Rick Scott will soon have a permanent presence on a street he used to busk on nearly 50 years ago.
On June 8 it was announced that the Protection Island-based dulcimerist and former member of ’70s folk group Pied Pumkin will be among this year’s inductees into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame and will receive a star on the Walk of Fame on Granville Street in Vancouver.
A BCEHOF press release said the honour is for those who have made a “significant contribution to the province’s entertainment industry and cultural landscape” and aims to “acknowledge these outstanding individuals with appreciation to ensure their work is long recognized for its importance and value.”
Joining Scott in the StarWalk class of 2019 are bluesman Colin James, Ballet B.C. artistic director Emily Molnar, composer Bob Buckley, media personality Nardwuar, actress Karin Konoval, writer, producer and actress Moira Walley-Beckett and jazz singer Joani Taylor.
Inducted into the pioneer category are writer and producer Jeff Groberman, stage actress and director Anna Hagan, ’40s-era entertainers The Crump Twins, concert promoter Mel Warner and actor Terrance Kelly.
Scott said he reacted to word of his induction with “delightful confusion.”
“It’s a huge honour and it’s something that I wasn’t expecting,” he said. “I mean, looking at the list of the other inductees – and I’ve worked with several of them – and to be standing side-by-side with people like Karin Konoval and Moira Walley and Joani Taylor, that’s pretty far out.”
Although he’s being inducted in a hall of fame, Scott said fame was never a goal of his. Since he was a boy he wanted to be onstage “working the energies and emotions.” He said it’s a craft he was always fascinated by and is still learning how to do.
“It’s a very sincere thing to do and you have to really believe it to do it,” Scott said. “And also I wanted to travel around the world. That was another destination I’ve had and I’ve been able to do both those things, so, hooray.”
Scott said his Granville Street busking helped advance his career from playing street corners to stages. He was performing on Granville Street when he was approached by Academy Award-nominated National Film Board animator Ryan Larkin, who captured Scott’s performance for his acclaimed 1972 film, Street Musique, for which Scott wrote the music.
Scott said once his star is in the sidewalk he might return to busk in front of it.
“I’m hoping that the place where they put the star on Granville Street will be in one of the exact spots where I used to stand and busk,” Scott said. “Wouldn’t that be cool?”
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