"WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" #23 ~ TIMOTHY PAUL MILNER

Next up in my, "Where Are They Now?" series is Prairie College alum, Timothy Paul Milner. Tim got his

 start leading worship in 1996 at Prairie Bible College, when he founded MNW (Monday Night Worship)

 with his good friend Matt Brouwer. Through this ministry he also met his wife, Dorilee. They have three

children, Caleb, Kierra and Gideon. 

Tim holds a masters degree from Liberty University. He is a worship pastor and songwriter/recording artist

 currently stationed just east of Denver, Colorado. Originally from Nova Scotia, and having spent several

 years as a worship pastor, and teaching at a Christian university, his ministry is devoted to raising the

quality of worship and music in the local church by equipping bands and leaders to

intentionally refine and re-think the focus and purpose of worship.

Tim's ministry is aimed at helping churches reclaim worship that is scripture based, Spirit

aware and Christ focused. He does this by running worship workshops, consulting and

coaching worship leaders. He has written a book called “How Right Worship Changes us,”

available on Amazon. He and Dorilee have also co-authored a book called “Popular Music

Theory,” aimed at helping worship bands. Tim has released 3 albums, 3 EP's and a single

called “My Heart is Open,” his latest release, which can be found on Spotify and

YouTube. 

Tim plans to record a new EP of original music in early 2023.

Discography:

2006 Form and Essence

2008 Kiss the Son

2010 The Epic Hymns

2015 Hope For Every Nation (EP)

2017 Nashville sessions (Salvation Song, Mercy Covers Me, In Every Season)

2021 Nashville session 2 (Every Nation, Psalm 97)

2022 Single: My Heart is Open

"WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" #22 ~ REV MYRON BRADLEY PENNER, PhD

 

Rev Myron Bradley Penner, PhD

Next up in my, "Where Are They Now?" series is former staff kid and Prairie College Alum, the Rev Myron Bradley Penner, PhD. 

Myron is Rector of St Paul’s Anglican Church in Edmonton, AB, Canada. He is happily married to Jodi, an opera singer who is finishing her DMus (in Vocal Production and Choral Conducting) at U of Alberta, Edmonton. They have 3 adult children (Abigail, Sophia, and Isabella) and two sons-in-law (Mack and Wesley). 

The Penners formerly lived in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, where Myron was a Senior Team Leader and co-founder of Novō: Transformational Communities, a project that equips nationals in the Majority World to develop transformational communities to address addictions problems in their communities, as well as Pastor of Trinity International Church. 

Myron holds the PhD in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and taught philosophy and theology at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in several universities, graduate schools, and seminaries in Europe, Canada, and the United States. 

Myron has been awarded many postgraduate and postdoctoral fellowships and awards and has edited and published numerous academic books and articles. His latest book, The End of Apologetics: Christian Witness in a Postmodern World, was published with Baker Academic Publishing in 2011 and was the recipient of 2 awards, The 2013 Word Guild Award in Canada and The Christianity Today 2014 Book Award in the USA. 

His specialized areas of interest include Epistemology, Hermeneutics, and Philosophy of Religion.

Web: www.stpauls-anglican.ca

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD COMMENTS

November 19th, 2022 at the 42nd annual Covenant Awards I was honoured by the Gospel Music Association of Canada with a Lifetime Achievement Award. I am humbled and grateful to all those who made this possible and to the many, many people I have encountered on my journey. It is very hard to re-cap one's life in a few short minutes but here are a few thoughts:

To Greg, Jaylene and the board of GMA Canada - thank you very much for this honour.

A hearty congratulations to all of the nominees and the winners in tonight's event. Continue to pursue excellence!

To the family and friends of Amoy Levy. I am so very sorry for your loss. Amoy will be greatly missed, but her life and legacy will live on through the music she made. May she Rest In Peace.

You have all heard the quote about it taking a village to raise a child? That is my story.

I would like to begin by thanking my parents. Their love of music and the arts set the stage early on for what was to become my career. Mom and Dad sacrificed to provide piano lessons for me starting at an early age. In Jr High they let me have space in their basement both for a small electronics shop and a basic, primitive recording studio. Their belief and confidence in me, set me on a path which would turn into my life's passion. Thank you Mom and Dad!

I had several mentors along the way;

My father in law Doug Kirk who gave me my start in PA and basic studio operation. Doug also taught me to troubleshoot logically which has been a huge help. He also let me marry his daughter which may be my greatest achievement.

