For the next few days during Rock’n August, St. Albert resembles a time when chrome characterized cars and rock ‘n’ roll defined a generation.
Back then, Presley-mania took hold in Edmonton and burst into a hotbed of activity, says a Sturgeon County filmmaker/photographer.
“Edmonton had more rock and roll bands per capita than any other city in Canada. Every Saturday there were 20 to 30 dances going on at halls and clubs across the city,” says Bill Borgwardt.
“They were popular because the drinking age was 21 and young people couldn’t go to the bar. Back then the only entertainment for young people was drive-in movies and dances.”
Teenagers flocked to see award-winning acts such as Wes Dakus and the Rebels, Jerry Palmer, Mel Degan fronting both the Lords and the Privilege, and Dick Damron who ended up in the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
In October 2006, nearly 50 years after rock and roll mania reached its zenith, Borgwardt along with Shawn Nagy, leader of Shackshakers from Duluth, Minn, produced a concert at the Winspear Centre featuring 50 different artists in 17 Alberta bands from the golden era of rock and roll.
The two-hour plus concert documentary was videotaped, edited and pressed into a DVD and was finally released to fans in April 2010 as Alberta Rock ‘N’ Roll Reunion.
“It was such an important part of history and now these artists will never be forgotten. It’s our heritage, but it’s never been documented. There have been documentaries on the big names, but not much else on the rest of the rock and roll era.”
Borgwardt speaks firsthand from his own personal experiences. A 1966 graduate of NAIT’s photography technology, he first freelanced for CBC before working in the CINE audio department. In an upward career move, he shifted to ITV (now Global) as a film lab manager.
About 15 years ago, he volunteered his services to Global Country. When Country Music News needed a photographer for the Canadian Country Music Awards, Borgwardt was recommended. “They kept me on as a columnist since then.”
With more than 25,000 digital images in his collection, he’s photographed many American artists, every major Canadian music star and most of our country’s up and comers.
The concert came about when the Canadian-born Nagy was at the Norm Petty Studios in Clovis, N.M. The studio was responsible for recording names such as Buddy Holly and Buddy Knox.
In poking through the archives, Nagy discovered numerous master tapes of Alberta artists from the rock and roll era that were recorded as 45s and albums. He was introduced to Borgwardt and it was the Sturgeon County resident that pushed for a major concert.
“At the concert, the artists had so much energy and they put so much into their performance. They played better than ever, especially with 50 years experience. The energy level was amazing and we captured it all on DVD.”
For more information go online to www.albertarocknrollreunion.com.
