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Incognito mom, medical clerk a Chiffon once more The Insider / Maureen Scurfield

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 12/3/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

J udy Craig Mann, the leader of The Chiffons, playing McPhillips Station Casino Monday, sat on a huge secret for 20 years. From 1972-1992, the famous girl group singer of One Fine Day and Sweet Talking Man fame, stepped out of the limelight and raised her kids incognito, working as a medical records clerk. "I never told anyone at work," she says.

Imagine how surprised the hospital gang must have been when she became a shimmering Chiffon again in the '90s! Soon Mann was working shows all over North America with regular stints at The Stardust in Vegas when Wayne Newton went on vacation (often with Lesley Gore who plays on the double bill with them here in Winnipeg) After Mann came back into the group, there were several changes. Now at age 66, she's the only original left in the group, and singing lead.

"My daughter Dawn Mann takes the higher notes and my niece Eulena Morris, 42, sings the lower notes." Does she baby her voice before shows? "I try to keep quiet on the day of the show, but then I do an hour of warm-ups, and I use a herbal tea called Throat Coat with a little honey, made by traditional medicinals."

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MR. MOVEMBER! With a mustache on both the front and back of his head, Sean Crawford won the 2010 Movember contest at Confusion Corner Bar and Grill this week, with a booty of manly prizes. The month-long mustache-growing contest -- one of many throughout the world in aid of prostate cancer -- had him competing with guys who went so far as to dye their mustaches (Try to picture red and white for the Canadian flag.)

One month ago all the contestants gathered at the bar to start with a publicly witnessed shave. Crawford emerged 30 days later with a sandy-blond cookie-duster over his lip, plus the wild addition on the back. His artful wife Erin Crawford (a speech pathologist in real life) used a stencil of a mustache and shaved all the rest of the hair off his head.

"I'm amazed at how many people made donations -- not just close friends but acquaintances who had dads who had prostate cancer." Crawford said. He raised the most money -- just over $600 -- and after his win he pledged an additional $250 to prostate cancer research. As the marketing and advertising guy for MacDonald Youth Services, Crawford was a natural fundraiser, plus he had a personal reason for wanting to help. "My dad had been diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, and it wasn't looking good -- a scary time -- but he has a clean bill of health now."

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GOON ARTIST: Local graphic designer Adam Jefkins' mini-mural art is about to be flashed to the world, thanks to hockey movie Goon being filmed in the Winnipeg area. Five goalies in the film are wearing his airbrushed designs on their helmets -- an angry skull, the face of "Mum," a native feather headdress, an angry leprechaun and a fleur-de-lis design for the Quebec goaltender.

Film prop guy Jay Gibbs got one look at Jefkin's portfolio -- particularly his guitar art for rock bands -- and two days later the artist was working his magic for the Goon props man. Jefkins is a former Red River College student who won the job designing the brilliant banners that have announced Main Street for the last four years, and is the drummer for progessive metal band Annex Theory.

Jefkins also racked up a few all-nighter jobs as an extra in Goon, starring Sean William Scott of Stifler fame. "I was actually booing Sean, and we were told to flip him the bird, and yell profanities," says Jefkins.

Got tips, events, sightings, unusual things going on?

Email maureen.scurfield @winnipegfreepress.com or send mail to The Insider c/o The Winnipeg Free Press at 1355 Mountain Ave. Winnipeg R2X 3B6

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 3, 2010 B1

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