Re: Lake Dore Waltz (Mac Beattie)
I was just reading This Ottawa Valley of Mine, the autobiography of Mac Beatty, whose country & traditional (though he wouldn't have used the term) band played the dance halls, bars, seniors homes, and stages of the Ottawa Valley from the 1950's to about 1980. He also played regularly on radio and television across the country. For many years Mac Beattie and The Ottawa Valley Melodiers played every Saturday night at the Sunnydale Acres dance hall by Lake Dore (pronounced "Dor-ee" by English speakers), where he met his wife. I doubt that he danced with her much there -- he'd have been working at the time. Maybe he got onto the dance floor now and then. Sadly, he died of cancer in 1982, without completing his book. I came across this thread, featuring one of Mac's most popular tunes, a waltz regularly heard at fiddle sessions and old-time dances in the Valley. Thanks, Martin.
They were only a couple of strangers
Dancing, forgetting all faults
But a friendship was made
When the orchestra played
The beautiful Lake Dore Waltz
By the way, Mac had at least four different mandolin players in his band, including his long-time fiddler, the multi-instrumentalist, Reg Hill. Unfortunately, I can't find mandolin on his recordings.
Last edited by Ranald; Jul-28-2022 at 5:00pm.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
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