Folk Fest performer donates album proceeds

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This article was published 03/07/2017 (3360 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FOLK FEST STAR WITH HEART: Brandi Carlile, who performs Thursday’s opening night at the Winnipeg Folk Festival at Birds Hill Park, has donated more than a quarter-million dollars to War Child UK through the Story Campaign. The singer’s campaign involves sales of her benefit album Cover Stories, which was released in May. “We’ve generated over $250,000 of our $1-million goal and need to keep the momentum going!” she says online.

Carlile, who had been deeply worried by the plight of the world’s children involved in war and the refugee crisis, decided to do something about it. She managed to get A-list singing stars from all genres to cover the 14 songs from her 2007 album The Story. Musicians including Adele, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Pearl Jam, Miranda Lambert and Indigo Girls took part. The capper? Former U.S. president Barack Obama wrote the album’s foreword.

Her Looking Out Foundation chose War Child UK to receive 100 per cent of the proceeds because it’s dedicated to keeping war children safe, giving them an education and skills for their lives and trying to create a better world for kids. For more information go to brandicarlile.com. And give her an big hand onstage Thursday night!

ELVIS BOUND FOR MEMPHIS: Corny Rempel, morning show host at MIX 96.7 in Steinbach and an experienced Elvis tribute artist, is finally on his way to Memphis. He’s hoping to score the Ultimate Elvis international competition’s top honour. On June 25 he won first prize at the Penticton Elvis Festival in B.C., which qualified him to compete in Tennessee. Rempel wiped away tears of joy when they announced his name.

“Ultimate Elvis is the Olympics of Elvis competitions. I always wanted to compete at this level at least once,” Rempel said last week. And, he spent 10 years trying. Rempel entered festivals and performed at bars and festivals to up his Elvis game. He favours Presley’s jumpsuit costumes from his Vegas era, which cost up to $10,000, while his wigs are $2,000.

“Now l’ve reached this goal, it feels kind of surreal,” Rempel says. Elvis Week starts Aug. 11, with many activities and a three-day Ultimate Elvis competition Aug. 17-19.

Want to see Rempel’s Elvis Presley tribute act in person? He’ll be on stage July 16 at 1:30 p.m. during St-Pierre-Jolys Frog Follies, the small-town festival 50 kilometres south of Winnipeg. Rempel will be doing both his Elvis and Johnny Cash acts. You can also see him perform Unchained Melody online at youtube.com/watch?v=OhZ6psiA4co.

Rempel, who is “47, and five years older than Elvis ever was” is known for his command of every little Elvis move, twitch, facial, hand and pelvis movement, not to mention outstanding costuming. He’s tall and built like Elvis.

“They’re big shoes to fill,” Rempel says.

“I want to make sure people get an authentic experience of how they remember Elvis.”

In his personal home life, he’s a bespectacled guy with short grey hair. “It’s my Clark Kent to Superman,” he says, laughing.

FEMALE STAMPEDE: Legions of female Engelbert Humperdinck fans, who call themselves “Humperdinckers,” are vying for tickets on sale for Winnipeg’s Club Regent Event Centre’s Aug. 3 concert date.

The smooth 82-year-old balladeer was born Arnold George Dorsey, but changed his stage name to Gerry Dorsey for 10 years. Not good enough. His career was going into a slump. Then he got hold of three great songs and followed advice to get a new stage name that was “interesting” to people. Done! “Humperdinck” certainly got people talking.

The singer is best known for Release Me (which kept the Beatles off of the No. 1 spot in England for weeks) not to mention swoony songs like After the Lovin’, The Last Waltz, This Moment in Time and Am I That Easy To Forget?.

“We used to do Engelbert songs in the lounges and right away the guys would be going up to the girls and you’d just know the girls were going to say yes to a dance,” remembers Winnipeg entertainer Ray St. Germain, who was a lounge singer in the same era. “Things would get nice and snuggly on the dance floor — and the girls felt closer to the singer as well.”

Soon famous singer-songwriters such as Paul Anka and Barry and Maurice Gibb wrote hits that Humperdinck recorded to great success — he’s sold 150 million records worldwide.

Humperdinck’s wife of 61 years, Patricia, has been living with dementia for a decade. Last week Humperdinck released a poem called My Love on the Loose Women show in the United Kingdom. The poem was about Patricia and his deep feelings of love for the woman who doesn’t know his name, but still says good morning and good night to him.

ROAST BATTLE FINALISTS HUNG ONTO FRIENDSHIP: It got downright ugly. Comics and longtime friends Ryan Ash and Jordan Welwood out-nastied everybody in the early rounds of the first Roast Battle at Rumor’s Comedy Club June 21-24. Sixteen comics went toe-to-toe, spewing insults to qualify for the semifinals, which got even ruder.

“I narrowly won, but I still won!” says Welwood. “The audience gave great responses. They ooh’d and ahh’d.” Not necessarily in admiration, mostly in shock.

“Hey, it’s what they were on board for,” Welwood adds.

Jokes went everywhere between the last two battlers — from anatomical shortcomings to dicey reputations, nasty political cracks and each other’s comic disabilities. So how’s the friendship after dragging each other through the mud publicly?

“We’re all good,” Welwood says. “Ryan and I have been tight for a long time. We talked abut it beforehand, that we’re professionals and we’d be competitive. There could be some animosity if we didn’t stick to that.”

Got tips? Exciting events happening in your world? Been rubbing shoulders with stars who come to town? Email Maureen’s Tips at mscurf@shaw.ca.