Alberta Slim’s Life Story
Slim was born in 1910 in a little village called Whilsford, Wiltshire, near the Salisbury Plains in England. My dad put in 21/2 years in the First World War and we moved from Whilsford to a little town on the Avon River called Upavon and we lived in a house called Triangle House. After the war, dad had heard so much about Canada from the Canadian soldiers, having run a pub close to Lark Hill where the Canadians were billeted. We packed up and came to Canada in 1920 landing in Loyldminster, Saskatchewan. Dad bought a ranch, a ¾ section, and we ranched there for a while. We had bought CPR property and we broke some land up, fenced it and built a house on it. We stayed there for 2 years. We moved up to St. Walburg, about 50 miles from the Alberta border.
On the ranch we raised mostly cattle and a herd of horses which were the mode of transportation of the day. I learned to ride, rope and milk the wildest cow at a tender age. I can still hear dad telling me not to sing and yodel so loud while rounding up the stock. Most of my early days at home I owned a pony I called Kitten and I rode horse back to school and later on in life I named my trick horses Kitten in remembrance. My parents were both musical. My mother played the organ and dad played the fiddle and we also had a guitar and banjo around the house. We also had an Edison cylinder gramophone and most of our family of seven kids, 3 boys and 4 girls sang, so as you see we had lots of music and song at our home, especially on the long prairie evenings. I always did my share of singing at house parties, dances and Christmas concerts. I also sang at the Alberta Hall many times on different occasions. I always wanted to be an entertainer, sing and play and make records and travel with a trick horse like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. This was my dream and ambition as a child.
By the time I had reached my teens the depression had already put hundreds of thousands out of work in Canada and the freight trains were loaded with men searching for work all over Canada. There was no money to be made on the ranch and although we all worked hard, cattle were selling at $10.00 a head and eggs at 3 cents a dozen. I, like many other young men of that time with very little money decided to leave home in search of work. So I rode my horse to town after wishing my family goodbye. I sold my horse to a local rancher for $25.00 then to the train to Edmonton. After arriving in the big city of Edmonton with my $25.00, I took 3 guitar lessons and then headed for the local radio station looking for work as a western singer. After my audition they told me to give them my phone number and they would call me if the could use me. I had no phone number so I told them I would contact them again in a few days, of which I did leaving them a phone number where they could contact me. I have been waiting for a phone call from them ever since.
This didn’t let me down, I felt that I still had my guitar and could entertain. While walking down a street in Edmonton I came across an old fellow playing a whistle pipe. He also had a fiddle beside him that he played. He was about sixty-five years old. He had his old hat on the side walk where people dropped in their change as he entertained them. I stopped and spoke to him as he told me his story that he had just lost his wife and that his house had burnt down and he lost everything. So all by himself he wanted to forget everything, leaving all thoughts behind so he took his remaining possessions. A fiddle and a whistle pipe and took to the streets to entertain and travel around the country. He invited me to play with him and to divide the money thrown in the hat. So this is how I got my start with putting on street corner concerts and handing around my hat. The old fellow left town a few days later and I was on my own. I still have a picture of us both.
By the way, going to the radio station was not all lost as when I returned to the radio station to ask if they could use me they said a couple of folks were looking for a western singer to join them in a concert tour. I got in touch with these people and they were a couple of old English Concert Entertainers who had left England for their health, hoping to homestead in the Peace River District of Alberta. They had a son, 12 years old. Anyway they had homesteaded and had tried their luck at improving their home but were disillusioned and they lost the money they had brought with them from England. They headed for Edmonton, broke and decided to try their luck at entertaining once again. Well, what happened was they contacted me and told me that they were broke but hoped to start a concert tour of Alberta with added acts besides the 3 of them. I joined them as I hadn’t much to lose, only the balance of my $25.00. I put up what money I had. We payed $15.00 down payment on an old four door touring car. We put the car in their name and $30.00 per month payments. We paid $400.00 for the car. The balance of money I had we had posters made, the man and myself took the posters and headed towards Calgary contacting halls and schools and making deals with them on a percentage basis, calling ourselves The Family Concert Group featuring Albert’s Yodelling Cowboy (me). Both the man and wife danced. We put on a school act performance and I sang. That was it. We slept in the halls and schools and make sometimes a few dollars and sometimes nothing. Sometimes the 12 year old boy and myself slept under the car and the old folks inside. After our concert and we left town, the boy and I would swipe vegetables from folk’s gardens and after a sleep the next day we would make mulligan stew with some meat if we had the money.
