby Brown and
fiddlers Winston
Fitzgerald, Wilfred
Gillen and John
Donald Cameron.
Other albums include
Weddings, Wakes &
Other Things (1976),
Fiddle (1978),
Freeborn Man (1979),
Good Times (1987),
Wind Willow (1991)
and two volumes of
Classic John Allan
(1992).
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