R.I.P. Bobby Taylor and Kenny Colman

[Shaster]

Two Vancouver icons have passed away recently.

 

Bobby Taylor was a Motown star, and as he never let me forget, discovered the Jackson 5. I first met Bobby when I was playing in a club with two rooms. I was in the Top 40 band downstairs, and he was in a duo upstairs in the lounge. Talk about a dynamic duo. Years later, I spotted him at one of my solo gigs. During a break he told me he was 71, an going to retire. I invited him up to sing, and he blew me out of the water. I believe I just took a break after that. Luckily he didn't retire and kept on singing until his death at 85.

 

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I met Kenny Coleman when his band and my band were on a double bill. I was impressed with his voice and his whole Vegas swagger. The last time I saw him was a year ago, and we were jamming some Jazz standards. He had Parkinson's pretty bad by then, but he still had stage presence for days.

 

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