Longtime friends and musicians Gary Fjellgaard and Valdy are back touring together again.
“It’s always exciting when I get to work with my good friend Valdy,” Fjellgaard said.
On Sunday (June 22) Fjellgaard, a Juno Award winner, and Valdy will be performing at St. Andrew’s Church. The performance is a fundraiser to help restore the church’s 100-year-old pipe organ.
“I always enjoy playing at St. Andrew’s Church in Nanaimo because the acoustics are superb,” he said. “The better sound, the better the show.”
Following the Nanaimo performance, Fjellgaard and Valdy will conclude their tour with stops in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Although Fjellgaard began his music career a little later than other musicians, he always had an interest in becoming a singer.
“I was a little kid on the farm and it was all hard work, we were still farming with horses. I just couldn’t see myself picking rocks and roots and cleaning barns for the rest of my life,” Fjellgaard recalled. “I moved out to the coast and worked as a logger for many years before I got into music.”
Since 1976, Fjellgaard, a native of Saskatchewan, has released over 15 albums. His most recent album, The Collection: Solo Acoustic, was released in 2011 and recorded at St. Andrew’s Church in Nanaimo.
“I recorded it live, just sitting on the stool with the natural ambiance of the room,” Fjellgaard said. “A lot of songs I’d done before with different arrangements, but this one was just me and the guitar.”
In 2005, Fjellgaard was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. His induction speech was read by Valdy.
“That was pretty exciting,” Fjellgaard recalled. “I can’t say enough about it.” Gary Fjellgaard and Valdy perform at St. Andrew’s Church, 311 Fritzwilliam St. at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling 250-753-1924.
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