On June 20th, Joan Kennedy came home to release her newest song - and she couldn't’t have chosen a better time to do so. People in northern Maine and new Brunswick know that the mighty St. John River as a beautiful, mighty and even a destructive force of nature. The river clearly demonstrated the latter during "the floods of 2008"; causing millions of dollars in damages to thousands of property owners, business owners and families. But even so, Joan, and many others who live and work along its banks realize that the St. John River has also served as a way of life for men and women in parts of Canada and the United States.
Her latest single gives a haunting reflection of the great St. John River and its place in Canadian and U.S. history. The new song; "The Old Saint John" tells the story of the people who risked their lives guiding the massive log drives that clogged the river in the U.S. and Canada during the past two centuries before ending in the mid-1970s. The song, written for Joan by U.S. band member and song writer, Tom Welch. It sets the scene of timber activity along the St. John River and it remembers the days before the disappearance of the “big timber” runs.
Kennedy said, “Obviously I know how brutally forceful the St. John River can be. I had family members suffer losses during the floods of 2008, and I've seen the result of the damages incurred by others. As a matter of fact, I' wanted to help organize River Relief '08 as a fundraiser (along with friend Darcy Simon and others) to continue assisting those affected by the destruction. I know how the river was "
a way of life" for so many people for so many years. My father and grandfather depended on the St. John to feed their families, as did many others. Many times we forget about our own history far too easily. That's why I thought this was a good time to record "The Old Saint John" and help organize a benefit concert. I’ve sat on this song for awhile - waiting for the right time to record and release it. In late May-early June it actually "hit me" that NOW was the right time for the song to be heard.”
Kennedy and musicians; Tom Welch, Dan Merrill, Con Fullam, Robbie Coffin, John Cooper, Scott Elliot and Steve Dow spent 3 days in June recording and mastering "The Old Saint John" - so it would be ready for the airwaves. It was officially released for air play on June 10th, and she officially launched the CD single on June 20th at "River Relief ‘08" at the Fredericton Coliseum. She performed along with Steve Waylon, Kevin Chase, Shanklin Road and Mucky Finger. Those at the show were the first to see Joan perform her latest release - with more new songs in the works.
NOTE: EVEN THOUGH THE SHOW HAS PAST, YOU CAN STILL MAKE A DONATION TO THE RED CROSS TO CONTINUE ASSISTING THOSE DEVASTATED BY THE 2008 ST. JOHN RIVER FLOODS!
To Send A Donation for Saint John River Flood Relief, make out a check or money order to;
Red Cross NB - Flood Relief
and mail it to;
Darcy Simon
927 Prospect Street
Fredericton, NB Canada E3B 5C8
ALL proceeds will go directly to assisting St. John river flood victims!
For any additional information, please contact Joan Kennedy through this website.
Click here to listen to Joan's newest song release; "The Old Saint John". |