Doug was always generous with both his time and his knowledge. He would often quote Don Davis who said, “I met a man with a dollar. We exchanged dollars. We each still had one dollar. Then I met a man with an idea. We exchanged ideas. Now we each have two ideas.”

I have tried to live my life by that mantra.

John Binet Sr who taught me how to edit analog tape with a razor blade and taught me a lot about electronics.

Mark Hollingsworth who took a chance on a 22 year old Canadian kid to road manage and then production manage the biggest rock band in Christian music.

Bob MacKenzie who constantly challenged me to do better, be better and push my artists towards excellence. Bob would often tell me that, "The longer the line of preparation, the greater the possibility of intersecting with the line of opportunity."

This has been 100% true in my life.

I would like to give special mention to three former colleagues, Harold Wiens, Ray Kirk and Eldon Winter. We certainly had some adventures along the way - thank you to each one of you!

To the hundreds of musicians, artists, songwriters and technicians who I have worked with over the years, I thank each of you for contributing to my life and I trust that I brought some light to your journey as well.

Lastly, I would like to thank my wife Cathy, our children Christy, Rob and Jon for always supporting me and being there through the ups and downs.

As you all know the path of a creative is not always an easy one and their support over the many years has given my life stability and purpose.

I leave you with this quote from Ludwig van Beethoven “Music can change the world.”

I truly believe that!

Thank you! 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #21 ~ PAUL JANZ

The next artist in my, “Where Are They Now” series is singer, songwriter, musician, author, professor, Paul Janz.

Paul was born in Three Hills where his father, Leo was one of the members of the Janz Quartet along with his two brothers and Cornie Enns. The quartet sang a lively 4 part harmony, gospel tinged style of music and were instrumental in putting Prairie College on the map along with LE Maxwell. Hard to believe now, but the quartet was fairly controversial in some parts of the country. They were actually kicked out of more than one church for what was deemed, “worldly” music.

I don’t claim to be a DNA scientist or specialist in any way but I do know this: The musical talent and thread that runs through the Janz DNA is simply remarkable. Not only Leo and his brothers but Paul’s siblings and cousins and onto the next generation of children, nieces and nephews. I’m not sure if I know any other situation quite like it.

Brought up in a very musical family, he first learned the trumpet and by age 13 was engaged with his local chapter of The Salvation Army. He was in the Janz Team Singers, then Danny, Paul and Wayne and then formed a band with his brother Ken and his cousin Danny called Deliverance in the mid ’70’s. Deliverance released 3 albums in the next 10 years having a marginal hit song with, Leaving LA.
In 1984, Paul launched his solo career, which culminated in four projects with a string of chart-topping hits from each album. 

The first solo album recorded at Greenhouse Studios in Vancouver would achieve gold record status in Canada. The success of his projects led to his nomination for a Juno Award, Canada's most prominent music award. Despite achieving great success in Canada, his U.S. record label's restructuring of its roster of artists led to the end of promotion in the American market.

This is not my story to tell so you would have to hear it or read it from Paul, but Paul abruptly quit the music business in around 1994. Done. Finished. Not even a little toe in the water. He pursued further studies and began to teach philosophy at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia before becoming Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology and Head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College London.

Paul has written a book entitled God, the Mind's Desire: Reference, Reason and Christian Thinking published by Cambridge University Press. 

In 2004, Janz's first album High Strung was re-released on CD for the first time by Escape Music in the UK.

I am going to post a couple of things in the comment section: The first one is a song called: Praying off of Paul’s last album, Trust released in 1992. Of special note is the background choir which is the West Coast Mennonite Chamber Choir arranged and conducted by Larry Nickel, older brother to the famous photographer and Prairie College professor, Ron Nickel.

The second one is a very old recording of the original Janz Quartet from a Jan. 6th, 1950 recording of Hymns That Live, the radio broadcast.

(Thank you to wikipedia for the help on this one!) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llPPe8bmqeM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt4R2apRYUU&t=45s

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #20 ~ DONALD SCOTT MASTERSON

Next up in my, "Where Are They Now" series is a 3rd generation "Prairie-ite." Donald Scott Masterson III, is a multi-talented, designer, graphic artist and painter.

Donald Scott Masterson, a multi-medium artist, has called Cannon Beach his home since 2000. Born in Oregon and growing up in Canada, his career has spanned being a graphic designer for a Nashville record label, to an Art Director for Disney and Universal Studios in China. Inspired by the beauty of Cannon Beach from his early childhood while visiting his grandmother, he would wander the local galleries and gather inspiration from artists like Jeffrey Hull and Bill Steidel. 

