2006

ARNIE NELSON

My career in country music had three phases. The first phase was as the CKNW mascot on the programs 'Bill Rea's Roundup' and 'The Ranger's Cabin', as a singer of what was then known as cowboy songs. After appearing on the station's amateur program, 'The Children's Hour', on Saturday mornings in 1946 until the Spring of 1945, Bill Rea hired me to be a paid performer on the station. I was age 11 at the time and appeared with Jack Jensen and Evan Kemp and others on a regular basis. One of the highlights that followed was the station's featuring me on various promotional items such as their annual Christmas cards and the school­book covers they provided to the schools in the area. Another highlight was my cover of Bob WiHs 'Roly Poly', which became one of the station's most requested by the tisteners. Bm Rea had me record the song accompanied by Mike, Marc and Jack, and Pat Gerow for the station's Hit Parade aired on Sunday nights.

Around this time I became interested in learning" to playa steel guitar. Pat Gerow kindly let me fool around on his steel and get the feeling for the "instrument. In 1948 I met and watched Noel Boggs and Joaquin Murphey when they toured to Vancouver with Spade Cooley and"Tex Williams respectively. It was then that I knew I wanted to own a multi-neck Steel of my own. in 1950 I ordered a custom built Bigsby triple neck which was delivered a year later which began my second phase from singer to musician. I remained at 'NW singing harmony with the Beckett brothers as one of the Radio Romeos, and playing steel and acoustic bass.

My third phase was a U.B.C. education from 19"53"-58 in the Commerce faculty, all" the while playing steel with the Rhythm P~ls on CBC radio and television, various artists on the Aragon records label," including Danny"Romanuik's band. In 1954~55 I was with the Pals on CBC- TV network~s BurnsChuckwagon. In 1958, I graduated from U.B.C. with a Commerce degree, and went to work with IBM in Toronto. Soon after the Pais moved to Toronto and we resumed"pl~ying together on cac radio. I then made several appearances on 'Country Hoedown' on CBC-TV which starred Gordy Tapp, Tommy Hunter,.Tommy Common and others. In 1961, leavinglBM,1 moved back to Vancouver to join the sales Dept. of CKNW. In this period I "also became a part of Evan Kemp's group on CTV's programs 'Cross Canada Barndance' and-'Circle 7 Ranch'. One highlight was the guest appearance of Johnny Cash on the program, and for reasons I have forgotten was required to back him up on the acoustic bass. "It was a time when he was messed up by addiction. Shortly after this period I gave up my last phase and retired from-the music scene to concentrate on the broadcast business. Today my l;3igsby is owned by Bobbi Seymour, a prominent Nashville steel musician, and my wife Nancy and I reside in a downtown condominium in Vancouver.