DAVE BARTWICK SINGS ST JAMES INFIRMARY

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In the late 1950’s we used to live in an area of Toronto called “the
Junction”. The trains used to come through there bringing paying
passengers as well as the non-paying; the hobo’s and beatniks. They
would usually hop off the trains & set up camp in the small park
across from my folk’s house and the inevitable camp fires, guitars and
singing would attract me like a moth to a flame. I would sneak out of
the house & listen ‘til they chased me away. Too late; the music was
in my blood.

I found my grandad’s old 1922 Kay guitar in a closet & being as no one
was playing it I decided to try even though I didn’t have a clue. Not
much happened until my dad got a transfer out to Winnipeg about 1960.
A few years later, my sister had a friend who was a policeman & I
guess he took pity on my family having to listen to me strangle the
guitar; he gave me a beat-up ol’ guitar book that showed me all the
basics of folk guitar. I still have it & it looks like one of the Dead
Sea scrolls. I never did have the cover so I don’t know the author’s
name but I do owe him/her a debt of gratitude! I practiced until my
fingers were too tender to move & even bled sometimes. That book was
my only teacher on guitar. I am totally self-taught, but I loved music
well enough to sing & play for decades.

Since then, over the years I’ve played in church basements, coffee
houses, bars & street corners; I’ve played in Canada, the USA and
even Australia and a number of charity functions all while working
full-time jobs. A lot of those travels wound up in the songs I wrote.

In 2000 I was hit with rheumatoid arthritis which knocked me out of
playing for a number of years & tried to steal my hands . I won’t let
it.

You can only do the best you can. Enjoy the music!

David James Bartwick