Tuning into Heaven’s Radio By JIM HURCOMB January 25, 1974. It’s another bitterly cold
January night in Ottawa, the wind ripping down Sussex drive, driving sheets of snow up into the streetlights. Even the hookers have given up on this night. The only sane place to be on this Thursday
night was at home, trying to decide between “All in the Family” and “Kung Fu”. But the lights at Le Hibou Coffee House were
shining brightly that night, a half inch of plate glass separating the frigid streets of Ottawa from warm visions of beaches, sun and warmth. Inside, Heaven’s Radio is weaving its magic. It may seem odd that one of Ottawa’s most
popular bands of the 70s specialized in Reggae music, but then again, one of America’s top surf bands, The Rivieras, hailed from South Bend Indiana. So I guess stranger things have happened. Terry Gillespie was just another American kid
heading North to Canada during the tumultuous late 60s. He brought his love for music to Ottawa in 1968, and wasted little time finding a band. Terry was playing in a band called The River
Styx, with future Radio drummer Corky Kealey, when he caught the ear of Vince Halfhide. “I remember I was particularly impressed by Terry, who played real blues harp, which was
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rare in Ottawa, and he was a good guitar player and singer,” remembers Halfhide. Vince’s band was looking for a new drummer, and when they auditioned Corky, Terry came along. A week later Corky was on the drum stool and
Terry was fronting Heaven’s Radio. Terry came up with the name as well, tapping into his love of American roots music and a country-gospel tune from the Carter Family. It was the perfect storm for Heaven’s Radio.
The times were changing at breakneck pace on the music scene, both locally and internationally. The veteran Ottawa bands had long since packed away their “square” stage suits and tight, commercial approaches, and those who survived were forced into a whole new musical universe, where experimentation and innovation were needed to connect with a more demanding audience. Ears were wide open, and Heaven’s Radio
eclectic mix of Blues, Jazz, Rock and Reggae was the perfect soundtrack for the times. After getting their on-stage chops together at
the Ottawa U coffee house The Wasteland, HR found a regular home at Le Hibou Coffee House, practicing upstairs and working on new sounds. Terry’s thoughts on those days echo
sentiments from the guys in the Esquires and the Stacattos:
www.bounder.ca
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