You know you’re a lifer when you go through life and all that it throws at you and you still come out on the other side with a love of music, continuing to create and perform with a full love of it. What else can you ask for when on the life journey of music?

Bobby Orr—no, not the NHL hockey player, the drummer and brother of Randy Orr from Brockville’s Healy and Orr—has been playing music since he was 12 years old. There is a child like happiness to his stage presence and musical vibe. It’s great to experience, so come and check him out on Friday, May 30 at The Cove with his Country Rocks! Details and reservations here: web link

Seamus Cowan: I know you got into music at a young age, playing some original punk music with Toxic Shock in the 80s and 90s and then in a hair band called Blitz that played clubs throughout Eastern Ontario. Was it the craziness of all that music or was it the music itself that really got you into performing? Drums is fun and super energetic in all of that music!

Bobby Orr: Growing up in our house, we had music on all the time. My mom listened to music more often than she watched TV. You couldn’t help but fall in love with it. Then with the explosion of Much Music and MTV, it made anyone my age want to be a rock star and so I guess those visuals with my love for music set the table.

Q: You and your brother Randy have been pictures of the eastern Ontario music scene for years now! Did you have some sort of early influence in particular?

Bobby: I mentioned my mother as she was likely the spark but it was much of my family that encouraged me. My paternal grandfather Stan played any instrument his hands could touch. Lots of sing alongs at family functions with him. Randy seems to have received those genes because he too plays every instrument. I was dabbling in guitar when my uncle, Bill Clow gifted me his beat up ‘68 Stewart drum kit and I never looked back. He was a great drummer himself who retired to raise a family too.

Q: Playing music all of the time is a real commitment, especially on weekends. It’s pretty hard to do that when you have a young family. I can relate! I love to hear the fact that you got back into it again, however! What sparked that?

Bobby: I’d say Randy had a lot to do with me getting back into music. We came to a time in our life where our mom had passed and he and I decided to buy a house with our dad to live together. He was gigging a lot and talked me into splitting on a new Roland drum kit. It was always set up at the house so it was good to get back into the saddle.

Q: You have this band called Country Rocks that plays music just as it sounds! Can you tell us a little bit about that band and how a keen to be? Sounds like a lot of fun!

Bobby: Country Rocks kind of happened by luck really. Mike Willie and Troy Fenlong had been playing together for a while with Loaded Six String and I noticed that they had a lull. I reached out to Mike because I was eager to start playing live. They had me join Loaded then planted the country idea in my head. I was all in because I just wanted to play and sing. Country music is so rich with harmonies that it was an easy sell. We had maybe two rehearsals and started gigging right away. We do throw some classic rock in our sets and relish in the fact that even the country music detractors usually come around after a set or two. It’s such a great crew of guys we have. Tons of laughs and I think the fact we’re having fun comes through in the show.

Q: Going through decades of playing music around the area, you’ve seen a lot of change I’m sure. What would you say is the biggest change in the live music scene and the biggest challenge that it faces going forward?

Bobby: It seems like the pay scale for starting bands hasn’t really risen through the years but the cost of gear has changed significantly. Also, there are far less venues promoting live shows. Those are both challenges starting out. Saying that, the ability to record your own music has come a long way. New artists can record high quality stuff at home now. The emergence of multiple social media platforms also lets you get it out to the masses quickly. Posted: May 16, 2025 Originally Published: May 15, 2025