Sir: It was great to have Ian Thomas, the Canadian musician, songwriter and author, playing the Capitol Theatre earlier this month. And it was great to read Bruce Corcoran’s extensive interview with Ian in a recent Chatham Voice.
I moved to Canada in 1967 at the age of 30. At that time, Ian, who is several years younger than me, was a member of the rock band Tranquility Base. His elder brother Dave took the part of Doug McKenzie, in the beer-swilling duo called The McKenzie Brothers, part of the SCTV fame.
At the time I lived in Winona, now part of Hamilton. Not being a music expert, I could never figure out why and how the group Tranquility Base was connected with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
I know Ian toured in the United States in the 1970s. He was awarded a Juno Award in 1974 for Most Promising Male Vocalist and was active in clubs, concerts and on TV in Canada during the 1980s
Ian lived in a lovely spot in Winona, halfway up the Niagara Escarpment. I believe my kids met his kids as they went to the same school in Winona.
I didn’t hear any more about him after I moved to Elliot Lake in 2001 but when I moved to Chatham in 2009, I heard Ian had preceded me by several years, as he told Bruce he had “performed at The Wheels every once in a while way back.”
Soon after I arrived, the iconic Wheels became the John D. Bradley Convention Centre.
There are still folk in Chatham who remember Ian Thomas at The Wheels. And I hope some of these people saw him when he played The Capitol Theatre. Plus, I hope Ian takes good memories of this town back to Winona.
Stephen Beecroft
Chatham
