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. Blues legend Mel Brown brings the deep south to the true north It was then that Brown‘s father purchased him a Gibâ€" At 14, Brown was bedridâ€" den after contracting "He also had a good way of training the ear to know what sounded good." "My father was like a teacher to me, spiritually and musically," Brown said. "If he had a point to get across, he had a real good way of explaining it so I would understand. Born in Jackson, Miss., Brown was exposed to rhythm at an early age through the passion of his father, John Henry "Bubba"® Brown, whom Mel cites as his major influence in life. "Playing music for me was like learning how to walk," Brown said. "It was almost like 1 could hear it in the womb." He saw the need, and believed he could help fill it with years of onâ€"stage expeâ€" rience behind him. But the appreciation Once his health was local fans showed for his â€" restored, Brown made his musical style warmed his â€" way to Canton, Miss. where heart. he saw Elmore James, Though Brown admitted Bobby "Blue" Bland and when he arrived on the local _ Sonny Boy Williamson. scene, blues music was difâ€" + He ended up working ficult to come by. several gigs with Sonny Boy, He saw the need, and after learning the artist believed he could help fill it _ needed a guitar player. "I think I surprised a lot of people, including myself, moving to Canada," Brown said. "Man, it‘s cold." Well, he made it through that winter â€" and 13 more. The icy streets and frostâ€" ed windows were almost enough for him to turn his limo around and return to the airport. Almost, not quite. "It was like a test for me," he said. "I thought if I could make it through the winter I‘d be fine." So 14 years ago he packed up his guitar and headed north, arriving in Kitchener on one of the coldest nights of the winter. ~_ But safe can be tiresome, and Brown was up for a new challenge. Safe would have been staying in the yearâ€"round Texas heat, playing to sold out night spots filled with supporters who grew up on the soulful sounds of his ‘I just like to play‘ By AnprEa Barey o one can accuse blues legend Mel Brown of playing it Chronicle Staff His first big break came when Tâ€"Bone Walker invited him to appear on the album "Funky Town", which led to the recording of his first solo LP for the ABC/Impulse label called "Chicken Fat". Brown moved from Misâ€" sissippi to Los Angeles, stepâ€" ping into Johnny Otis‘ Band for two years of steady tourâ€" ing and recording work. Over the next number of years Brown collaborated with a variety of musicians including blues diva Etta James, Pee Wee Crayton, Johnny Guitar Watson, Billy Preston and Sam Cooke. "That‘s why 1 truly believe this whole thing is a gift, and this is what I was meant to do." Brown said strumming the guitar always came easy to him. "I really never put much time in practising. I was too lazy," Brown admitted. During his recuperation, Brown studied the recorded work of blues greats such as B.B. King, Tal Parrow, Louis Jordan, Hank Williams and Tâ€"Bone Walker. son Les Paul guitar and a small amp. Music legend Mel Brown was honoured last week for his influence on the local blues scene ARTS FOCUS "We‘ve been trying®to get rid of him ever since," Smith joked, during a tribâ€" ute to Brown last Thursday at Howl at the Moon in Kitchener, as part of the annual Blues, Brews and Glenn Smith, the former owner of Kitchener‘s Popâ€" Theâ€"Gator club and current owner of Ethel‘s Lounge in Waterloo, met Brown and encouraged the guitar guru to visit the great white north. Brown took Smith up on his offer, visited and never The two eventually setâ€" tled in Texas after accepting a longâ€"standing offer from Clifford Antone to join the house band at his renowned night club. \It was in that club that Brown learned of his future home, Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo. On his way to the top, Brown met Miss Angel, the woman who would later become his wife and lead vocalist in his own blues The music industry realâ€" ized Brown was there to stay, and soon he was asked to appear on recordings with legends like John Lee Hooker, Lightning Hopkins, Roy Brown, Earl Hooker, Charles Brown and B.B. Since then Brown has churned out a series of albums, including the bestâ€" of collection, "Eighteen Pounds of Unclean Chitlins". and just keep playing. "It‘s more of a passion than a profession." But Brown admitted, he also enjoys being a big fish in a small pond. "I just like to