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Lloyd Jackson: Embracing the school of rock!
Lloyd Jackson started learning guitar as a 13-year-old. Fifty-four years later, he claims he’s still learning — and fine-tuning his singing and saxophone skills to boot. “My musical career started with listening to the Beatles,” says Lloyd, who grew up in Yorkton, Sask. “When the Beatles came on the scene everybody wanted to be a Beatle.”
He became a good enough guitarist to hit the road with a couple of bands in the early 1970s, touring across Western Canada. “It was an eye-opener for me as a young 20-something.” As good as being part of a rock band was, he took the long view. “It didn’t look like it had a big future for me.”
He hung up the guitar professionally and turned his hand to farming in the Elnora area until he retired a few years ago. “After farming for 35 years, I had this wonderful opportunity where I could do whatever I want.” Doug Norman, a former band member from his 1970's playing days, suggested they form another band.
JukeBox Rock was the result, a four-piece band that started playing ’50s and ’60s music but has since extended its repertoire back as far as the 1920s. They’ve also added about 50 country and western songs to their song book. Lloyd says the music of the ’20s is a little more intricate than the rock ’n roll that was born in the 1950s. “Of course, the ’50s and ’60s wasn’t about finesse. It was about having a good time and that is our goal: having a good time.” The foursome, which includes Sylvan Lake’s Brenda Fuss-Dutz on keyboards, is now sadly a threesome after bass player Glen Nott passed away.They released a CD of 12 original songs called “Last Chance to Dance” in 2017. Lloyd and his wife Judy Jackson, also a member of the Red Deer Arts Council, play together in Off the Rails, along with April Irwin, Brent Cheek and Melanie Cheek. Lloyd calls it Blue-Folk. “That’s a genre I made up,” he says with a laugh. Off the Rails performs all over Central Alberta and beyond and is known for its vocal harmonizing.
If you want to check out the bands go to https://www.reverbnation.com/jukeboxrock and https://www.reverbnation.com/offtherails3
I am a musician.
I am Lloyd Jackson.
I love living in Red Deer and am proud to call Red Deer home.
Join me in discovering the best our city has to offer.
