The First Waltz

I recently watched The Last Waltz which is a Martin Scorsese directed musical documentary about The Band and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Anyone who has never seen this movie should check it out and see why it is almost universally hailed as the ultimate of the genre. Although I like The Band and their music I have to disagree on that point - I think the best musical documentary is Talking Head's Stop Making Sense but that is not what I came here to talk about - I came to talk about my sisters. Did that last sentence catch your eyes sisters? Good - that is what it was meant to do. But the rest of you can keep reading too.

I was the middle child of 5 children and I will clarify that by saying that technically I was born in between three older sisters and one younger brother so it just felt like the middle. So when it came to developing an interest in music I was totally at the mercy of my sisters and that was not always a bad thing.

Actually music was a lot of fun with three sisters. They were older and more worldly than me so I was introduced to whatever they were interested in. The earliest I can remember would be the music from Disney films and TV shows but as they grew into teenagers I was initiated into the world of TV dance shows, school sock hops, teen idols and records. I especially remember what I like to think of as "the era of the Bobbies". There were a lot of singing Bobbies - offhand I can recall Bobbie Rydell, Bobbie Vinton, Bobbie Vee and Bobbie Curtola. This particular breed of singer was known as the teen idol or "dreamboat"and they existed solely to sell records to young girls. Pretty slim pickins for a young boy but my sisters had all the records and the record player so I was pretty much resigned to liking what they liked. But remember - this was 1962-63 and the Beatles were right around the corner.

I am not really sure how it came to be that I was invited to go with my sisters to an early rock and roll show at the Fredericton Playhouse but am I glad it happened. The band that was playing was none other than Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks and they changed my life. It was the first time I had seen live music on stage and I was blown away! This was when the Beatles were just pictures in magazines - and here were living, rocking musicians right on stage! They had shiny boots and mohair suits and I have never forgotten how exciting it was.

Anyone who knows their rock and roll history knows that Ronnie Hawkins is a living legend in the music world and that the Hawks went on to become The Band. They are perhaps the most famous for being Bob Dylan's backing band for many years - not bad for a bunch of Canadian boys (and one Yankee). Their ultimate concert was filmed by Martin Scorsese in 1978 and became known as The Last Waltz.

It was such a lucky twist of fate for me that I got to see them in the very beginning - sort of a First Waltz for me and I have been enjoying the dance ever since. So I say thanks to my sisters for taking along an impressionable 12 year old boy (even if Mom made you do it) and allowing me to witness this small but significant slice of rock and roll history.