How’s it going Ladies and Gentlemen?
Thanks for coming back to Graceland Ontario, your one
stop location for success advice from the greats. Today we’re going to talk
about standing for your principles.
Another sad post… As you probably know if
you’re Canadian (and probably don’t if you’re not ), the great Stompin’ Tom
Conners, local singer and legend, passed away a couple days ago at the age of
77 (which is far too young these days). The man who was named for the way he
kept time with his left foot wrote classics like “Sudbury Saturday Night” and,
most popularly, “The Good Ol’ Hockey Game”, not to mention about 298 others.
But what he might be remembered most by was
his pride in being Canadian. It was only a couple months ago on Canada Day that I compared the man to Elvis in the U.S. for the patriotism he was synonymous with in my country. I mean, he openly spoke out against Canadian
artists who sought fame in the larger United States who with a population ten
times ours have about as many extra opportunities. He fought to keep a Canadian
identity in music, even as more and more American recordings crossed the
border.
Now, I’m not against American music − as
you probably know from this blog, I’m a HUGE Elvis fan. But someone needs to
stand up for something if it’s going to live, and Stompin’ Tom was the man to
do it for us Canadians and our music. Proud to the end, a true patriot.
Stompin’ Tom’s death signals an end to an
age in Canadian music. But even though he only sold nearly four million records
(compared to Elvis’s over One Billion), his music will live on to all those who
remember him for standing what he believed in, even when it wasn’t popular.
What does this mean for you? Stand for
something you believe in and don’t stop, even if it doesn’t look like it’s
going your way, even if others think you’re crazy for it. They’ll respect you
in the end. At the Toronto Maple Leaf’s hockey game the night Tom’s name was
called, most of the fans stood up during the playing of “The Good Ol’ Hockey
Game” in respect of him.
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind
a tribute like that when I pass on.
Stand for what you believe in and I'll talk to
you next week!
Alex H.
In tribute of Stompin’ Tom, here’s a
Youtube link to his hit, “The Good Ol’ Hockey Game”, his most famous song.
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