Johnny James

I found these and scanned them - the first band Vic Windsor (Costantino) and the Variety Kings with Gord Stewart - Where is he now? - John

Variety Kings - Circa 1957

Vic Windsor & The Variety Kings

Bermuda Tavern 1957

Tommy Danton & The Echos 1959

John Dowson, Dan Antonacci. & Al Hepburn

John D Al Hepburn and Giggi Boo at Al Hepburn's place on Bishop Ave.

- John Dowson





John

Al Hepburn's Model A

This is Al Hepburn and John Dowson in Al's mint condition 1932 Model A

We are backing out of my parents driveway at 68 Parkview Ave Willowdale ON Circa 1955

Nice car - I believe Rick Carson took the picture on his 35mm slide camera and he later made a print and gave it to me and Al

- John

Ted "Tweet" Smith

From John Dowson, July, 2010:

Ted "Tweet" Smith died New Years Eve 1967 age 31



Yes we played at the Farmers market - it was "Uncle Tweet and cousin John" - we did a hayseed country comedy duo similar to Homer and Jethro.


...and later on Gordie Tapp stole our material and the hayseed clown act and the name Cousin Clem.

After Tweet moved to Toronto Bono and I did the comedy and song stuff, it was "Uncle John and Cousin Bob" Tweet later on went on the road with some country bands travelling Canada my brother Mike saw him in Newfoundland when they were touring and he mentioned to Tweet that he was John's brother. Tweet married a girl that I had been dating Bette Holbrook - I joined Vic Costentino who was selling disability insurance in Vancouver in 1961 and I stayed out west until August 1974.

It's a three hour difference in time from Toronto to Vancouver and it was 7.30 PM PST time 10.30 PM EST on New Years eve 1968 when Bono called. We had a babysitter and were getting ready to go to a hotel for New Years Eve bash with some friends when I got a call from Bono to tell me that Tweet had died earlier that day. I was a downer for the New Years eve party. When I came back to Toronto I looked up his widow, who never remarried and she told me that Tweet had been having chest pains that week and that he was booked with a band for a New Years eave show. She took him to Toronto General and the doctors said they had to operate immediately. She told me he said to her as he was being wheeled into the operating room " I'll see ya when I get out"

Sadly, he died on the operating table -Ted was I believe 31 years old. She was still sitting in the waiting room when he they told her, the doctor said he had the heart of an 75 year old man and that his father had died young with the same heart condition it appears it ran in the family.

Tweet and I were in Public school in the same grade with Al Hepburn, Tweet, and Bob Faulkner, John Hepburn, Tom MacQuillan, Doug Burnell, Doug Waddell and others. Tweet was always whistling when he road his bike so we named him Tweet that was how he got his name in public school. I remember when his father died we went to the funeral. Today he would have had by pass surgery and lived. I was also in Toronto when Vic Costentino died.

Last week we went to see "The Jersey Boys" it was a great show all the tunes from the 50's and 60's it closes next week after two years, if you haven't seen it you should go they have seat sales on

- John

----- Original Message -----

From: Russ Strathdee

To: John Dowson

Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 4:48 PM

Subject: Re: Ted Tweet Smith.jpg

Hi John

You played with Tweet at the Farmers Market, right?

How did he pass away at such an early age?

- Russ

----- Original Message -----

From: John Dowson

To: Russ Strathdee

Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 4:29 PM

Subject: Ted Tweet Smith.jpg

Ted "Tweet" Smith died New Years Eve 1967 age 31

Remember these ?

John Dowson,
Do you know the Convent on Bayview ave just south of Steeles, east side ? Before that was built it was great party/drinking location. One could drive right down to the Don river. Do you remember what we called that place ?

Do you remember “Fritz the faggot waiter “ who worked the late shift at the Prince Nova ?

What was the name of the drive in restaurant just north of Steeles on Yonge ?

Remember Bobby Taylor and Freddy Stott smashing up their car at Steeles and Bayview while being chased by North Yorks finest( pre metro days). Bayview in those days jogged at Steeles.... They didn’t.

Good News from Norm Ovens, He went to a neuro specialist who gave him a clean bill of health, no sign of a stroke etc. He is quite relieved.

Mussy, that nickname Pops was a good example of clearheaded, clean living, ingenious, creative Willowdale knuckle heads that we were. Thank goodness we grew up........................ lately
Dave D.

Al Hepburn's 1956 Caddie

With Al Hepburn's 1956 Robin's Egg Blue Cadillac hard top - we used to chase antelope out on the prairie north of Gem, Alberta when he was out here - spring of 1959

It was a riot to say the least - and we were all pissed at the time of course. but the Cadillac took to the prairies like it was built for them. Since we had little money - all extra went for beer - we chipped in (me, Wick, Ron Drury - Lennie Johnson and Al Hepburn and bought a 45 gallon drum of purple tractor gas. It was cheap since it did not include road taxes.

- Richard Dowson

Great Great Grandpa Dowson - Mike Dowson

I found this information on the Internet... interesting information supplied by Dad about his Dad. Just click on the link:

http://www.jstor.org/pss/25093530

- Mike Dowson