April Wine, the pride of Waverly Nova Scotia will lose their last remaining original member as lead vocalist/guitarist and chief songwriter, steps aside after a career spanning almost 50 years.
In a statement released Friday on the band’s official website, Goodwyn confirmed his decision to retire from touring with the band but says he still plans to play a role in the writing and recording of future April Wine material.
“I have been at it for a long, long, long time and I’m tired of it to be honest,” explained Goodwyn. “April Wine has been my only job since 1969 and it will continue to be my source of pride and my main focus for a while longer – but not the touring aspect.
Goodwyn notes he had two choices, either to fold the band or have them continue without him and, understanding that long-time guitarist Brian Greenway, bassist Richard Lanthier and drummer Roy Nichols were eager to continue and record a new album, Goodwyn decided to let the band continue but with him to step aside from future performance duties.
Goodwyn clarified that he will honour all immediate commitments and that once “the new fella” is in place, he might make the odd future live appearance, but for the most part he will be taking a back seat.
On Greenway’s Facebook and on April Wine’s official website, guitarist/vocalist Brian Greenway consequently announced the band will now stage auditions as they are looking for someone to replace Myles on the road.”
Greenway notes that the successful candidate will need to take over both lead vocal and guitar duties and the successful candidate must be an accomplished, professional guitarist/singer. Candidates are asked to submit a video of them singing and performing two songs; “Roller” and “Just Between You And Me” and submit it to auditions@aprilwine.ca.on You Tube.
Although the band, which until now comprised of Goodwyn, Greenway, guitarist Richard Lanthier and drummer Roy Nichols, had not recorded a studio release since their 2006 `Roughly Speaking’ record on Universal, that band had continued to succeed as a top-selling club and festival draw, winning the 2004 Music Express award as Canada’s top live act, club venue.
Having formed originally in the Halifax suburb of Waverly, Goodwyn along with brothers David and Ritchie Henman and their cousin Jim Henman were the first signing of Montreal –based Aquarius Records and enjoyed initial success with their self-titled 1971 debt which was powered by the hit song “Fast Train”.
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However, by the release of their second album `On The Record’, Jim Henman had left and mid-way through the third album, “Electric Jewels’ both Henman brothers pulled the plug, leaving Goodwyn and bassist Jim Clench to salvage the record by quickly soliciting support from former Mashmakhan drummer Jerry Mercer and guitarist Gary Moffet.
`Stand Back’ and `The Whole World’s Going Crazy’ solidified the band as one of Canada’s premiere touring acts in the mid-Seventies but Clench then moved on to join Bachman-Turner Overdrive to be replaced by Steve Lang.
Ironically, the now only surviving member, Brian Greenway was recruited as a third guitarist in time for the band’s historic appearance at Toronto’s El Mocambo nightclub opening for the Rolling Stones in 1977 and has been a stalwart supporter of Goodwyn through the turmoil of the band breaking up in 1984 to the rebirth in 1992 with the release of their Attitude album.
In all April Wine released 12 studio albums, three live albums and 6 compilation albums before their 1984 break and returned with four studio albums and three further compilation albums, often split between rock albums and ballad albums which spawned such memorable tracks as “You Won’t Dance With Me”, “Tonite Is a Wonderful Time to Fall In Love”, “Roller”, “Could Have Been A Lady”, and “I Like To Rock”. Accomplishments which were recognized when CARAS inducted the band into their Hall Of Fame, April 18th 2010 at the Juno Awards in St John’s Newfoundland.
Image Courtesy Legacy Recordings
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