It’s almost show time for a legendary Canadian musician and his Legendary Hearts band.
Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts will be playing Saturday night at the third annual Rock the Lake, a weekend-long music festival featuring 11 acts such as Randy Bachman, Glass Tiger and Northern Pikes.
The Canadian singer joined up with the Legendary Hearts in the ‘80s and put out several hits including Something to Live For, Life Could be Worse and Come Back to Me.
The band earned a Juno Award for Canadian Entertainer of the Year in 1989.
After a decade with the band, he temporarily put aside his guitar and harmonica and settled into a life as a cattle rancher in British Columbia.
The singer had always felt a tug towards the traditional life during his nomadic days. Living on the ranch allowed him stability after years of touring.
Music, however, was still a staple in his life and he went on to record several solo albums including his most recent, The Drifter and the Preacher.
There are several collaborations in the newest album, including the song The Miner which he wrote with his son, musician Dustin Bentall.
“That was one of the most touching moments on the record to me,” Bentall said. “Just to have that experience with one of your kids is great.”
The singer/songwriter also collaborated on the track Won’t Change the World with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo.
“I just love that song,” Bentall said. “Jim’s as good as it gets as far as singers and songwriters in this country. Just absolutely world-class. So to have him come and sing on it was wonderful.”
Bentall is reuniting with the Legendary Hearts Saturday night on stage. “It goes so far back and they really are some of my dearest friends,” Bentall said. “Maybe we do three, four, five shows a year and it’s always tremendously special.”
The singer has played in the Okanagan often throughout the years but one particular show in Kelowna at the beginning of his career comes to mind.
“We get to this club and there’s eight people there and we got fired. So funny. The club manager thought we were a Bruce Springsteen tribute band and we didn’t have anything on the radio,” Bentall remembers. “It was a very humbling start to touring across the country.”
Bentall will be playing some old tunes as well as newer music from the last decade.
Tickets for Rock the Lake are still available at Select Your Tickets.
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