We continued to play for a couple of months, summer time, it was school holiday time too. And, incidentally, I would like to relate that leaving Rocky Mountain House, after a show. We drove down a steep hill on to a ferry. Our brakes needed fixing and we couldn’t stop. I did the driving. The car jumped the holding blocks and broke the restraining chain and the front wheels landed over the end of the ferry, but stopped just in time to save us four from a watery grave. It was a river we had to cross over. Anyway we failed to make enough money to pay our monthly payments on our car so we headed back to Edmonton and returned the car. All broke. That is more or less my first tour as a singing cowboy.
After leaving Edmonton, I rode the freight trains for a couple of years travelling all over Canada, learning what I could about our country. Travelling with me at all times would be a couple of buddies all called stagehands. They would select a busy street corner and I would put on my concert of hobo songs, such as The Hobo’s Song to the Mounties, Waiting for a Train and All Around the Water Tank and so on. My stage hands would hand around the hat for collecting and watch for the cops as for causing a disturbance on a street was unlawful and sometimes the cops would crash our concert and send us on our way and tell us to leave town or otherwise he would lock us up. I remember once in North Bay, Ontario, my buddies and I had just got to town when we heard that a couple of stores had been broken into from the hobo grapevine. Anyway the RCMP searched the town and rounded us all up and put us in the jail over night, including myself and stage hands. We were hustled out and told to leave town on the next freight of which we did. No concert at North Bay that evening. Travelling west the next night a dozen or so of us in an open coal car and a snow storm and blizzard came upon us as we travelling and after losing my guitar case, the guitar became filled with snow and if it wasn’t for the train crew rescuing us from freezing to death and taking us to the caboose we would have all been dead. The train stopped for water at intervals, that helped us.
Another time in Ottawa, my stagehands and myself intended to take the midnight freight west. Broke, we called into a house for food near the roundhouse. We were welcomed in and asked to sing for them. Well soon the house was full of neighbours and a collection was taken, seven dollars in all and the women folk made sandwiches and cake. We left thanking all for the great evening, an impromptu concert before leaving for the west. There are many stories and events that are interesting about my two years of street corner concerts. Anyway, on our way by freight heading for Regina. Oh, I must tell you this one. I was all alone this particular time. I had left Edmonton and was heading east and as the train slowed down going through Vegreville, not far from Edmonton, at about midnight I jumped off the train to get some sleep. Out of town on the highway I spotted a large straw pile and as I climbed it with my guitar, a coyote jumped out of his nest on top, looking back at me as if to say there’s your bed, so I crawled in the nest and fell asleep. Early next morning I was awakened by a lot of noise and there, just a short distance away was Sullivan Travelling Shows setting up their rides and shows and equipment. It was the Vegreville fair grounds and their fair time. I shook the straw from my long blond hair and took my guitar and slid down the straw pile and headed for the fair grounds. I made myself known as an entertainer. They offered me a job to travel with the Ten in One Show as it was called, 10 acts in one show.
I stayed with the show until they reached Toronto to play the CNE. I stayed and played the fair with them. I enjoyed myself and they taught me many things about the show business. I was always happy because I was doing the things I wanted to do, entertain. I was young and had lots to learn. Getting back to the time, heading for Regina in the spring of 37, we got off the freight and headed for town, me and my stagehands, hoping to put on our usual street corner concert. We were broke as usual and hungry, so we headed for the Salvation Army, what was called the Sally Ann by us boys, They always had a meal for us and a flop in a dormitory. I heard from the hobo grapevine that the Army and Navy Store presented a half hour amateur radio show over radio station CKCK, Regina, every morning and that those who took part (lucky enough to take part) received a breakfast snack at the Army and Navy Store after the show.
