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ROCKABILLY
LOSES A CANADIAN LEGEND: RAY CONDO DIES AGE
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TORONTO
16 APRIL 2004: Since he first picked up the guitar
at age 12, Ray Condo was rock'n'roll. Born in
Hull Quebec (now Gatineau) and raised listening
to Ronnie Hawkins, Elvis Presley, and Hank Williams,
Condo joined the music scene in Vancouver in the
mid 1970s, with a punk band called the Secret
V's. In 1984 he found himself in Montreal where
he formed the seminal indie group the Hardrock
Goners, mixing rockabilly with blues, traditional
country, and Western swing. Eleven years and many
records (Crazy Date in 1986, Hillbilly Holiday
in 1993 and Come On! in 1994) and tours later,
Condo headed back west to Vancouver to front the
Ricochets.
Condo's death comes as a complete shock to those
who knew him. Condo had many upcoming shows planned,
including tours in Australia, Europe, and the
United States.
Memorials are being planned across the country.
In the Vancouver area, there will be an impromptu
wake at the Rockabilly Jam at the Railway Club
(579 Dunsmuir Street) on Saturday April 17 (from
about 4:00 - 7:00). In Montreal, there will be
a tribute at the rockabilly show on Saturday April
17 at the Wheel Club (3373 Cavendish Blvd). In
Toronto, a memorial is being planned to coincide
with what would have been his 54th birthday, Sunday
May 16. Ray Condo and his Ricochets Texas-swing
stylings earned them a new set of fans as the
swing revival took hold in the 1990s. Their signature
blend of swing, rockabilly and honky-tonk led
to an invitation to tour with them the immensely
popular Squirrel Nut Zippers. They went on to
record four albums -- Swing Brother Swing! (1994,
re-issued in 1996), Door to Door Maniac (1997),
Condo Country (1998) and High and Wild (2000).
"The title, High and Wild, says it all about
both the music and the player. Condo is the closest
thing we have to Bob Wills left on this grey planet,
a self-propelled mutant who puts as much energy
into every live show as anyone in front of a sold-out
coliseum," said Canoe.ca reviewer Fish Griwkowsky.
"The man is a menace on stage, the kind of
player you don't want to turn your back on. Six-star
performances."
His death is an immense loss for the Canadian
indie music scene. He will be deeply missed.
~ Jennifer Amey
For
more information, please contact Gayle
Hurmuses (416) 532-2702
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