Can-Con 45 Of The Day - May 15

[radiofan]

Today's Can-Con 45 is from 1976 ... From Dawson Creek, BC, it's BIM (Roy Forbes) and "Can't Catch Me" ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f9_nY-_6EQ

[Richard Skelly]

Bim (aka Roy Forbes) was hardly off the bus from Dawson Creek before his manager--former Retinal Circus co-owner Roger Schiffer--snagged him the opening slot for a 1972 Chilliwack concert at the Queen E in Vancouver. I'm pretty sure he performed Can't Catch Me at that boffo gig.

But it took almost four more years before Bim finally got a record deal...with Casino, a label co-funded by Susan Jacks and Ray Pettinger, a former London Records promo manager. Funny how Chilliwack gave Roy a big break and then, years later, ex-Chilliwacker Claire Lawrence wound up producing his first three albums. Claire also produced him around 1990 as part of the folk-rock trio UHF. By that point, the Bim moniker had long since been replaced by his given name, Roy Forbes. UHF also featured Bill Henderson (who'd put Chilliwack on hiatus for several years) and Shari Ulrich, formerly of Pied Pumpkin, Hometown Band and solo-act reknown.

Roy continues to perform but is almost completely blind due to a lifelong optical condition plus a recent accident. A one-of-a-kind talent.

[jon]

Roy still does his weekly show, Roy's Record Room, on CKUA across Alberta.

On the show, he mentioned that he bought the complete CJDC (Dawson Creek) vinyl record library when the station was getting rid of it. And, rightfully so, really enjoys playing, on CKUA, the exact copy of a given 45 that he heard as a kid listening to CJDC.