We decided to take a try before our street concert in the afternoon. Riding the freight, my clothes were not presentable so I decided to ask the Army and Navy Store for a pair of pants. I saw the owner, Mr Sam Cohen and told him who I was and that I intended to sing on his radio program if I could get a pair of pants from him. He was a good man and fitted me with a pair right away. They were too long so we pinned them up and away I went with my stage hands to the radio station hoping to get on with a song or two and a free breakfast. I was met by Bill Schultz, Program Director and announcer of the program. He allowed me to sing a couple of songs, one being There’s a Love Knot in my Lariat. It must have turned out good because he invited myself and buddies back to the store for breakfast. He invited me to be a regular each morning on his daily show, telling me I could advertise wherever I was wanting to play around town, of which I thought was a good thing. I stayed with the Army and Navy radio program for three years, till the spring of 1940.
During my first stay in Regina, I was invited to sing at the Regina Café. It was facing the market square and a lot of farmers and country folk would eat there and liked my songs. No pay of course but I was allowed to pass my hat to the customers. I made enough each dinner hour and supper hour to buy my meals and to pay for a 25 cent room close by. When the folks became tired of my singing I would read tea cups and palms. I found out that during the depression people wanted to hear of better and good things to believe in, and to tell them that things were going to be better for them in the future. That their love life was going to be happy and they enjoyed my readings and would leave me a donation for the reading. This all helped to get me living my happy life of doing what I wanted, to be an entertainer.
The war broke out in 1939 and the depression was still with us. The boys still arriving and leaving on freight trains. I made it a point to meet as many as I could and try to help them by telling them where they could get a coat or a meal, at a church or hostel for from a friendly minister.
In 1940 I heard that CFQC Radio Station in Saskatoon were looking for a western singer to fill a slot in their morning program so, with my friend Tex Morin, a professional fiddle player, we left Regina and hitched a ride to Saskatoon, putting on impromptu concert in a local café on the eastside of town, making enough for supper, breakfast and a room. In the morning we headed for the radio station. We met Cy Cairns, the CFQC Program Director, a nice man. We sang and played for him and consequently were hired to take over a fifteen minute program, three mornings a week at a salary of $4.50 per wee.
My friend Tex didn’t want to stay put, he preferred to join a travelling western band playing around Saskatoon, by the name of the Tumbleweeds. I decided to stay and perform on my own which turned out to be real fine. The money wasn’t good but I was doing what I wanted to do most, entertain and that’s the main thing in life to be happy at whatever you are doing, it’s good for your well-being and health.
I received $18.00 per mo. And I paid $16.00 per mo. for my board and room, leaving me two dollars to spend on anything I needed. With my first $2.00 I had left from my pay cheque I bought a 50 cent bicycle to ride back and forth to the radio station. I remember in the winter time, some times 50 below zero I would be waiting at the station door for the annouoncer to unlock the door, the station was only broadcasting about 18 hours each day at that time.
After about 4 months of being with the station, Mr. Cairns put me on a six day per week at $9.00 per week and things started to pick up for me. After a raise in my board I was left with $18.00 per mo. I asked the station if I could sell my pictures over the air on my program and they allowed me to do so. Being able to mention the price of 10 cents a picture to cover the handling and mailing. Prices weren’t allowed to be mentioned on radio at this time and I believe I was the first broadcaster to advertise the price of a commodity over the air, but it had to include handling and mailing.
