Early Days Photo Gallery

 

These photos date back to the primordial days before the Wetband was formed...

Woody gets his start playing in local basements. Here we have at least blonde and beautiful Pam paying attention. What more would one need? Kenny took this picture and notes that Woody's presence may be merely fortuitous, as his attention and attentions were elsewhere and where else? 

Jethro and his main squeeze Wendy in their ultra-retro hippydom days. 

Woody during his former respectable days as a pianist accompanying Jethro and Wendy's progeny, Meghan on the recorder, while Woody Sr looks on. 

Woody playing his Yamaha in a cabin in the wilds of northern Ontario, near Mooseneck. He appears to have considerably more fingers than today.

Woody during his much maligned guitar-playing gigolo phase.

A rare shot of Kenny in rare form during one of his first Toronto gigs at the Underhill Inn and Tavern in Don Mills. 

This is a rare shot of the infamous Room #48, 3rd floor, King Edward Hotel (late, great) in Guelph, where Kenny B holed up for a number of years...the shot hints at the depravity and poverty of Kenny's topsy-turvey existence at the time, influenced by some very bad sorts of company. In the picture can clearly be seen perhaps the ONLY remaining picture of Kenny's very first guitar (brand name forgotten), which was stolen a few years later.

John G. and Jethro Bassman at a backwoods cabin around the time of the first Blues Festival. John G. was a guest vocalist at the first Blues Fest and is remembered for singing a long talking blues song that started in maritime Canada and ended somewhere in the backwoods of Alabama. John G. was an enthusiastic participant at many later Blues Fests. 

By this time Kenny has clearly settled into Toronto life, sampling the local beverages and even joining the local hockey team. 

Here's an early shot of Willie grooving with two of his biggest fans: Gary, the manager of Guelph's famous Marilyn Motel, and his daughter Debbie. In the background we get a very early glimpse of keyboard wizard Paul B. Joel.

Jethro's early struggles to break into the entertainment business were no joke, but then again here's a rare shot of Jethro in his stint as a stand-up comedian.

The long years of motel touring took their toll on Willie. In this shot he has lost his shirt and joined up with Blind Whitey to start a group called Corners, Tangents and Turns.