John Ellis (1929-2015)
Obituary
by Suzanne Croy
Undoubtedly, the first thing you associate with John Ellis and the Highland Country Band is the unique sound, instantly recognisable from the first note. My own introduction to the John Ellis sound was when I was ten. Running through to the living room to turn up the radio I asked my mum “Who’s that?” She replied by saying “Oh…..that’s John Ellis and the Highland Country Band. No-one else has a sound like that”. And so my love affair with the band began, many years before I was asked to play with them; and what a glorious day that was! The chance to play with the band I had idolized since a child and the beginning of so many fun-filled gigs.
One of the most memorable trips for me was going to Vancouver to play at the Millennium Ball for the Royal Scottish Country Dance society. Off we went, John, Douglas, Irene, chic, Bill and I. On the way back from Vancouver Island the ship’s captain heard the band were on board and invited us up to the bridge. It’s a skilled operation to steer a large ship safely into the dock so the floor of the bridge contained a glass panel to look through. We were all avoiding standing on it when John commented; “That must be pretty strong glass”, at which point the captain began to try and persuade one of us to stamp on it to demonstrate its strength. Eventually Irene stepped forward to test the pane of glass. Just as Irene’s feet landed on the glass the captain crushed a plastic cup from behind us simulating the sound of shattering glass! Irene must have leapt about 5 feet in the air. I don’t think I’d ever seen John and the band laugh so much. The laughter lasted long into the gig that evening, and that was one of the great things about John’s band, it was always fun.
John wasn’t only my bandleader. He became a cherished friend too. Even through the years that the band did not play much, we kept in touch. A special memory is that proud day when John was awarded the NAAFC’s Honours Recipient Award in 2010. A fitting honour for a great man. I hope the fact that John’s band has inspired many, and will continue to do so, is of some comfort to Pat and the family.
Box and Fiddle
March 2016
One of the most memorable trips for me was going to Vancouver to play at the Millennium Ball for the Royal Scottish Country Dance society. Off we went, John, Douglas, Irene, chic, Bill and I. On the way back from Vancouver Island the ship’s captain heard the band were on board and invited us up to the bridge. It’s a skilled operation to steer a large ship safely into the dock so the floor of the bridge contained a glass panel to look through. We were all avoiding standing on it when John commented; “That must be pretty strong glass”, at which point the captain began to try and persuade one of us to stamp on it to demonstrate its strength. Eventually Irene stepped forward to test the pane of glass. Just as Irene’s feet landed on the glass the captain crushed a plastic cup from behind us simulating the sound of shattering glass! Irene must have leapt about 5 feet in the air. I don’t think I’d ever seen John and the band laugh so much. The laughter lasted long into the gig that evening, and that was one of the great things about John’s band, it was always fun.
John wasn’t only my bandleader. He became a cherished friend too. Even through the years that the band did not play much, we kept in touch. A special memory is that proud day when John was awarded the NAAFC’s Honours Recipient Award in 2010. A fitting honour for a great man. I hope the fact that John’s band has inspired many, and will continue to do so, is of some comfort to Pat and the family.
Box and Fiddle
March 2016