I sold hundreds of thousands of pictures, a bag full of mail each day, it kept me busy mailing them out. It was at this time that I started to save money from my radio programs. I was sponsored by different companies in Saskatoon and made more money. I also played with the Farmer Fiddlers. After being at CFQC for about a year a fellow wrote me from Hillmound Saskatchewan and wanted to know if I would like to by a trick horse that presented about thirty tricks. I bought the horse and included his act in with my songs and started playing rodeos and fairs. It worked out real good. I would advertise my shows over my programs. Anyway, this particular horse was kicked by another horse and we had to do away with him and this left me with no horse.
I decided to buy another horse and trained my new horse. I named my trick horses Kitten in memory of my pony that I rode to school. Eddy Benedict was the horse trainers name, a good man. I started to play fairs in the summer time with my horse and return to the radio stations in the winter months.
After staying with CFQC for four years, at the invitation of the program producer at CKRM Regina, I left Saskatoon for Regina and started an early morning six day a week program of my songs. I would sing in the winter time and leave to play fairs in the summer months throughout Canada. While in Regina I had a visit from Mr. Gordon V. Thompson, music publisher from Toronto and he offered to produce a Western Cowboy Folio for me, using my own compositions of which he did and it’s still selling today. I sold them on my radio programs too. Later he also included amongst others my hit song When It’s Apple Blossom Time in Annapolis Valley. This particular song has a great meaning to me. While entertaining in Nova Scotia in 1948, I drove from Halifax to Kentville, about 200 miles, passing amongst farms and apple orchards, the blossoms and the fragrance from them inspired me to write a song.
In 1948 it was when I wrote Annapolis Valley, the three single records produced by Gordon V. Thompson, was produced in the spring of 1949. I had arranged to pick up some of the records as I passed through Montreal where they were pressed. After reaching Nova Scotia and the records were being played over the radio stations, Annapolis Valley took off to be a smash hit and the single records could not be pressed fast enough for the retail outlets.
Gordon V. Thompson was not able to get them pressed so Mr. Hugh Joseph, manager of records for RCA wired me asking me to come to Montreal and sign a contract to record for RCA Victor and I did, passing through Montreal on my way home in the fall of 1949.
Mr. Hugh Joseph of RCA was a great mean for Canadian talent. I journeyed to Toronto on five occasions to record at the RCA Recording studios at the York Hotel. I would record four sides at a time, single records and my backup orchestra was the Happy Gang. This group has a CBC radio program for twenty one years from Toronto and are well known to the older generation. We also released some 45 RPM single records from RCA studios and later on RCA released three albums for me on RCA Camden. I have had three further albums released for me on different labels making six in all. Many artists are singing my songs, both in the United States and Canada. Songs that are regularly sung by others are When It’s Apple Blossom Time in Annapolis Valley, My Fraser Valley Home, Beautiful British Columbia, My Nova Scotia Home, Our Changing World and others. Tommy Commons has recently recorded my song, My Fraser Valley Home.
Empire Music Publishers in New Westminster has copyrighted many of my songs and have published them in music school books because of the Canadian content. Empire also published two western folios for me which are on the market. I’ve got a little ahead of myself.
I left CKRM in Regina in the fall of 1947 and headed for British Columbia where most of our family had immigrated. There I met Bill Rea owner of radio station CKNW, it was then situated above the Fraser Café in New Westminster. I entertained over CKNW for a number of years, both on the Rangers Cabin and my own 15 minute live program in the early morning slot. Radio in the winter months and entertaining the fairs in the summer months. It didn’t matter how many times I played a city or town, the attendance at my shows was always overwhelming, never short of an audience, my fans were true to me always. I still meet friends that can produce a picture of myself and Kitten from thirty to forty years ago.
Going back to my entertaining at fairs, I bought an elephant and trained it to perform with my horse. I owned the elephant Susie for eleven years and we had lots of fun with Susie, she became almost one of the family. Most folks in Canada remember her and we had different acts at times to augment our show such as wrestling bears, performing chimps, high wire act, and we always had an orchestra with us.
I have gone on to write and record many more albums with RCA and others and am currently, in my 93rd year and still performing at folk festivals across Canada. I intend to record my new songs on a CD to be released this year.