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Lively, iconic Canadian folksinger/songwriter/guitarist Valdy performed at the Dekker Centre Friday to an appreciative crowd a mingled with guests during the intermission and following the show. Here he is (left) with Dekker Centre general manager Moe McGuinty (the subject of Everybody Has a Story feature in the News-Optimist Tuesday, Feb. 18 edition) and Dan Zielke, president of B&D Meats in North Battleford (right), sponsor of the show. Valdy has sold almost half a million copies of his 14 albums, has two Juno Awards (Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year), a total of seven Juno nominations and four gold albums to his credit. Born Valdemar Horsdal in Ottawa, Valdy has been part of the fabric of Canadian pop and folk music for over 40 years and is a member of the Order of Canada. He regaled the North Battleford audience with tales from his musical career, performed some new material and visited memory lane with some older hits such as Rock and Roll Song of 1972 and 1973's Simple Life. Bouncing about on shoes decked out in neon orange shoe laces and displaying a musicianship not everyone in the audience realized he possessed, Valdy and his 1951 Martin D-28 guitar engaged the audience in a high energy performance – and proved there are only a few people who can sing an R. Valdy, when he's home (he still performs close to 200 shows per year at 68), lives on Saltspring Island, B.C. with his wife Kathleen.Photo by Jayne Foster
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