Donald's paintings can be seen in local restaurants and hotels such as The Stephanie Inn and Pelican Brewery, as well as in private collections around the Northwest. When he is not working in his studio at home, Donald spends his days on film sets as a scenic artist and sculptor.

 

 

Both Donald's grandfather and father taught at Prairie College and Donald is a graduate of PHS where he proudly played goal for the Sabres hockey team.

Donald's work has graced custom homes, he has designed restaurants, worked on film sets and the list goes on. Some of you will remember back in the day he designed and painted the Boxtree CD Cover.

A little known fact is that Donald also designed the Reunion Records logo in Nashville, TN and as far as I know they are still using it today.

I have known Donald since he was a wee lad and we have a love for Daniel Lanois and the Omnichord in common among other things!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #19 ~ BEN CRANE

 

If you have been in pretty much any truck stop in North America and many greeting card stores you will have seen the work of this man! Up next in my series, "Where Are They Now" is artist, sculptor, songwriter, musician and singer Ben Crane.

I have known Ben since we were kids and the talent coming out of every pore in this guy is just incredible! Ben faced a serious challenge right out of the womb as he was born what we now term, "a thalidomide baby". Thalidomide was a drug given to expectant mothers to combat morning sickness but was soon found to have devastating results on their offspring. Ben's challenge was his left hand.

If you ever see Ben play; bass, guitar, keyboards, mandolin, accordion and pretty much anything he sets his mind to you will see and hear how Ben has overcome many of the obstacles that were set in front of him.

Ben told me some years ago that he and I had worked on about 40 projects together in some form or another. It was an honour to work with Ben and I don't think in 20 plus years we even had a cross word or argument! Not that we never disagreed, but it was done in a civil fashion.

After graduating from PHS, Ben served on staff at Prairie College as an illustrator and graphic designer. When my Dad retired Ben presented him with a beautiful drawing of the head of a horse which now hangs in Dad's house in Memphis and is one of Dad's prized possessions.

For the last many years Ben has been one of the lead cartoonists for Leanin' Tree greeting cards and more recently has been the illustrator for the Jeff Foxworthy line of, "You Might Be A Redneck" cards.

Ben's diverse talents are too many to enumerate here but I encourage you to check out his website and make sure you take in his upcoming concert in Three Hills. I guarantee you will be entertained!

I should mention one other thing and that is if you are ever in Sylvan Lake, please check out Ben's bronze sculpture of a mermaid, her baby and rainbow trout. It is wonderful!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #18 ~ RAYLENE SCARROTT

The next artist in my, "Where Are They Now" series is PHS alum, singer, Raylene Scarrott.

A number of years ago (20 plus!) Catherine Kirk Rendall and I sang in a small choir that was assembled by Steve and Jo Carter. We had a great time and Raylene soloed several times with our choir and she is a wonderful singer.

Raylene lives in Calgary with her husband, Kevin (also a PHS alum) and her family.

I will post two songs in the comments below. The first one is a duet she did with Jody McBrayer of Avalon and the second one is the first single that was released to radio. Enjoy! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuxO4hahIIw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmrwY77jKno

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #17 ~ MATT BROUWER

Show of hands if you have ever been to Truro, Nova Scotia! Several years ago, Catherine Kirk Rendall and I had the pleasure of travelling to Truro and meeting the lady who gave birth to this next talented artist in my, "Where Are They Now" series.

Matt Brouwer came to school at Prairie College from his hometown in NS and it wasn't long until this singer, songwriter and guitar player had formed a band (MNW) and was playing weekly in the school chapel and auditorium. One thing led to another and after recording 2 albums with MNW, Matt signed to Reunion Records in Nashville, TN and his first solo project, Immagerical was released.

With more than 19 years of hit songs, including “Water,” “I Shall Believe,” “Tonight,” and the Top 20 "Sometimes”; two GMA Canada Covenant Awards; two Canadian people’s choice Vibe Awards, he currently lives in The Woodlands, TX with his wife and family. Matt also won a 2010 Juno Award (Canada’s Grammy equivalent) for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the year, Matt has a lot to celebrate in all that has been accomplished so far over the course of his career.

Brouwer's music has been hailed for its relentless vulnerability as he shares his life's story of tragedy (the tragic death of his father) and hope (his Spiritual pilgrimage) with his listeners.

With the passage of time inevitably comes change and it is in looking back that Matt is starting to see a new and exciting road ahead.

