NORM SINCLAIR, NORMAN COOK, SONNY, JACK HEBERT, ARCHIE LATHLIN
FRANK MICHELLE, CHEAP CONSTANT, SONNY, PAT JACOBSON
SHORT BIO OF SONNY MCGILLIVARY
Sonny began playing with the Country
Cousins band about the same time and added a style to the band that was very
charismatic. Sonny was very musically ambitious as he was always playing and if
the band broke up, he would have another band organized to continue to play
within a week.
Sonny liked to hunt and fish, but he
mostly liked to play his guitar and sing. Normally after a gig most musicians
would go home to sleep but not Sonny. He would carry the party on to someone’s
house or his own and play and sing till the sun came up on quite a few
occasions.
I played off and on with Sonny and
the Cousins until the early 80’s when I ended up playing with him steady for
about two years.
Sonny was a regular at Teddy Bob’s in Winnipeg and would more
often win the talent show staged on the weekends. I had the privilege of
playing with him at the Westbrook once, years ago and we were rubbing shoulders
with the likes of the C Weed band, Robby Brass and Red Wine and Billy Joe
Green. This was a very excellent part of my musical life.
A funny storey was when Sonny and
our bass player Gilles went out hunting ducks one evening. Just toward the end
of the twilight there was a big flock of ducks that flew over. The boys took a
couple of last shots and Gilles fell out of the boat. The water was only a few
feet deep so Gilles jumped back in the boat really quick and Sonny said without
any expression on his face---“heard a shot, heard a splash, too big for a duck”,
and then he chuckled in his own inevitable fashion.. We really miss him and his
humor.
Sonny kept us playing steady and it
got to be a part of our lives. When we weren’t playing for a week we wouldn’t
know what to do with ourselves.
We went to Century 21 recording
studio in Winnipeg
one year and produced a couple of 45’s. Sonny and his band at the time also
recorded a song at our home studio, Black Rose Studio for the North of 53 Album
produced in ’82. Unfortunately we didn’t record anything more professionally
over the years but we have old tapes and memories.
Sonny was always a positive kind of
guy. He would make the most out of any situation and had no worries about his
life and spirituality.
The last time I seen Sonny, he had
just returned from Winnipeg
where he was taking business administration. A few days later he and his
brother were going down river to fish when their boat tipped and Sonny and his
brother drowned. Thus a long standing
relationship with one of the finest individual I ever knew came to an end.
Sonny will be missed as he was well known all over Manitoba as a hard working and well liked
local country musician.
God Bless you Sonny. We all miss you
and hope you are playing in that big band in the sky.
Jack Hebert
Jack Hebert
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