Page 95 - Estwood Davidson: Travels with Beattie and Winston

ISSUE : Issue 54

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/6/1

play radio while you played the dances?) Right. Never stopped--nothing stopped us. Television--our program was always at 7 o'clock. And some nights we'd tell them, "Well, we may be a little late (to the dance) tonight--maybe a half hour." "Cape Breton Ceilidh"--on the television. And on the Saturday night, "MacDonald Tobacco Company"--they sponsored us (on radio). Our first job on television, we were ap? proached by Ray Goodyear. He was a weath? erman then, he was an announcer. Apparent? ly R. J. Logue had been talking to him--he was the big General Motor dealer in Sydney then, and was the richest man in Sydney-- wanting to know if we'd play, do a 6-week advertising type of show on TV. We said, "Sure." We jumped on it. Wasn't very big money in it. But easy money, it seemed to us. We made quite a few bucks at it. So, we played the 6 weeks, and when the 6 weeks was up, Robin Hood Flour took it then, and we were on there for 7 years. (When was it aired?) Thursday nights. That's the night we played in Whycocomagh. And soon as we were finished there--boom! We'd be right to Whycocomagh. (Was it a bit of a variety show?) Oh, abso? lutely. We had guests. Something the same as this "Up Home Tonight." It was run on that basis. We had all local talent. Probably a different violin player. And we always had one regular singer, a real good singer. And then we'd have the pipers. And stepdancers. Almost the same as "Up Home Tonight." The only thing, it was all Cape Breton. There was no outside talent we ever used. (Were you making most of your living through the music, or through your day job?) Well, no, it was about a 50/50 deal then. But I always preferred to keep a job, because I always considered the music a secondary thing. We played (music), it seemed to be, more for fun. But we could have made a fortune oiit of it, when you come to think back after years. That we could have done it differ? ent. We could have made more money. And we should have never played in any of the dance halls for 15 and 20 dollars a night. What we should have done is took it 6.0/40 or something like that. 'Cause half of the dance-hall operators in Cape Breton got rich off of us. It's simple as that. A minor Tribute to Estwood Davidson Winston Fitzgerald's Jig Sandy Maclntyre lUrs. Beattie Wallace Dan R. MacDonald arr: W. Fitzgerald Best Western ClajPtnore Jfjtn and Conference Centre ANTIGONISH, N. S. (902)863-1050 Indoor & Outdoor Pools / Sauna / Hot Tub / Licensed Dining Room & Lounge Golf & Tennis Courts: 5 Minutes * Adiacent to Antiaonish Shonmnn Mail

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