Tom and his sister grew up about five miles down the road from where I did, in Skinners Pond Prince Edward Island. His career started to "ramp up" when I was a teen-ager,and I recall the only direct interaction I had with the colourful singer. I was sitting at the local general store talking with a few friends and he walked in to buy some smokes. When he tried to pay for 'em, the store owner said, no charge, just sing us a song. Tom agreed to do so and went out to his pickup truck for his guitar(the truck had a painted plywood box with his name and some hand drawn graphics on it). He played a couple of songs before he left, while kicking a piece of plywood beneath his feet, thanked us for the applause and left. It was a memorable experience.

I especially enjoyed his songs, I am the wind, The Irish Moss song, Sudbury Saturday night, Tilsonburg, his version of the Cremation of Sam McGee and Muckin Slushers. IMO, his songs captured the essence of a story from a common mans perspective. As he did not fit the traditional music mold,so he made his own. While he may not have been fully accepted in the traditional music industry (especially in the early years), he was respected and loved by many accross Canada.

Muckin Smushers