I will post a link below to a song that we recorded in my little studio in Three Hills with the uber talent, Eldon Winter. Listen for Jill Paquette DeZwaan performing the female vocal parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnIje-dEsy0

Matt's website:

https://www.mattbrouwer.com

GROWING UP A PRAIRIE STAFF KID . . . SOME THOUGHTS . . .

Here is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to another staff kid some years ago: 

Among other topics I had mentioned a couple of things to him:

One was that 4 or 5 common reasons that I felt the majority of people arrived at Prairie.

 1. People who genuinely came with servant hearts and were at PBI for very pure reasons. 

These folks were willing to do whatever they were called on to do to the best of their ability.

 2. People that were there that were completely incompetent and couldn't get a job in the real world and found a place at Prairie.

 3. People that were very qualified and came with a purpose and a mission and brought a lot of skills, education, etc, to the table.

 4. People who were hiding, running or had escaped from some situation - work, church, home, etc. As you know, in those days HR didn't do a lot of due diligence on most people. PBI ended up with a percentage of abusers, crooks, etc. because of this. (Doug Kirk had many stories of how people just used to show up ~ worldly belongings and kids in tow ~ many times not haven given any notice in advance of their arrival.)

 5. People that used PBI as a stepping stone to a career. PBI paid for their education upgrades, etc., fed their kids, housed them, and then they moved on to greener pastures.

 On another topic, I think we as PBI staff kids had some distinct advantages or gained some skills growing up at PBI. 

( I am sure we can make a negative list as well! )

 1. Being exposed to and able to interact in a large community, we learned a lot about communication skills. Both verbal and written with a cross section of adults and students.

 2. We were exposed to a vast array of people and skills, trades, etc. Being able as kids to hang out at the machine shop, farm, carpenter shop, electric shop, etc. etc., gave us a broad view of how a lot of those things functioned.

 3. Not having much in the way of material possessions, and no TV,  a lot of us became avid readers and learned to be self driven when it came to creative skills.

 4. Being exposed to a wide range of cultures, both foreign as well as people from all over North America, we learned to relate and interact with a variety of people.

 5. For some of us having missionaries, preachers, etc. through our homes gave us a much broader world view than an equivalent kid say brought up in Acme.

 6. Many kids learned a trade, starting very young, sometimes as young as Junior High that have served them well.

Many staff kids have gone on to be over achievers driven by a variety of reasons I am sure, but I believe whether recognized or not, a lot of the skills that we have used in our lives were developed and fostered at PBI. There are others, but these are what come to mind immediately.


 Thoughts?


 SjR

APRIL FOOLS

 

Some may wonder why I post this year after year on this day? The short answer is that it serves to remind me, (and hopefully you) that stuff is just stuff. We get attached to our, "stuff" but at the end of the day it is just that. I know this pales in comparison to what a lot of people are going through at this time . . .

It is hard to believe that 32 years ago today ~ April 1st, 1990 at around 8:00 in the morning I received a call which would radically change the trajectory of us and our young family forever. Unfortunately it was not an April Fool's joke.

The recording studio space that we were renting had been broken into and almost all of our equipment had been stolen. Some good did come out of it and a lot of bad. Many of you know the story. Someday I hope to be able to write it up and truth be told, the story would make for a pretty interesting movie!

As I was reflecting on this whole saga again last night, I realized again how determined and resilient the human spirit can be. Never once did I consider quitting or giving up. (maybe I should have! ) Seriously, I felt that this career of music, recording and production was something I was meant to do and I would find a way to pick up the pieces and carry on.

In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago and in other ways it seems like yesterday. Thank you to our friends and family who stood by us at that very difficult time.

I want to give a specific shout out to my late Uncle Sam Norbo (RIP) who, while visiting later that month from Ontario, slipped some cash into my pocket which he said he wanted us to have due to what had just happened. On a pastors salary this was something I am sure he could not afford, but it helped us buy groceries that month and spoke to his generous heart. Shortly before he passed I was able to thank him again for his help at that time. ~ SjR

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #16 ~ RON HOMENUKE

In the mid 1970's when my friends and I would venture into the big city of Calgary to watch the Calgary Centennials of the Western Hockey League play, little did I know that one of the players would later attend Prairie College.

One of our favourite lines was made up of; Danny Gare, Mike Rogers and Ron Homenuke. The games were always exciting and the whole atmosphere was intoxicating to us young hockey players with visions of grandeur dancing in our heads.

