Jim Brown has been recognized for his 50 years of volunteering and numerous contributions to bluegrass events in Coombs.
He was chosen as one of the first inductees to the Canadian Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame B次元官网网址� and the first from B.C.
B次元官网网址淚 was quite honoured,B次元官网网址� said Brown, who was instrumental in launching the Coombs Bluegrass Festival in 1978. The festival continues to this day and draws in musicians from around Canada and the U.S.
He was a member of the Coombs community organization, which planned the event in 1976 and 1977 before holding the inaugural festival in 1978.
B次元官网网址淭hey wanted to try something different and we had some people in the band there that said, B次元官网网址榳hy donB次元官网网址檛 we do a bluegrass festival?B次元官网网址�, which IB次元官网网址檇 never heard of before,B次元官网网址� said Brown. B次元官网网址淲e were pretty nervous that first year. We didnB次元官网网址檛 really know where we were going to end up, but it turned out people came from all over Western Canada.B次元官网网址�
The weekend festival was a roaring success and Brown figures approximately 3,000 people turned out to the farm B次元官网网址� more people than the organizers expected, he added.
B次元官网网址淭he first year we were getting bands from all over the place,B次元官网网址� said Brown. B次元官网网址淲e had one from from Prince George called the Zig Zag Mountain String Band B次元官网网址� that was quite a band.B次元官网网址�
The next year the festival moved the Coombs Rodeo Grounds, where itB次元官网网址檚 been held ever since and has attracted 4,000 to 5,000 music fans at a time. The event is put on by the Coombs Hilliers Recreation & Community Organization (CHRCO).
B次元官网网址淚t was quite a big thing for us to do at that time because we didnB次元官网网址檛 really know what to do,B次元官网网址� said Brown. B次元官网网址淲e had enough help from bands that came and so on, and really wanted to get into it. So it made it quite easy.B次元官网网址�
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The festival has continued on for more than 40 years, with Brown acting in numerous capacities such as emcee, entertainment co-ordinator, site builder, project manager and parade float builder.
Thanks in large part to BrownB次元官网网址檚 efforts, the Coombs Rodeo Grounds is home to a large grandstand, a bunkhouse, a rodeo ring and a community hall. ItB次元官网网址檚 become a popular venue for all kinds of events.
B次元官网网址淚 think the favourite part for me was to see everybody happy,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ecause itB次元官网网址檚 just amazing when youB次元官网网址檝e got a situation like that where everybody knows everybody after a while and they get together with bands and play together.B次元官网网址�
His contribution to bluegrass music date back to the early 70s with the Coombs Country Opera, which began in 1971 and saw people get together once a month and play on the stage at the old hall in Coombs.
Brown said the Opera, still active today, provided a venue for musicians to meet which resulted in plenty of bands being formed over the years.
He added both the Opera and the bluegrass festival are volunteer driven and many people have helped in different capacities over the decades.
B次元官网网址淟inda Thorburn has been very, very instrumental in so much of that and sheB次元官网网址檇 just come out in the first one and ever since then sheB次元官网网址檚 played banjo and wanted to be part of it all,B次元官网网址� Brown said. B次元官网网址淎nd she did a great job in lining stuff up with bands and so on.B次元官网网址�
Brown was honoured on Nov. 3 at the CHRCO Coombs Rodeo Grounds, which is also celebrating its 100-year anniversary.
The 44th Coombs Bluegrass Festival is planned for Aug. 2 to Aug. 4, 2024.
