Eric Goodfellow 26/01/1944 – 11/08/2008 - Obituary
by
B&F November 2008
Eric
was born in 1944 in English Kershope on the outskirts of Newcastletown. He
moved house almost every two years through his fathers work as a shepherd. It
was at the age of eight that he acquired a taste for Scottish dance music
through listening to old 78s and, during that same summer, played the accordion
for the first time whilst on his annual holiday at his uncle’s. Every holiday
there the first thing he would make for would be the accordion, and eventually
he taught himself to play. In 1959 he bought his first accordion for £15 with
wages from his first job.
Eric’s first band was a Trio with Ian Thomson on second accordion and Joe Jardine on drums. Their first dance was in 1963 at Newmill Village Hall where they received the princely sum of £9. The picture opposite (middle right) was taken in 1966 at a dance in Bentpath Village Hall, from left to right are Ian Thomson (accordion), Bob Hobkirk (fiddle), Joe Jardine (drums) Albert (Albie) Tedham (piano) and Eric on accordion.
By 1972 Eric had a six-piece band that auditioned for their first broadcast in that same year. After passing the audition their first broadcast was in 1973 in Edinburgh with the BBC. The picture on this page shows this band : Alasdair MacLeod (bass), Ian Wilson (piano), Billy Bell (fiddle), Drew Dalgleish (drums) and Jock Borthwick on second accordion. After that broadcast the same band went on to record another five broadcasts where only on the odd occasion was a slight change made. Jim Law was on bass for one broadcast and Iain MacPhail stepped in on second accordion for another as did Alan Jarvis on drums.
In 1974 whilst on holiday in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, Eric met a young lass by the name of Elsie. After spending the week together in Mull Elsie went to Hawick with Eric for a week’s holiday as this was where Eric lived at the time. During that week Eric proposed and they were married the following week. In 1975 they had their first child, Carol, followed by Eric in 1977. In 1978 the band made their last broadcast as Eric as Eric wanted to spend more time with his family. In 1979 their third child Helen was born completing the family.
As the family got older Eric started playing again and made two cassettes, one in the eighties and one in the nineties. The band promoted their tapes at Accordion and Fiddle clubs on both sides of the Border. Latterly his band changed to a Trio with Jock Borthwick on second accordion and his son Eric on drums. Eric was renowned for his impeccable timing by the dancers. He was a perfectionist when it came to his music and the sound of his equipment but always left room for improvement saying, “The day you say you are good, you might as well give up, as you have nothing to work towards.” He was a well respected accordionist, not only by band members of his era but also by the younger musicians. Eric had lots of encouragement and praise for young musicians learning and said they were the future of Scottish dance music.
Everyone that knew Eric would know he liked nothing more than to tell jokes and he had a way of making people smile wherever he went. Eric is going to be sadly missed not only by his family, but by all throughout the Borders and everywhere he played at dances and Clubs. He was a true gentleman to all who knew him and a loving, caring husband, dad and grandpa.
If Eric could say anything to youngsters who are learning to play Scottish dance music then it would be to keep it simple, make it swing and play from the heart.
Eric’s first band was a Trio with Ian Thomson on second accordion and Joe Jardine on drums. Their first dance was in 1963 at Newmill Village Hall where they received the princely sum of £9. The picture opposite (middle right) was taken in 1966 at a dance in Bentpath Village Hall, from left to right are Ian Thomson (accordion), Bob Hobkirk (fiddle), Joe Jardine (drums) Albert (Albie) Tedham (piano) and Eric on accordion.
By 1972 Eric had a six-piece band that auditioned for their first broadcast in that same year. After passing the audition their first broadcast was in 1973 in Edinburgh with the BBC. The picture on this page shows this band : Alasdair MacLeod (bass), Ian Wilson (piano), Billy Bell (fiddle), Drew Dalgleish (drums) and Jock Borthwick on second accordion. After that broadcast the same band went on to record another five broadcasts where only on the odd occasion was a slight change made. Jim Law was on bass for one broadcast and Iain MacPhail stepped in on second accordion for another as did Alan Jarvis on drums.
In 1974 whilst on holiday in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, Eric met a young lass by the name of Elsie. After spending the week together in Mull Elsie went to Hawick with Eric for a week’s holiday as this was where Eric lived at the time. During that week Eric proposed and they were married the following week. In 1975 they had their first child, Carol, followed by Eric in 1977. In 1978 the band made their last broadcast as Eric as Eric wanted to spend more time with his family. In 1979 their third child Helen was born completing the family.
As the family got older Eric started playing again and made two cassettes, one in the eighties and one in the nineties. The band promoted their tapes at Accordion and Fiddle clubs on both sides of the Border. Latterly his band changed to a Trio with Jock Borthwick on second accordion and his son Eric on drums. Eric was renowned for his impeccable timing by the dancers. He was a perfectionist when it came to his music and the sound of his equipment but always left room for improvement saying, “The day you say you are good, you might as well give up, as you have nothing to work towards.” He was a well respected accordionist, not only by band members of his era but also by the younger musicians. Eric had lots of encouragement and praise for young musicians learning and said they were the future of Scottish dance music.
Everyone that knew Eric would know he liked nothing more than to tell jokes and he had a way of making people smile wherever he went. Eric is going to be sadly missed not only by his family, but by all throughout the Borders and everywhere he played at dances and Clubs. He was a true gentleman to all who knew him and a loving, caring husband, dad and grandpa.
If Eric could say anything to youngsters who are learning to play Scottish dance music then it would be to keep it simple, make it swing and play from the heart.