Drafted by the Vancouver Canucks, Ron only played one game where he sustained an injury that sent him back down to the Seattle Totems, Vancouver's farm team.

Ron Homenuke's story is much too long to relate here, but suffice it to say that for those who would like to learn more there is plenty to be found on the inter webs and there are at least 2 published books that I know of that relate Ron's story.

While participating in a field trip for Selkirk College's Wildland Recreation class, Ron suffered serious injuries when he fell 1500 to 2000 feet down the Kokanee Glacier. He spent several months recovering, including three weeks in a coma. He was temporarily paralyzed and wheelchair bound. He suffered brain injuries affecting his memory. But he survived, and thanks to the doctors at the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Center in Vancouver, eventually would recover fully.

After attending Prairie College, in 1985 he found his life's calling as a missionary for AIM. He has spent considerable time in the Philippines working with street children, as well as working with churches across Canada.

Books:

On the Edge - The Autobiography of Ron Homenuke

From Rogue To Riches - The Amazing Life Of Ron Homenuke

CHRISTMAS MUSIC NIGHT

Every year, the college that my Dad was on staff at would put on a major production we called: Christmas Music Night. People would travel from near and far to pack out the auditorium which back in the day sat 4500. A 180 voice choir, 60 piece orchestra and various smaller groups, soloists and instrumentalists made up this large production. Every 4th year the entire entourage would travel to Calgary and Edmonton, first by train and later by busses to perform the exact same program in the beautiful Jubilee Auditoriums which sat 2500 people a piece and were often sold out as well.

While I may not have fully appreciated what I experienced at the time I have realized that these experiences played a role in my overall musical appreciation. While the music was very conservative, there was a high standard of quality when it came to the performances. Pitch, tempo, diction, blend and host of other factors which make for an enjoyable musical experience bacame important factors for me later in life.

I want to recommend 3 different videos for you to be able to experience your own, "Music Night" this Christmas season. Pour yourself a steaming cup of hot chocolate, (with marshmallows of course) and enjoy these artists and performances alone or with a group of family or friends. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed!

The first one is by Yo Yo Ma and his very musically diverse friends. Everything from classical, folk and celtic make this a fantastic holiday experience. This one you may need to do a search for each song as I couldn't find a play list for the entire thing. This should start you off . . .

Yo Yo Ma And Friends ~ Songs Of Joy and Peace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxDZjg_Igoc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxDZjg_Igoc

The second one is from Sting. Set in the stunning Durham Cathedral in England the performance are stellar and the lighting is spectacular.

Sting: A Winter's Night . . . Live from Durham Cathedral

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl1FnmSGj1Q

The third one is from Andrea Bocelli and David Foster along with a host of friends. Again, the sound and performances are A-1 and there is something there for every taste.

Andrea Bocelli ~ My Christmas ~ Live From The Kodak Theatre, USA / 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz2HYs59m2g&list=PLW5iZBBR47Dj-0wjxVOCecE3uHU0sH2dQ

You may need to do some searching to find these but it is well worth the effort!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #15 ~ ROY HENRY VICKERS

Next up in my, "Where Are They Now" series is PHS alum, Roy Henry Vickers. Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers is best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is also an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, publisher and author of several successful books.

In addition, he is a recognized leader in the First Nations community, and a tireless spokesperson for recovery from addictions and abuse.

Roy has received many awards and honours for his art and community involvement. Among them are a hereditary chieftainship and several hereditary names he has received from Northwest Coast First Nations.

Roy had and has many relatives who have attended Prairie over the years and he speaks of his student work at Prairie where he wrapped insulation around steam pipes in the newly formed steam tunnels.

An astounding fact for such a prominent, world class talent as Roy, is that he is colour blind. When you see his work you would never guess that he has that condition.

If you are ever in Toffino, Roy's Gallery and Museum are, "must sees"!! More than 500,000 visitors a year from around the world visit it each year and it is one of the area's main attractions.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #14 ~ JILL PAQUETTE (DeZwaan)

This next artist in my, "Where Are They Now" series may well be the singly most talented artist I have ever had the privilege of working with.

As a freshman at Prairie College the word quickly got around about this amazing singer, songwriter, guitar and keyboard player named Jill Paquette. Classically trained Jill arrived on campus at 17 already an accomplished piano player. Soon after arriving Jill joined Matt Brouwer's, MNW (Monday Night Worship) and recorded 2 albums with them.

