Dave
Celli, Roger Stomperud, Rick Clark, Dick Markin at their first gig
Kickin'
Horse
Vancouver,
British Columbia
1975-1976,
1978-1980
Members
John
Buckshaw ~ Drums
Ian
Campbell ~ Drums
Dave
Celli ~ Guitar
Rick
Clark ~ Drums
Vince
Clark ~ Drums
Mike
Gagnon ~ Drums
Dick
Markin ~ Guitar, Vocals
Tim
Newcomb ~ Guitar, Vocals
Roger
Stomperud ~ Bass, Vocals
Ron
Weihs ~ Fiddle
Zig
~ Fiddle
In
Memory of
Gunnar
Roger Stomperud
d:
4 July 2008
1978
- Roger Stomperud, Tim Newcomb, Ron Weihs, Dick Markin, and Ian
Campbell.
The
result
of many a party jam sessions, Kickin' Horse was formed in Burnaby BC by
Dick Markin (guitar & lead vocals) and myself (Roger Stomperud-bass
& vocals) in late 1975/early 1976. We were joined by lead guitarist
Dave Celli, who also sang, and went through several drummers before we
settled with Vince Clark, and then later Make Gagnon. We played
country-rock
modeled after The Flying Burrito Brothers and worked in clubs and pubs
within a couple of hundred miles of Vancouver, and occasionally on
Vancouver
Island. We disbanded Kickin' Horse in late 1976 when Celli returned to
university and Markin took a day job. I went to work doing sound and
lights
for the rock group Shakedown.
After less than
a
year, I got back together with Dick Markin and we made plans to
resurrect
the 'old dead Horse'. Former Portland native Tim Newcomb played lead
and
sang, and drummer Ian Campbell and fiddler Zig completed the
line-up.
This time we drew a lot of material from Bob Will, The Outlaws, Asleep
At The Wheel, and Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, as well as a few
originals
from Markin and Newcomb. After a month of daily rehearsal (and a fresh
demo tape) we hit the road. Zig decided he's rather not live in hotels,
and shortly after we found former Caravan Stage Company actor /
musician
/ playwright Ron Weihs to play the fiddle.
We set out made
a
name for ourselves on the BC/Alberta circuit, breaking records and
earning
a 'Danny Award' nomination for Best New Group. The group also played at
the world premier of the play "Billy Bishop Goes To War" at the
Vancouver
East Cultural Center. Markin left the group due to health
reasons,
and we continued as a quartet until the winter of 1978. A planned
LP never became reality. Tim Newcomb and I continued as a duo until
1980,
sometimes known as Half A Kickin' Horse.
I hear that
there
is/was a rock group in Calgary, Alberta now using the Kickin' Horse
name.
Roger
Stomperud,
October 2001
