Earlier this year on July 7th, at the age of 64, one of Canada’s biggest rock bands, Big Sugar, lost their beloved bass player Garry Lowe. Having had the pleasure of doing shows with the band 20 years ago, I can honestly say he was one of the friendliest, kindest and most genuine guys with a heart of gold.
Lowe was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to Toronto at the age of 22 and worked as a telephone technician while studying Electrical Engineering at George Brown and Humber College. When Lowe and a friend, a Trinidadian artist Lloyd Benn were laid off from Northern Telecom, he Joined Benn in one of his first bands, Truth and Rights.
Big Sugar front man Gordie Johnson first saw Lowe playing with his then band Culture Shock years ago at the Toronto club Bamboo and says the two had an unspoken musical connection.
“I thought, man I have to get some of that flavour in my band. When we played together, it all moved in the same direction, a kind of singular musical sound, that is rare for two musicians. A few months before Lowe’s passing, we were in the studio and everyone in the room heard it. I just started playing and Garry started playing along, and everyone else in the band just turned and said “yeah, that’s that thing””. Johnson remembered.
Lowe was a family man and father to eight children. On Friday December 28th , Big Sugar is hosting a tribute and a fundraising show at the Danforth Music Hall for Lowe to help his family with the cost associated with his passing. When the band announced their intentions to do the show, Johnson reached out to friends they had encountered and toured with over the years, and once word got out about what was going on, the phone started ringing off the hook.
The who’s who of Canadian musical talent will be joining Big Sugar to celebrate Lowe’s life. Members of Danko Jones, Bedouin Soundclash, I Mother Earth, Maestro Fresh Wes, Platinum Blonde, Wide Mouth Mason, Barenaked Ladies, Dream Warriors, and The Road Hammers are just a few of who will be getting up on stage to join Big Sugar playing songs that Johnson has handpicked for the evening.
If you are able to attend, I suggest you do as the night is guaranteed to be one to remember for a life time.
By Brian Vince.
