Guitar, bass and vocals Bob was tragically killed in San Diego in the 1990's. In my humble opinion, he was the best local rock vocalist to grace the stages at F.W. Gardens, Broadway and numerous other venues in Fort William/Port Arthur. The first time I heard Bob sing Cocker's version of 'A Little Help From My Friends' and numerous Led Zep. tunes, I swore never to sing again. Bob's stage appearance was far from flamboyant, he stood in one spot gripping the SM57, flicked back his shoulder length jet black hair and with what seemed like little effort, hit those notes perfectly. Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can remember, Bob started his musical career playing the 6 string guitar, did the vocalist stint and found his love of the bass guitar. During the early 1970's, I sang in Coppersmith with Bob on bass. His sense of humour combined with his dedication to the music was a great experience! Bob had one of the original clear Ampeg basses but I think his favorite was a red Gibson hollow body with an Ampeg SVT and Ampeg cabinet of 6 x 10's. In town and on the road, it took 2 of us skinny musicians to load/unload that SVT head! Bottom line of this tribute? .... I'd like to see Bob's friends contribute their memories and experiences with him.
- My first memory of Bob was at the Broadway United Church basement dances - he wasn't in a group (65?) yet, but he was at every dance sitting near the front of the stage, off to the side, usually in the same seat, watching every tune that every band would play and completely "into" the music - his sincere smile and good nature are what I remember most about him.
And then there was the first time Truth played at the Gardens, playing tunes from the first album by a new group called Led Zepplin - just amazing...
Imagine my surprise when I came across this site and found Bob's name. My first memory of The Wooden Nickels was the preparation that went into the gig in Grand Marquis, Michigan. Those orange and yellow paisley outfits were really something. I never had the chance to see him perform, but I have a record that he made, while living in Calgary, in the 80s. He was totally devoted to Jazz by that time. He put away his bass when he moved from L.A. to San Diego. Pity. When visiting him, as I often did, there was nothing I could say or do to get him to play. I miss him, everyday. He was a wonderful brother.