Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: GUEST,amanda walther
Date: 20 Mar 13 - 11:34 AM

Thank you Tam. You will be missed!

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: GUEST,Sandy Glover
Date: 13 Mar 13 - 07:13 AM

I was offline and missed this sad news.

I'm another relic of the Glasgow Folk Centre (64-66), where Tam was a huge presence. I moved away, and only met him a few times afterwards. We last spent some time together in 1999, when Tam and Lynn kindly hosted my wife and I for the Toronto Morris Ale (I was with St Albans Morris Men by then). Like everybody, we enjoyed our time at that warm, friendly house, and at the fantastic Tranzac. It was great to sing and MC an evening at the home of Fiddler's Green, even if it wasn't a club spot.

The affection and respect in which Tam was held was absolutely clear then, as it's clear now. Pam and I would like to add our sympathies to all Tam's family and friends.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: GUEST,Kieran Wade
Date: 11 Mar 13 - 05:45 AM

Very sorry to hear the news about Tam, he was a good friend and a great help when we were starting up Irish traditional music sessions in Toronto. He gave us space in the old Fiddler's Green club and when we moved with him to the Tranzac, he used to play bass and call the dances with the Inishowen band at the monthly ceili's. He was a character with that typical gruff Glasgow wit. A favourite song he used to sing was "I'm a Man you don't meet everyday" - that kinda sums him up for me.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: GUEST,Tracy Schwarz and Ginny Hawker
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 02:35 PM

So sorry to learn of Tam's passing. I have fond memories of various times at the Fiddler's Green and the visiting at Tam's house - lots of laughing and wonderful hosting and an outrageously funny story his father told about an event that happened while he was working on a road repair crew (I don't think I dare repeat it here...... unfortunately).

Tracy Schwarz

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 06:34 PM

GUEST, Adam McNaughtan
I'd like to add glittering praise to the memory of Tam Kearney. Tam, as might be expected was a noted character even in his Glasgow days. We differed then, perhaps, in our approach to song; such was his mistrust of people who insisted on singing unaccompanied, that he sold me a banjo for five pounds. He was, however, always ready to give me a lift to my gigs and to take me along to his. A born communicator, he would engage his audiences with songs, jokes and stories-- perhaps including his own back-story.
I don't know whether it was Tam or his listeners who located the "hiring" of Bob Dylan in the Glasgow Folk Centre, but that was never the venue for a Dylan gig, and the bookings there were always handled by its full-time organiser, Drew Moyes, who must be credited with making it a "centre", featuring not only music gigs, but story-telling, inkle-weaving, instrumental tuition, talks by such as Willie Scott on making stick handles from horn, attempts at producing a magazine. For three or four years, Tam was one of a number of henchmen: he played, sang, compered and, spatula in hand, ruled the kitchen -- a role in which he will be recognised by friends from throughout the years. He parted company with Drew in another Glasgow tradition, a stairhead rammy, with Drew at the top of the stairs pouring wrath on Tam's head and Tam outdoing Drew in colourful invective from the street. In that three-year spell were sown the seeds that blossomed in Toronto.
Maybe somebody should ask Mr Dylan where it was that he made his Glasgow debut.
Tam, it's been good to know you,
Adam

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: RoyH (Burl)
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 10:11 AM

So sad to hearof Tam's passing. I remember my first time of singing at a ttransatlantic club. It was 1976,at
the fabulous 'Fiddlers' Green, with Tam at the helm. I had such a good time and I thought that if all the gigs were going to be like this it's going to be marvellous. Tam, Jim, Ian, Grit, made me so welcome. I went along with them to gig they had in Buffalo, what a night. Rest in Peace Tam, and Thanks for the memories. My sympathies to his family. I won't forget him. Roy Harris.

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: Mr Red
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 07:47 AM

We had a long talk when I was in Toronto for 3 months. He told stories of Ewen McColl collecting his own song from a Canadian lumberjack. And he gave me a spot at Fiddlers Green FC. Nice guy.

Subject: R.I.P. Tam Kearney
From: PHJim
Date: 06 Mar 13 - 08:49 PM

So sorry to hear of the passing on Tam Kearny, musician and dulcimer luthier extraordinaire. Long time member of the Friends Of Fiddlers' Green.

Tam Kearney interview

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 06 Mar 13 - 02:08 PM

I have added Tam to the "In Memoriam" Thread.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: CeltArctic
Date: 06 Mar 13 - 01:33 PM

I have known Tam almost all my life. I am so grateful I had a chance to visit with him a year ago last September. The Friends had just performed a reunion concert in Toronto, and they sang one of my favourite songs of Tam's: Doon in the Wee Room. That and The Parting Glass will be going through my head for the next few days as I remember Tam.

Thank you, Tam!

Subject: RE: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 13 - 12:22 PM

Thank you Tam.
~debbieingoderich

Subject: Obit: Tam Kearney, Toronto (March 5, 2013)
From: Howard Kaplan
Date: 06 Mar 13 - 10:14 AM

I have just received the following sad news from Grit Laskin. He posted it to Maple Post, a mailing list about Canadian folk music. However, I think his references to "this list" apply equally well to Mudcat.


Many on this list will have known, or known about, the man who headed up Toronto's legendary Fiddler's Green folk club for its 20-year run.

He died late last night.

For those who did not know Tam....

He grew up in the tenement housing of Glasgow, Scotland, worked in the shipyards, but more importantly was instrumental in the folk scene there. While involved with the Glasgow Folk Centre, he remembers hiring Bob Dylan for 5 Pounds Sterling (Dylan's first UK tour), remembers the skinny kid who wanted to jam with everyone in the club's green room--who became Sting, took guitar lessons from Burt Jansch. To this day Billy Connolly (yes, the comedian/actor) credits Tam with making him a performer, by nagging him to accept some early gig offers, and actually driving Billy around Scotland to his gigs.

Tam grew up on skiffle and the UK folk revival. He played banjo and guitar and sang and was recruited into local pub bands from his first weeks in Canada. He emigrated here, around 1969 (I think) and within a year, with the help of another Scot, Jim Strickland, started Fiddler's Green.   

The stories around Tam and Fiddler's Green are many and I expect (and hope) more will seen, heard and read in the coming weeks and months.

But for a very large number of us, Tam was as good and as generous a friend as one could ever hope to have.