HELLO, GOODBYE, HELLO

By Carolyn Fe for Curtains Up

Allow me to introduce myself.  Carolyn Fe.  Some of you may know me as a Blues singer/songwriter, actress, producer (theatre and music) or business person.

Some of you may not know me at all and some of you just know me as someone who likes to do things, lots of things.  On my facebook info, I wrote that, « I like to breathe ». I like to delve into opportunities I’ve never had the chance to experience.  So when the good folks at Curtains Up offered me to be a contributor to their Virtual Media Network, I didn’t count how many hours there are in a day because this was something that whetted my appetite.

Not only is this my first article for a magazine but the subject matter I’ll be sharing with you is very close to my heart.  It’s about the Blues – the music, the people in and around it, those who see it, feel it, live it, like it, love it and even those who don’t like it.  Although my personal opinion is that, they just don’t know about it. Hop on in for the ride as I review, discuss, discover, relive and share my experiences with the Blues.

The end of 2012 was a benchmark period for me. I knew deep down inside, 2013 will be a most memorable year.  So it was. On January 18, 2013 at a turning point event on my Blues journey. I receive a call that not only broke my heart but reconfirmed my determination to keep on keepin’ on.

My friend and artist representative, Barry Mell, passed away of a heart attack at the age of 49.  It hit me  hard.  As I mentioned to Richard Burnett in his Montreal Gazette Blog, Pop TArt,

“Barry was loved in the Blues community.  He was not all about business, he was all about the person in front of him. He was genuine.  Nothing hidden, all up front, called a spade a spade. And he protected his artists from the “B-S” that others could create.  He was always there when an artist or a client needed him. Barry was not too big for his britches and I know that he would never have been too big for his britches. He was well on his way up the ladder and making a good name for himself and his agency, Artiste Solutions Quebec.”

Something had to be done to honor this man who held his head high in a cut throat industry. I lost track of time.  My producer hat kicked into high speed and in what seemed like a wink of an eye, a family approved Tribute to Barry Mell was booked at the Rialto Theatre on February 3, 2013 at 3:00pm…right between a hockey game and Super Bowl!  The men from Carolyn Fe Blues Collective who I now call my brothers jumped in with the technical preparations and graciously lent their gear so artists can just plug and play. Artists from Barry’s roster were contacted and booked, press release written, sent and the media machine started with a roar.

Sponsors were found in Sennheiser who supplied high end microphones for vocals, amplifiers and drum kit, MTL Editing did the video recording so that friends and family can purchase a DVD souvenir, Litratista did the photo stills to add to the DVD, the artists donated their CDs so that moneys collected can be donated to the cause. A charitable organisation was chosen. MusiCounts would receive all financial donations, ticket, CD & DVD sales in Barry’s honor.

Before you know it, I was standing in front of a crowd struggling & stuttering to find words and start the show.  There were friends, family and complete strangers who love the blues or was curious to see who was this man that touched so many people’s heart that he merited a tribute.  Finally, I surrendered and introduced myself.  I told the audience that I did not want to cry.  The tribute was to celebrate Barry and all he did.  I asked the Mell Clan to crack a joke if ever my speech became too heavy. They never did.

Each artist was introduced in a manner that Barry would have wanted.  It wasn’t about their technical prowess or musicality – that is a given. The introductions were about the person(s) and how we were connected.  Each artist perfomed a couple of tunes they thought were Barry’s favourites. Keep in mind that the majority of performing artists drove from Quebec City and Sherbrooke to sing their praises for Barry.  That is a minimum of a two hour drive for a 13 minute performance, for no pay.  That is love.

Juliel :: Denis Viel :: Emmanuelle Julien :: Rob Lutes & Rob MacDonald :: Greenwood

The artists were honored with standing ovations.

The tribute’s finale was Barry’s own band. Guy Gadbois & The Riverbottom Nightmare Band (Revisited)  As they stepped up onto the stage, the painting of Guy Gadbois was set on a chair in the middle of the stage.  The inside joke was that Guy Gadbois always had an excuse not to show up for the gigs, so Barry always had to step in as the lead singer.  The band played played their 1st song without a voice.  Their second song « Something » by the Beatles, had the audience singing the chorus. They sang from their hearts and tears flowed.  There was a feeling of release in the room. That was the tribute.

So here ends my first article on Curtains Up.  February 14, 2013 now marks my New Year.  As I continue on my Blues journey with you, I will always be grateful for meeting Barry at his crossroads.  It is a bittersweet goodbye but a new beginning.  I’ll see you at the next Blues corner.

Photo by Litratista