WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #12 ~ HOLLYWOOD HEROES (Jon Rendall, Michael Wiens, TJ MacKenzie)

Next up in the; "Where Are They Now?" series features 3 childhood friends who grew up together and were in the same class at PCA from kindergarten through to Grade 12. Another interesting fact is that all 3 had parents who were staff kids as well as grandparents who were also on staff.

TJ MacKenzie, Michael Wiens and Jon Rendall formed the band, Hollywood Heroes in 2009 and recorded their first EP which was released in 2010.

The future looked bright for the band as they had good looks (I might be a little biased here) hooky songs and energetic live performances. Radio quickly embraced the band and Hollywood Heroes was about to embark on their first national tour across Canada.

After a show in Calgary, lead singer Jon had tremendous pain in his vocal cords. The condition didn't get any better and after being thoroughly checked for thyroid, nodules, allergies, taking a month of vocal rest and anything else the doctors could think of nothing seemed to help.

The tour had to be cancelled and the band was put on hold. As you can imagine this was devastating to the guys on multiple levels. Several months later there began to be an acceptance that HH was not to be and the guys each went their separate ways, marrying and having families.

Hear their song ETERNITY here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ItUM8VdVnI

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? #11 ~ STEPHEN BACKHOUSE

Next up in my; "Where Are They Now" series is PHS alum and former staff kid, international speaker, teacher and author, Stephen Backhouse.

I have known Stephen and his brother David since they were born. Their Father and Mother, Norman and Vaila were on staff at Prairie where Norman taught in the college and later pastored the Prairie Tabernacle Congregation.

Catherine and I loved Stephen's Grandmother, Vera Nicolson or as we called her, "Mrs. Nic". I remember many Sundays after church, (where Vaila would have played her vibraphone) begging Mom and Dad to invite them over for lunch, which they often did.

Later I knew Mrs. Nic as the hostess of tea time in the Dining Hall at 3pm every weekday. Dressed in her apron, a smile on her face and a cheery word for all she served in this capacity long after retirement age.

Catherine and I had the privilege many times of taking her with us on numerous trips to the U.S. and dropping her off at her son, Grahame's place in Montana. A more gracious lady you will not find!

Stephen is the Lecturer in Social and Political Theology at St. Mellitus College, London. He has also lectured and taught for the last two decades to thousands around the world in churches, universities, schools, festivals, political conferences, youth camps, newspapers, magazines, television and podcasts.

Stephen has a doctorate from the University of Oxford and multiple master’s degrees from McGill University in Montreal and Oxford, where he also did his undergraduate studies in philosophy and theology.

He is an historian of Christian thought, an expert on the work of Søren Kierkegaard and an authority on the political theology of nations and nationalism. He has published a number of critically well-received books and articles on religion, history, and Kierkegaard, from the popular Compact Guide to Christian History (Lion Publishers) to the academic Kierkegaard’s Critique of Christian Nationalism (Oxford University Press). He is the author of many publications, including the award-winning popular biography Kierkegaard: A Single Life (Zondervan: 2016).