John Rowlands Bringing them home in his camera
By MICHAEL O’REILLY
John Rowlands was a typical 13-year-old kid living with his Mom
and Dad and three brothers in Manor Park, Ottawa in 1960. He was a fan of Brenda Lee, Annette Funicello, Bobby Vee, and
Duane Eddy and the Ventures. He was a fan of television and movies and Robert Cummings and Perry Como and Gail Storm. Not thinking well-known performers were any different than he was, he often wrote many of them letters. Some of these actor/performers actually wrote back or sent
generic post cards. Some didn’t. But John Rowlands had stars in his eyes. In time, he’d be photographing them. He liked television. He was a follower of the Ed Sullivan and
Perry Como shows largely for the musical acts. He was in awe of all those special guests. He wondered what made them tick, and how music could build a star that everyone in the world knew. He also had entrepreneurial spirit. One evening, while he was doing his homework and listening
to Dean Hagopian on CKOY radio, he heard that Brenda Lee was coming to Ottawa. It was September 26, 1960. The venue was The Auditorium on Metcalfe St. He asked his Dad for an advance on his allowance. He needed enough to buy a ticket for $1.50. At John’s request, his dad lent him his camera, film, and
flashbulbs so he would have a witness to his memories. “I knew Brenda probably wasn’t going to be my girlfriend,” he
52 BOUNDER MAGAZINE
says, “so I thought the only way I could bring her home with me was in the camera.”
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