One July morning in 1971, a British Columbia kid full of dreams named Roy Forbes caught a ride down the Hart Highway from his native Dawson Creek to Vancouver. Thirty years later he and a lot of loyal fans shake their heads to think how far a battered �63 Studebaker can actually carry a good northern boy and his suitcase full of tunes.
Five more springs and innumerable gigs after he first set foot in Vancouver, Forbes had become a staple of CBC radio and festival meadows across the country when he received a Juno nomination for his first album, KID FULL OF DREAMS. Twenty-four years later the Juno thing happened yet again with 1999�s CRAZY OLD MOON, which also went on to win a West Coast Music Award for best roots/traditional album.
Meanwhile, chords and notes from Roy�s well-worn Gurian guitar and that unmistakable voice continue to ring across crowded festival meadows. That�s staying power.
For the longest time Roy was called Bim, a childhood nickname that became a password for extraordinary songs, at a time when some amazing songwriters were at the top of their game. This, coupled with his unique and intense guitar playing and a high and soulful voice - part Roy Orbison, part Billie Holiday and all heart, made for a winning combination.
KID FULL OF DREAMS was soon followed by RAINCHECK ON MISERY, THISTLES and the acoustic ANYTHING YOU WANT, all of which helped establish Bim as a vibrant presence on the festival and concert circuit.
Come the mid eighties Bim reverted to Roy Forbes and released projects like a Christmas album with Connie Kaldor, NEW SONGS FOR AN OLD CELEBRATION, his roots/rock record, LOVE TURNS TO ICE and, come the 90s, the much anticipated Roy Forbes country album, THE HUMAN KIND.
ALMOST OVERNIGHT from 1995 was a stripped down review of the Bim years but there wasn�t much time to linger on reminiscences. Forbes threw himself into a variety of new situations including a collaboration with Shari Ulrich and Bill Henderson as UHF, which thus far has produced two acclaimed albums. He also took on several outside production projects for fellow singer/songwriters like Connie Kaldor, Cindy Church & The Great Western Orchestra, Mark Perry and Faith Nolan.
Roy also took on the soundtrack challenge, scoring documentaries like Nettie Wild�s Blockade and the gritty six part TV mini-series Eye Level. His music shows up often on Sesame Street. Many of his fine songs have been covered by the likes of Shawn Colvin, Sylvia Tyson, Tracey Brown, Garnet Rogers, Shari Ulrich, Cindy Church, Matt Minglewood, Valdy, Heather Bishop, Montreal�s Hart Rouge, children�s entertainer Norm Foote and California bluegrass artists Kathy Kallick and Laurie Lewis.
The last couple of years have seen Roy busy with various projects. As a producer, he�s recently completed albums for the fine writer Susan Crowe and Calgary�s Rob Widdowson. Recent soundtracks include a documentary on troubled teens, 'Harm�s Way'. As well, he�s kept up a busy schedule of live dates both solo and with UHF. Roy gives back to his community by conducting songwriting seminars and workshops throughout the country with the Songwriters Association of Canada as well as with the Ryga Center in Summerland, B.C. He also continues with regular installments of his popular national CBC radio show Snap Crackle Pop where he features gems from his extensive and eclectic record collection.
And the one thing that binds it all together is the one thing that keeps the people tuning in and coming back for more: Roy Forbes and his music
For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.
Dave Dunnet Community Theatre, 2121 Cadboro Bay Rd., Oak Bay
