Each year the Vancouver Folk Music Festival pays tribute to artists, staff and volunteers who have passed since the previous year’s Festival. These dedications appear in the Festival program and here on the website in the third week of June. If you have any suggestions for this year’s Dedications, please contact the Program editor at editor@thefestival.bc.ca.
Alan “Tinker” Ahoff passed away in Edmonton on April 27, 2008. Tinker mixed a workshop stage at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival for several years where he also volunteered as Production Coordinator. We’ll miss you, Tink.
James Barber worked the barbeque in the Festival Kitchen for many years. James passed away last year and we dedicate all the meals the barbeque crew prepares for this year’s Festival to his memory. May you cook up there as well as you did down here.
Willie P. Bennett, accomplished songwriter and musician, passed away February 18, 2008. In 1999, Willie received a well-deserved Juno award for Best Roots and Traditional Album – Solo for the album Heartstrings. Since 1979 Willie had performed in every major folk festival in Canada and shared concert billings with such luminary artists as JJ Cale, Jesse Winchester, Guy Clark, Garnet Rogers, and Eric Anderson, to name a few. Willie’s songs have been recorded by Prairie Oyster, Colleen Peterson, Stan Rogers, Jonathan Edwards, The Seldom Scene, Garnet Rogers, and in 1996, a tribute album of his songs titled High or Hurtin’ was released by Blackie and The Rodeo Kings. In 2000, a second Blackie album was released. In recent years, Willie was most often seen as the stunning mandolin and harmonica sideman with non-stop energy in Fred Eaglesmith’s band The Flying Squirrels. Canada’s folk music scene has lost an extraordinary musician and friend.
Barbara Brown (Jan 11, 1964 – Oct 15, 2007) was a committed labour activist and long time Sustaining Member of the Festival. She is survived by devoted husband Mike Dumler, who has created a memorial website in her honour. The Festival community mourns her loss.
