Just
wanted
to congratulate you guys on having all this stuff on Vancouver of the
60’s.
I grew up there and was a “greaser” until around 66. I was in the
merchant marine, working on the CPR boats at that time, spending quite
a lot of time in the Main/Hastings area as that’s where the union hall
was located. I lived over on Commercial Ave near Broadway with
Tiny
Heinz. He worked the tugboats, was a union patrolman for Hal
Banks
but also moonlighted as a bouncer at the Buddha.
I remember
Guitar
Shorty used to come up from Seattle. He reportedly was Jimi
Hendrix's
uncle, and played the Buddha. I saw him there at least 2 times.
It
was a rowdy place, as most of the clubs were then. Shorty stayed
at Tinys’ house during those times. I saw many of the NW
Vancouver
bands around then. Tom Northcott and the Playboys, Collectors,
Nocturnals,
Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers, Kentish Steele and the Chantelles,
Mother
Tuckers Yellow Duck, Jefferson Airplane without Grace Slick. Great
memories
man. Peace.
Dave Draper,
January
2007
Back in
the late 50s or early 60s, the Viscounts were hired to play the Smiling
Buddha. The deal was for us to start at 12:01 on Monday morning
to
cater to the thirsty ones . The liquor laws prohibited selling booze on
Sundays so it was thought that there was a market for this time
slot.
I remember having the five of us on stage and something like 3 people
in
the audience. I can't remember how many gigs we did there but it
was only a few. On one, when we went to get paid, the owner or
manager
took me with him to somewhere in a back alley where he removed his
watch
and traded it in for some cash. That is how we got our pay that
night.
Some of had day
jobs
so this was just for some extra money. Most of what we earned
went
to supporting the "Viscount Sin Palace" where we all lived. It
covered
room and board. Glen Miller (base) was a pretty good cook and we
found a butcher shop somewhere in the lower Lonsdale area that had real
cheap but BIG steaks. A lot of meat tenderizer and pounding made
them into something edible.
I also have a
78
record made by the Viscounts way back in the very early stages (late
50s).
Not our best stuff and has a lot of scratches but I could try and
digitize
it and send you a copy if you liked.
Gene
Gillott,
July 2009
Viscounts, sax
Photo by: Fred
Herzog
Here is a
picture
taken from the corner of Hastings and Columbia Street in Vancouver in
1958
showing off the Smilin' Buddha neon sign. It is hard to believe
that
this was taken 50 years ago!
Gerry Berg,
June
2008
I'd love to see
some
interior or exterior shots of the Buddha back when it was in it's
glory.
Sadly, this is what the interior looks like now.
Ron Injates,
October
2006
The Smilin' Buddah Cabarat has reopened as the SBC Restaurant and is again hosting live bands!
Andrew Turner, January 2016
View
from the middle of the room looking out towards the entrance door on
Hastings
Street:
View
from the middle of the room looking back towards the rear alley exit.
There
are huge holes in the roof, and part of the floor is beginning to
collapse
