New music from local rock ’n’ roll pioneer
Gospel album is the latest project from musician who got his start in the 1950s
Longtime local musician Gary Birkhof is launching his first gospel CD — Hand in Hand.
Recorded at Haggarty Sound Studio, the album has eight songs all written and composed by Birkhof.
“It was not unusual in 1956 to walk into a restaurant where the kids hang out, sit down with a couple of buddies and start singing songs, or on a Saturday afternoon go down to the Queensgate Hotel and enter into a talent show,” Birkhof said.
“A lot of times you could find us sitting in our cars in front of the Deluxe restaurant on George St. practising songs; that’s how we started in the music business.”
The Peterborough native first began singing in 1956, at the age of 16.
“For the last 25 years I’ve been performing at seniors residences where I’ve added gospel music to my repertoire,” Birkhof said.
“I started off doing doo-wop music and then when I started the bands I added country, rock 'n' roll, blues and jazz and did a little bit of everything.”
In 1958, Birkhof put together his first professional group, The Counts. The band included Roy Bacon, Butch Hatton and Birkhof.
They played and toured throughout Ontario until 1960, the last show taking place at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
The band played with Robert Goulet, Shirley Harmer and Peter Appleyard. Additionally, they did a show with The Fendermen, who had just recorded Mule Skinner Blues.
“What a wonderful experience,” Birkhof said.
The band’s agent had tours planned across Canada and into the United States, but Hatton had personal things going on and couldn’t make the tour.
“So like many other groups, we just folded the Counts,” Birkhof said.
“Two weeks later, Roy and I got together with Fred Muno and Gary Hansler and formed a new vocal group called The Count Victors,”
The new group travelled to Toronto and recorded three songs.
After returning to Peterborough, they added two new musicians to our group — Bob Dixon on bass guitar and Terry Lathangue on drums.
They achieved national popularity through their recordings of The Story Of Bonnie in 1960 and Peepin’ ‘n’ Hidin’ in 1961 and a rhythm 'n' blues classic penned by Jimmy Reed.
In 1964, The Count Victors came to the end of the line.
The band was inducted into The Pathway of Fame, marked by a granite plaque in Del Crary Park, presented on July 20, 2002 and are included in Peterborough’s Greatest 100 In The Performing Arts.
“A few of more bands after that, then I decided to do a single act and have been doing it ever since,” Birkhof said.
Birkhof has produced roughly 13 CD’s throughout his music career.
This is his first gospel CD, however. “I didn’t get them (CDs) out to the general because quite frankly it takes money or it takes knowing the right person and I just didn’t have that,” he said.
“I sold them to my friends and eventually, like so many other musicians, the rest would sit in my basement and then I would just give them away.”
Birkhof said the music industry is tough. “Peterborough is surrounded with some phenomenal musicians, but it’s not always what talent you’ve got,” he said.
“It’s where you are at the right time, unfortunately.”
Birkhof hopes to perform gospel at churches and other locations in the Peterborough and surrounding area.
Note: To purchase a copy of Hand in Hand call Gary Birkhof at 705-760-0709.