John Allan Cameron, 1938-2006: Remembered as musical trailblazer, mentor

We noted with some sadness the not-unexpected passing last week of entertainer John Allan Cameron following a five-year battle with bone marrow cancer and leukemia.

The Cape Breton native affectionately known as the ‘Godfather of Celtic Music’ will be long remembered in musical circles as a trailblazer for such current entertainers as the Rankins, the Barra MacNeils, fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac and guitarists Dave MacIsaac and J.P. Cormier.

Cameron, who came from a musical family, also passed on his musical ability to his son Stuart, a noted guitarist in his own right who has performed with Ashley MacIsaac, the Crash Test Dummies, Shaye and most recently George Canyon.

It has often been said that Cameron, who left a chosen career in the Roman Catholic priesthood shortly before ordination to become an internationally recognized singer, musician and entertainer, “was Celtic when Celtic wasn’t cool.�

In the late 1960s, shortly after beginning his career as an entertainer, he stunned the audience at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville by appearing on stage in a kilt and playing fiddle and bagpipe tunes on a 12-string guitar, which would become his trademark.

It was a tribute to Cameron’s ability as a musician, entertainer and ambassador that not only was he not laughed or booed off the stage, but instead received a standing ovation.

There is no question that he paved the way for a whole generation of Nova Scotia musicians, and deserves a lot of the credit for the popularity of East Coast music today, even though he arguably never really got the opportunity to reap those benefits himself.

Much of Cameron’s popularity sprung from a down-home philosophy and a humorous and often self-deprecating style that endeared him to audiences far beyond the borders of Cape Breton and even Nova Scotia, and served him well as an entertainer.

At the same time, though, it appeared that he never really cared much about fame, which seemed to be an almost accidental by-product of his tireless personal and musical spirit.

Cameron took every opportunity he could to promote the music and musicians of his native province and native region, and also to actively promote causes such as literacy.

Like fellow Nova Scotian musical icon Anne Murray, he never forgot where he came from, no matter how far removed he might have been geographically.

The tributes to his memory since his passing from friends, colleagues and fellow musicians attest to the regard in which he was held as a mentor and role model.

Cape Breton fiddler and former Cameron sideman Allie Bennett, an Acadia graduate, described him as “the best friend Cape Breton music ever had.�

Cameron remained true to his calling and his heritage throughout his life, and even though awards and recognition came his way, including induction to the Order of Canada in 2003, his true legacy is in the many Celtic musicians, both in Cape Breton and further afield, who are mainstream today because of his trailblazing legacy.

We’re sure that his contribution to Canadian music will never be forgotten, as long as there are musicians to continue his legacy and as long as fiddlers ‘resin the bow’.