The first time I met Johnny was in Beverly's kitchen in Toronto, we spent a couple of days driving around the wineries in teh Niagara region, Beverly driving, Johnny and I in the back singing. I never even realized how lucky I was.
I had downloaded the words to Scowies "When All Men Sing" from mudcat about six months earlier but didn't know the tune. There it was on one of Johnny's CD's and there on another, another song tune I wanted, well I ended up with five of them.
I went to Lancaster Maritme Festival when in the UK in 2004 walked out of a pub and right into Johnny "what on earth are you doing here he said" a couple of the guys I had gone with later said to me "what's all this you come over here from Canada and end up carousing with the "Star of the Show"" well what did I know.
That's also the day I met Scowie (another story for another day".
Well we had some good times at Bromyard as well on our visits there.
Also at hte Millrace Folk Festival in Cambridge Ontario, where Johnny also appeared a few times.
It's this weekend, the sing around in the Golden Kiwi is now entitled the "Johnny Collins Memerial sing around, if you are there, I will be the one singing "When All Men Sing"
JohnB.