KIRRIEMUIR SALUTED
fiddaman64
faithhealer
...I wish I could be there to be part of this unique occasion,
honouring
one of
Kirriemuir's famous sons, but alas, distance and the shortage of time
make that
impossible. Rest assured, though, I am here with each and every one of
you in
spirit, and in the celebration of the departed spirit with which we all
share.
My name is Vincent Lovegrove. I was a close friend of Bon's, and I'm
writing
this missive from the other side of the world, in the hinterland of
Australia's
most easterly point, Byron Bay, in a tiny little village called
Rosebank. I feel
privileged to have been asked to write a few words about my old mate,
Ronald
Belford Scott - known more affectionately as Bon.
Bon and I first met in 1965, and that was 41 years ago. He a young lad
of 19 and
me one year younger. We were in separate bands when we met, but we both
clicked
on first sighting. It was one of those friendships that didn't need
working on.
We quickly became best friends. He was a drummer in his band, me a
singer in
mine. I heard him sing one night and thought he was a unique vocalist
with great
potential and I suggested to him that he should be singing, that we
should join
forces and form a band with two singers.
He told me he'd like to sing but he said he didn't think he could do
it, that he
didn't have the confidence. But it didn't take him long to realise it
was his
destiny to be the singer in a band. So we formed a rock group, the
Valentines,
with both of us singing. It wasn't long before we were plotting and
scheming
about how we'd take over the world and become the world's best
rock'n'roll band.
Wishful thinking on my part, but Bon almost lived to see the dream come
true.
Sadly, he died as his band, AC/DC was on the brink of world fame and
wealth. He
never knew the extent of the legend he would become.
But I spoke to his mother last Sunday and she reckons he always
knew...she told
me that Ron - as she called him - would always say to her how he'd
become a
millionaire one day. She said he was totally confident he'd become
famous. And I
reckon he probably did. Those few of us who always knew...well, we just
always
knew he'd become a star. But we didn't realise that one day he'd be
named the
bona fide number one rock legend of all time by magazines and critics
all over
the world. By the way, Mrs Scott - Isa - told me to tell you how proud
she was
of this plaque presentation in her old village of Kirriemuir. She and
her
family, including Bon, left Kirriemuir in 1951.
Bon and I used to practice and rehearse in Isa's lounge-room in the
Western
Australian port suburb of North Fremantle in those days. In fact his
mother told
me last week, with distinct laughter in her voice - for the first time
in four
decades - that she was a little annoyed by us lads playing our music
every
Sunday afternoon. "Ron's father and I had to go into the kitchen while
you boys
turfed us out of the lounge room and played your loud rock'n'roll", she
told me.
"It was no fun for us."
>From day one Bon and I were joined at the hip. We toured every
beer-soaked barn,
night club, pub, town hall and - even on occasion - shed in Australia.
We
travelled in a tiny little kombi van - the five of us all cramped up
together,
smelly armpits, smelly socks, our musical equipment jam-packed in the
back; we
couldn't afford anything else. Neither could we afford a hotel room
each, so we
all stayed in the same room at hotels and motels, getting badly
underpaid,
working five nights a week and three shows on most Saturday nights. It
was
tough. But fun.
These were the days that shaped many of Bon's lyrics for his
song-writing which
came years later. Many of the lyrics he wrote in AC/DC, the band that
finally
found him fame, were about our early days in the late sixties, living
it real
rough, five lads doing what five lads did in those days. As I said, it
was tough
but it was fun - we were young at heart and free-spirited. I could name
you many
lyrics he wrote for AC/DC that were precisely about adventures we
experienced.
It's true that Bon had a tough streak. You had to be tough to survive
the
rigours of those pioneer days of rock'n'roll touring. It wasn't for
the faint-
hearted. But he also possessed a gentleness, and a tender, caring,
feeling for
his fellow man. He particularly felt a kinship to working class kids,
the
homeless, the down-trodden, the afflicted. He had a giant heart and was
a
devoted, loyal and trusted friend who would stand by you under any
circumstances. And that is rare, as each and everyone of you here could
attest
to from your own life experiences.
But the thing I loved mostly about Bon Scott was his absolutely unique
self-
honesty. He was honest about himself. He had no frills. He knew his
weaknesses
and he wore them on his sleeve. What you saw was what you got. He was
not
bothered with grandeur, he was a real person and as honest as the day
is long.
And in this world today that is a lonely character trait.
An embodiment of the hardy character, sense of humour and irreverence
to
pomposity shared by the Scots and Aussies, Bon Scott had no frills, no
false
exterior, no airs and graces.
