Celebrated musician Chad Allan, who carved a place in Canadian rock music history as co-founder of iconic bands the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has died. He was 80.
Jamie Anstey, vice president of Regenerator Records which reissued a number of his early albums and recordings, said Allan died Tuesday but his family asked friends to delay announcing the news to give them time to grieve privately.
Allan had suffered a number of strokes since 2017 and had spent time in hospitals and a care home near his home in Burnaby, B.C.
B次元官网网址淗e was kind of a guy that never really made it in terms of fame and fortune, but he was certainly a pioneer and a founder of two huge Canadian groups, which I think is really special,B次元官网网址� Anstey said in an interview Saturday.
Randy Bachman, a member of both bands, issued a Facebook poast in which he said he was grateful to have known and worked with Allan. He described his former bandmate as B次元官网网址渁 quiet, gentle soul with a peaceful voice.B次元官网网址�
Born Allan Kowbel on March 29, 1943, he adopted the stage name Chad Allan over frustrations with friends calling him B次元官网网址渃ow bellB次元官网网址� and formed his first band while attending high school in Winnipeg.
The groupB次元官网网址檚 moniker, Al and the Silvertones, was a nod to the Silvertone guitar. Allan was joined in the band by keyboardist Bob Ashley on piano, drummer Gary Peterson, bassist Jim Kale and Bachman on lead guitar.
The band went through several name changes, including Chad Allan and the Reflections and Chad Allan and the Expressions, before adopting the Guess Who.
The name was created by label Quality Records to promote their rendition of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates B次元官网网址淪hakin All Over,B次元官网网址� which became a No. 1 hit in Canada in 1965. After the international success of the record, the name stuck.
That same year, Burton Cummings joined the group, replacing Ashley. Allan left the band shortly thereafter over concerns that his exuberant live performances had blown out his voice.
B次元官网网址淲hen We crossed over from Chad Allan & The Expressions to the Guess Who, we had a couple of months of overlap with him and Burton where the music and harmonies were amazing. He was the voice of B次元官网网址楽hakinB次元官网网址� All OverB次元官网网址� as a cover hit in Canada but he wasnB次元官网网址檛 made for life on the road and taught and sang locally instead,B次元官网网址� Bachman said in his Facebook post.
Cummings, in his own Facebook post, called Allan B次元官网网址渁n inspiration to all of us in bands in Winnipeg.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 learned a lot from watching and listening to Chad. He was very talented and one of a kind. He will always be remembered,B次元官网网址� Cummings wrote.
AllanB次元官网网址檚 career took a few unexpected turns in the years that followed his time in the Guess Who.
A brief stint in college led to a hosting gig on CBC-TV series B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 Go,B次元官网网址� a musical showcase often likened to a Canadian version of B次元官网网址淎merican Bandstand.B次元官网网址� The series aired five days a week and Allan hosted the Thursday edition from Winnipeg.
After a number of other gigs with the CBC, Allan reconnected with Bachman, who had freshly departed from the Guess Who. Together they formed rock outfit Brave Belt, which produced two albums in the early 1970s.
Brave Belt would eventually recruit Fred Turner as a touring bassist, and by the time their second album was in production he had assumed the role of lead singer. Allan left the project as it became Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
He pursued a solo career in the years that followed, releasing the album B次元官网网址淪equelB次元官网网址� in 1973 before shifting his focus to other musical aspirations.
In 1974, he oversaw B次元官网网址淏eowulf: A Musical Epic,B次元官网网址� an operatic production of the ancient poem with Allan in the lead part and conductor Victor Davies handling the composition and arrangement.
After getting a science degree at the University of Manitoba and a psychology degree at the University of Winnipeg, Allan moved to Vancouver in 1977.
In the early 1980s, he began teaching a songwriting class at Kwantlen University College in Surrey, B.C. and later Douglas College in nearby New Westminster.
Allan would occasionally revisit his past career successes, like in 1987 when he joined Bachman, Cummings and Neil Young at a Winnipeg nightclub for a reunion performance organized by local rock historian John Einarson.
By the early 1990s, his priorities had shifted and he was primarily devoting himself to performances at seniors facilities.
Those eventually became his main source of income, according to the 2006 book B次元官网网址淲hatever Happened ToB次元官网网址�? Catching Up With Canadian Icons,B次元官网网址� written by Mark Kearney and Randy Ray.
He would play accordion and piano at adult day centres and hospitals an average of four times per week, performing a diverse array of songs like Henry ManciniB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淢oon RiverB次元官网网址� and Jerry Lee LewisB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淕reat Balls of Fire.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲hen I was younger doing the seniors thing wasnB次元官网网址檛 all that desirable,B次元官网网址� he is quoted as saying. B次元官网网址淏ut I soon discovered it can be spiritually rewarding.B次元官网网址�
AllanB次元官网网址檚 vocal problems persisted throughout his career, a fact he admitted caused him great struggle at times. He released the Christian rock album B次元官网网址淶oot Suit MonologueB次元官网网址� in 1992 but then stopped producing new material, though he continued writing music.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a miracle that I can even speak, never mind sing,B次元官网网址� he said.
In 2007, Regenerator Records dove into AllanB次元官网网址檚 catalogue and reissued a number of his early albums and a collection, B次元官网网址淐had Allan and the Reflections B次元官网网址� Early Roots.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淚 think the thing about Chad is heB次元官网网址檚 such a humble, unassuming gentleman, and truly, the word is gentleman,B次元官网网址� label co-founder Larry Hennessey said.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 had his share of great moments in Canadian history and Canadian rock music history.B次元官网网址�
Allan married his wife Christine, who survives him, in 1999 and they lived together in an apartment in Burnaby.
Allan was awarded the Order of Manitoba in 2015.
B次元官网网址擶ith files from Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton
David Friend, The Canadian Press
READ MORE:
