Burton Cummings

 Burton Cummings is no longer talking to me.

I have had a troubled history with Burton

Gary MacLean was a friend of Burton's and he brought him to my after-hours bar and introduced him. I bought him a drink

e chatted for a while and i drifted off to tend to some bar business. Suddenly there is an awful racket screaming and yelling. It is Burton and he is attacking Peter Gzowski.

I can't believe it. At his time Peter was doing his TVshow and he and his crew were my best customers They were there every night the show was on (not always peter) They were the major source of my Income and there was no question. I escorted Burton out the door.

15 Minutes later Burton shows up and apologizes profusely saying he won't do it again.  I buy him a drink. In 15 minutes he's yelling at Gzowski again. (I have no idea what the problem was. It was beside the point.I escort him out.

He came back and apologizes profusely says he won't do it again.  I buy him a drink. In 15 minutes he's yelling at Gzowski again. 

Once more and I gave up and wouldn't let him back in. Somehow I survived and Peter came as usual.

Now at that time Burton and I traveled in the same circles and often met up. Burton was dramatically contrite dropping to his knees he would hug my knees and beg forgiveness. He did this half a dozen times.

Soon we were friends and he often showed up for my private Sunday parties to jam with the Macleans and Murray McLauchlan and whoever else was in town. These were great times, great songs, great harmonies.

He was back in the Bar Gzowski was no longer on TV and was mostly a no-show so it didn't matter anymore.

Now Burton would often sing with Macleans 

Burton was amazing with the MacLeans, Gary and Blair had good voices too, and harmonized wonderfully. One night the Knob Hill was so impressed they tipped a whole case of Dom Perigon. We had a party that night. Burton wrote a couple of the Macleans' songs including Their theme song'Fuck Ya"(I sang the lobster song with the Macleans when Burton wasn't singing with them) 

Burton spent many nights in my kitchen singing with the Macleans and Murray Mclauchlan and whoever else was around. The funniest moment is Burton comes in one night trying to be cool and quiet. plugs a quarter in the Jukebox just as 'AMERICAN WOMAN" came on full blast. Everybody jeered and pointed as he cried I didn't play it! I didn't play it! It was a good laugh. Then Burton told me to get a date and he would take me backstage at the CNE for his show. He called and said he would pick me up. Then he called and said his manager would pick me up. The short story is, that he left me hanging and looked very foolish. When Burton and Randy got back together I got backstage passes to the show in Peterborough. they might have been from Donny MacDougall. anyway, after the show Burton hid on the bus so he did not have to meet me. 

I never saw him again and a dozen years later I put these stories on Facebook. When Burton played here lately. Sydney)

I message him if we were still friends and told me to give my head a shake after all the bad stuff i said about him. So we are no longer talking but so far still friends on Facebook.

So we had some good times and bad times, water under the bridge to me.