He was the real deal. He walked the walk. He was human. He had foibles
and was
tempted by the dark side, like us all. He was no superman. But he
possessed a
rare sense of honesty about himself. He lived by the golden rule - do
unto
others as you would have them do unto you.
And that in a nutshell is why he has become such an icon. That and his
lyrics.
Some scoff at his lyrics, but those who have felt a kinship to Bon
Scott know
that his lyrics were real and from the street. To my mind he is the
street poet
of my generation and the generation that followed. He wasn't into
politics, but
simple every day life. Everyone could relate to his lyrics whether or
not you
liked them. Some of them had the 'nudge, nudge, wink, wink factor', but
they
were real. Future teenage generations will always be able to relate to
Bon's
lyrics. They are real, timeless and some of them perfectly
tongue-in-cheek. His
sense of humour was priceless.
He almost didn't join AC/DC. He had a near-fatal motor bike accident in
1974 and
was recuperating for six months at my home. I was a booking agent and I
loved
this dinky little band from Sydney known as AC/DC. They were about to
sack their
lead singer and they asked me if I knew anyone who could take his
place. Of
course I suggested Bon, but they laughed and said he was too old. When
I told
him, he laughed, too, saying they were too young, too inexperienced and
that
they wouldn't know how to play rock'n'roll.
I took him to see them perform and after they made snide remarks about
each
others' age, they had a jam session and the future was immediately set
in
concrete. They clicked. Bon packed his bag, hobbled out of my home,
still
recovering from his accident, literally hopped into the waiting car,
and left.
The rest is history. Without Bon Scott there is no doubt AC/DC would
not have
made the big time. However, I must say, without AC/DC, Bon wouldn't
have had the
camerade and the platform on which he could showcase his talents as a
lyricist
and performer.
I last saw Bon in Atlanta, Georgia, about 12 months before his death.
He was
tired and impatient, the band on the brink of success. He had been
touring on
the road, non-stop, for 14 years. The wear and tear were starting to
show.
It was a very sad day when I heard he'd died. I felt the loss of a
great friend
and to be honest I've never really gotten over it. As each year passes,
the
little bastard gets more famous and more wealthy. I just wish he'd been
here to
enjoy it all. But, hey, that's life.
In the 26 years since his death, the five AC/DC albums on which he sang
in just
five years, have sold an estimated 40 million copies, around one third
of the
band's total sales over 30-odd years. He must have been doing something
right.
People I have spoken to who never met him have the same feelings about
him as
those of us who knew him. That surely says a great deal about the man
and his
music.
This memorial plaque or flagstone is a fitting memorial, made from
Caithness
Slate which is over 400 million years old. The surface texture of
dimples and
ripples was formed back then from the rain that fell on it as a pool of
mud it
once was.
Bruce Walker is the brilliant local artist and sculptor who made this
plaque,
and his assistant generously gave me a detailed
description of
the arduous process.
It is indeed a splendid work of art. Bruce Walker researched Bon's
background
and music for a few months before starting work on the plaque.
Ironically, Bruce
knew Bon's uncle George who lived in Kirrriemuir, and George played the
piano at
local charity events, as Bon's mother, Isa, confirmed last Sunday.
Bruce painstakingly hand carved every letter and musical note with
small hand
tools, small mallet and chisel. He should be proud of the final result.
The plaque will be laid in Cumberland close alongside three other
plaques which
have been laid commemorating Kirriemuir's other famous sons; Sir
Charles Lyell,
known as 'the father of geology' and mentor to Sir Charles Darwin; JM
Barrie who
wrote Peter Pan - the only book apart from the bible, I am reliably
told, whose
copyright will never go out of date; and Sir Hugh Munroe who listed all
the
Scottish mountains over 3000 ft.
So I reckon Bon is in good company. I am sure if there was a plaque for
gingerbread, Kirriemuir itself would be on the receiving end.
And I sincerely thank the Chairman of Community Council, Mr. Roland
Proctor for
reading on my behalf - this memory of Bon
especially
for today...and I'm sure Mr Proctor will have the Aussie accent just
right!
Thanks - It was a long way to the top. Long live rock'n'roll and
Kirriemuir, the
birthplace of Ronald Belford Scott.
.ends.
some pics....
[IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/malschoice/sammyspics101088.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/malschoice/sammyspics101087.jpg[/IMG]
Maggie
To The Top
"faithhealer" <maggie...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1147118368....@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> here's Vince's speech.....
>
Beautiful.