Instruments: Trumpet, Promoter, Artist Managment, Venue Booking
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Photo taken inside Harpo's Nightclub.
Gary was born in Saskatchewan and his family moved to the Westcoast in the early 1950's eventually settling in the Fairfield area of Victoria. His dad was a professional musician who played multiple instruments and was known as the “Banjo King of Canada” during the 1930's. Growing up, Gary and his siblings Joy and Jay had musical instruments put in their hands with Gary originally playing trumpet which still has to this day even though he doesn't play it. As a teenager, Gary was also a promising amateur boxer reaching the finals of the B.C. Golden Gloves competition. Listening to his sisters transistor radio, he received a serious dose of Chuck Berry and The Everly Brothers so when he got a job as a delivery boy, his pay cheques were spent on 45's of Seattle groups like Don and The Goodtimes, The Sonics and The Viceroys from their shows at Hudson Bay's Saturday dances on the fourth floor. Before long he was haunting teen dances at the Club Tango, Sirocco Club, Crystal Gardens and others put on by Russ Freethy, a local promoter who remembers seeing Gary as being "serious about music" from the first time they met.
In 1972, Donovan was in town for two weeks working with Paul Horn on musical arrangements for an international tour. Horn showed Donovan the McPherson Playhouse and discovered it was available that night. Horn contacted his friend Van Buskirk about the idea of promoting the show to high schools through their public address systems and within 4 hours, sold out 2 shows that same night. In 1974, Gary met Michael Martay and they opened up Harpo’s Cabaret in Bastion Square which lasted just over 2 decades before it was sold. In 1985 Gary met up with Marcus Pollard when they worked together promoting a show at the OAP hall with Romeo Void which began their long relationship as the booking duo at Harpos Cabaret and also operating as promoters outside of the club under the name Trio Productions booking acts all through B.C. in other clubs, halls, theatres and various venues. After that Gary continued on with a couple of young promoters Dimitri Demers and Nick Blasko under the banner of Atomique Productions until finally retiring to a quieter less stressful existence which he enjoys to this day. Credit Joseph Blake, Mike Devlin, Jay and Molly Van Buskirk, and Marcus Pollard.
For physical events that happen at a specific time. For example a concert, or dance performance. If there are multiple shows, you can still duplicate your event to cover them all.