play," he said. "I hold my head down And Brown said, a true artist never stops learning. "I learn from the ones who‘ve learned from me," said the modest musician. "I love instruments," he said. "Doing things with your mouth is great, but I find 1 can relate to people more when they express themselves through their instruments." "It‘s an honour when they use me as a springâ€" board, but then put their own thing into it," Brown And the talent he‘s seen come through this area is second to none, he said. him. He‘s definitely the king of this territory. "And he deserves all the credit he gets; even though he cheats at golf." . Brown gaid he t\kes\ pride in serving as inspiraâ€" tion for up and coming artists. Smith said he‘s noticed the popularity of blues music grow locally since Brown‘s arrival. "His influence has been ing, especially with the ?ungcr generation," said rown‘s longtime friend. "Everybody seems to know Barbecues festival HRONICTI Hippie continues through Aug. 23 and the Blyth Festival. For ticket information, call the box office at 1â€"800â€"862â€"5984, or visit the Blyth Festival Web site at www .blythfestival.com. What began as "hippie housesitting" for friends of Thompson quickly evolved into a writers‘ retreat as the two rented a farmhouse just west of Walton and began their writing in earnest. Inspired by the stories of Harry Finlay, proprietor of the famous Black Swann coffee house in Stratford during the early 1970s, Mcintosh and Garfinkel began canvassing new friends in the Brussels area for stories related to the "hippie" era. The music of The Perth County Conâ€" spiracy served as a constant backdrop for the project as many members of the enigmatic group lived on nearby farms. The result is a new play â€" Hippie, the third production in Blyth‘s 2003 season. "The point of this is not to be hippies and to challenge the audiâ€" ence into loving or hating them," says Thompson, director and coâ€"writer of the piece. "The experience is as much about what was happening to the locals as it is about the kids who were coming out here." Set and costume design is by Victoria Wallace and lighting design is by Michael Kruse. Hippie features Sean Dixon, Gil Garratt, Mark Harapiak, Chuck Herriott, Tara Hughes, Kelly Mcinâ€" tosh and Lyon Smith. High school was not her forte but after a stellar effort on her part she finally passed her computer *course with 50 per cent and graduated from high school. After a brief time in England, she returned to Toronto where she attended the Sheridan School of Design for one year. She moved on to Ryerson where, in her words, she spent "four glorious years earning a degree in photography." Turkington then worked as a photographer for 10 years, taking time off to raise her son, Patrick. She has since designed and sold floor clothes and become interestedgri‘n drawing with a special emphasis on elaborate reproductions of Garfinkel and Mcintosh are no strangers to theâ€" atrical adventure. The two worked on several sucâ€" cessful projects with Thompson, and began spendâ€" ing as much time as possible in Huron County durâ€" ing the festival‘s off season. Paul Thompson returns to the Blyth Festival to direct and coâ€"write Hippie, a nostalgic look back at rural life 30 years ago. Jonathan Garfinkel and Blyth‘s playwright in residence Kelly Mcintosh round out the coâ€"writing team. The Waterloo Community Arts Centre is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Born in Toronto, Turkington became interested in design and art applications from an early age. As a child, she spent many winter hours creating dollâ€" houses out of shoeboxes and cutting furniture out of Eaton catalogue pages to complete these projects. She states one of the highlights of her youth was winâ€" ning the class contest that allowed her to take home the sixâ€"foot high picture her class had worked on over the year. The Waterloo Community Arts Centre presents an exhibition of works by artist Arlene Turkington., through Aug. 15. The exhibit, entitled Preserves takes viewers on a journey through the changing seasons in the urban environment. Presenting a series of 52 glass mason jars containing resin cast "found" objects and bits of nature encased in the jars, the exhibit highlights nature and the physical environment surrounding the Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo area. Paul Thompson‘s play is a nostalgic look at rural ‘hippie‘ life 30 years ago WCAC celebrates summer with ‘Preserves‘ exhibit by Arlene Turkington