Yarmouth County resident makes musical memories with his family

By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Alton Nickerson has played music with a lot of people over the years.

But when it came time to make some real musical memories he turned to some special singers and musicians – his grandchildren and his son.

The result is a CD called Memories that the Forest Glen resident will be launching at the Saulnierville Legion on May 25 at 2 p.m.

Nickerson’s love for music started at a young age. He got involved in the musical scene at the age of seven. In the 1960s he performed with a band called the Country Capers. He was also part of a local group called 340 South, which performed a mixture of classic country and bluegrass.

But like the songs and the performances did, the years added up as well. One of the members of 340 South died, and Nickerson wasn’t getting any younger so about four years ago he and the band decided to call it quits.

But the thing Nickerson couldn’t walk away from was his love of music, or the desire to share it with others.

“I decided I would like to record songs that I had written on the four 340 South CDs but I wanted to include my grandchildren,” he explains. “I decided to do this with the family, that’s why it’s called Memories.”

So his grandchildren – Melissa Comeau, Casidhe Nickerson, Sawyer Nickerson and Cameron Nickerson, along with his son Brian Nickerson – add their voices and their instruments to the CD. Nickerson says the project has been a year-and-a-half in the making. He also notes with pride that his grandson Cameron is following in his musical steps, belonging to the local group Tinpot.

Not all of the songs on the CDs are ones that Nickerson wrote. For instance one song was written by Jud Allen of Brazil Lake before he passed away. Allen’s family approached Nickerson to see if he could add music to the lyrics. Nickerson enlisted the help of his former 340 South bandmate Gary Greene for assistance with the arrangement. On another song on the CD he’s helped out by Arnold Ellis, one of the former Country Capers.

There will be lots of music included in the May 25 launch of the CD. The Clare bluegrass band New Ground will be performing. There will also be a reunion performance by members of 340 South. Nickerson’s grandchildren will also be performing.

Admission is $5 and the CD will be selling for $12. As well, there will be a rappie sale and 50/50 draw with proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.