Among
Winnipeg's rock 'n' roll pioneers was
Wayne Walker (born Wayne Yosyk), known as
"Winnipeg's Mr. Rock 'n' Roll".
Smitten with rockabilly while still in his
teens, Wayne began performing in the
mid-1950s at community club dances with
The Rockin' Devils or The Royal Flames as
well as at Don Peters' rock 'n' roll shows
at the Playhouse Theatre (with vocal group
The Del-Shandos). He later opened up
the pub scene in Winnipeg in the mid-1960s
with an extended gig at the Aberdeen
Hotel.
"Don Peters' Rock 'n' roll Revues were
great," notes guitarist Terry Kenny, later
with The Jury. "Every band in town
would be there. This was your chance
to check out the competition and see what
you were up against. I remember
seeing Wayne Walker and one of (his) early
bands there and they had two
drummers. That was unheard of back
then."
"Back in the early fifties there was an
overabundance of vocal groups and just a
few rock 'n' roll bands," remembers Wayne
Walker.
"I could never seem to get it right,"
laughs Wayne. "When vocal groups
were in, I had a rock band, the Rockin'
Devils, doing instrumentals. And
when instrumental groups were in, I had a
vocal group, The Del-Shandos."
Compiled from Shakin' All Over: The
Winnipeg Sixties Rock Scene and Heart
of Gold: A History of Winnipeg Music,
both authored by John Einarson.
|
On
May 16, 2024, the City of Winnipeg
recognized Wayne Walker's contribution
to the city's musical history,
and his charitable works, by the
honourary renaming of a portion of
Machray Avenue to Wayne Walker Way.
L-R: Ross Eadie (City
of Winnipeg Councillor), Melody
Walker Lillies (Wayne's daughter), Elaine
Walker Nowell (Wayne's wife)
Photo credit:
David M. Perich
PLACEMENT OF STREET PLAQUE
Courtesy of David M.
Perich |
L-R:
Howie Mann, Wayne Walker, Ken Hordichuk,
Ron Adams
1968
|
L-R: Bobby Andrews, Brian Hlopina,
Wayne Walker,
Ray Stockwell, Deano Dean
Early 1980s
|
Photo credit:
Willy Williamson
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