I will never forget the evening I asked Jill to come over to the house and we recorded a couple of demo / audition songs in my very crude basement studio. The first thing that blew me away was when I asked Jill who some of her influences were when she was growing up, she without reservation said, "Wendy Swanson".

Turns out Wendy had been on tour and Jill and her Mother had heard her and her Mom had bought her the CD and the songbook. I looked at Jill incredulously as I had produced two albums for Wendy back in 1987 and 1990 and to prove it Jill sang me one of Wendy's songs! The moment Jill opened her mouth to sing I knew what an incredible gift and talent she had.

It was an honour for me to be part of the team along with Eldon Winter and Phil Madeira to have produced Jill's debut record for Reunion Records in Nashville, TN. The album went on to win a JUNO award, 2 Western Canadian Music Awards, 3 VIBE Awards, nominated for 2 DOVE awards and Jill was named a, "Best New Artist" by Christianity Today.

Jill now lives in Colorado with her husband and family and in addition to her musical pursuits has opened an Etsy store.

I will post links in the comments to both Jill's website and her Etsy Store. Please check them out!

https://jillpaquettedezwaan.wixsite.com/website

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/FeatherandPineFinds

REWARD OFFERED FOR ANY INFORMATION ON THESE INSTRUMENTS!

I am reaching out to the community to see if someone may be able to provide any clues on the following missing items.

I am offering a substantial reward leading to any information or recovery of these instruments. 

In addition to their monetary value, some of these have great emotional / sentimental meaning to me and I hope one day to be reunited with them. For instance: The Larivee' guitar was probably used on over 200 projects that I was a part of and was one of the original hand-built instruments by Jean Larivee' himself before he went into, "commercial" production. That guitar played and recorded like a dream!

These instruments were last seen in the Franklin, TN area.

We have reason to believe that they may have been sold or pawned in the Chattanooga, TN area.

Thank you - SjR

1 - Fender Telecaster Guitar w/ original certificate, paperwork, etc., with original hardshell case. Serial Number: DZ0257271

1 - Gibson - J 185 - 12 string Guitar w/ original certificate, paperwork, etc., with original hardshell case. Serial Number: 00740041

1 - Gibson Flying V w/ original certificate, paperwork, etc,. with original hardshell case. Serial Number: 01180764

1 - Gibson Les Paul w/ original certificate, paperwork, etc., with original hardshell case. Serial Number: 901523

1 - Gretsch 8211 with original hardshell case. Serial Number: 2-0203

1 - Larivee' Acoustic Guitar with original hardshell case. Serial Number: 091778

1 - PRS - Bass Guitar w/original certificate, paperwork, etc. with original hardshell case. Serial Number: EB00289 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #13 ~ LINFORD DETWEILER (Over The Rhine)

Next up in the, "Where Are They Now" series, I am featuring, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and PHS alum, Linford Detweiler.

A long line of Linford's siblings attended PHS and one of my fond memories of Linford is from his piano playing. Back in the day we had to be in our seats for an 8 a.m. start for morning chapel and unless you were good buds with the row checker or you were the row checker you didn't want to be late or absent.

Linford would arrive a little early and pound out some tunes on the old upright piano in the High School Auditorium. One of my memories is of him playing, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown and at the sign of the first teacher magically transition into a staid hymn!

After High School, Linford became a member of the band, Servant. In the spring of 1989, he with 2 other members of Servant along with Karin Bergquist, formed a new group called, Over The Rhine named after a neighbourhood in Cincinnati, OH.

Over the Rhine released independently their first two albums, Till We Have Faces, in 1991 (named for the C. S. Lewis book of the same title) and Patience in 1992, before eventually signing with label giant I.R.S. Records later in 1992. IRS acquired both Till We Have Faces and Patience, issuing them as the first two releases from the band, and later in 1994 would fully fund the band's third LP release Eve to rave reviews.

OTR has released 3 wonderful Christmas albums and I would recommend you add them to your Christmas listening.

Linford and Karin live on their farm in OH called: Nowhere Farm where they host a yearly music and arts festival, Nowhere Else. It is certainly on our bucket list to attend one of these years.

I am going to post two songs in the comments below:

Fair Warning: Possible Trigger

If you have suffered loss or are going through a time of grief, this song may not be for you so feel free to move on to the next one. Linford has written a heartfelt tribute to his father and sings and delivers the lyrics in a deep way. It may also be an encouragement to you.

The next song is more, "Christmasy" in nature but also is maybe a good song for this 2020 year we have all been through.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haukwn2sBwc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxyDHupA6Og