This April our beloved lutheir Rufus Stewart decided to retire and close Rufus’ Island Guitar Shop after 60 years of excellent service. Having opened shops from one end of Canada to the other (the recently closed Rufus Guitars in Vancouver was named after him), he single-handedly repaired over 400 intruments each year. Join us in wishing Rufus, and his weaver wife Charlotte, a joyous and music filled future. Back in 2021 when he was just 80 years young, we just couldn’t let the milestone go by without a little fanfare…and so we wrote him an ode to immortalize the man. Seems a great time for an encore. Long may you run old friend… xocvm+reido
You can read Rufus’s farewell post here: https://rufusguitars.com/
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Rufus Stewart has been building and repairing guitars for over five decades now. He has been looking after instruments for professional musicians such as Valdy, Jesse Winchester and Reid Jamieson for as long as some folks have been in the business. Back in the day Rufus also toured as a guitar or audio tech for numerous acts such as Supertramp and The Tragically Hip. Now located in Parksville on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, over the years Rufus has started shops in Halifax-Nova Scotia, Kingston-Ontario, and Montreal-Quebec. And yes, the shop in Vancouver was named after him. An authorized Martin repair guy for many decades, folks have brought their precious vintage guitars to him for a tune up or repairs for almost 60 years.
Rufus was born during World War II on March 14, 1941 in Buckinghamshire, England, and came to Canada as a small child. Sharing a birthday with Einstein and Quincy Jones, his mother was French-Canadian and he considers himself an Acadian, East Coaster, West Coaster, and road warrior always in search of new vistas and communities. About as humble as a man can be, Rufus has never been one to seek center stage. Always learning, he is as comfortable tinkering with boats and trucks as he is with stringed instruments. Known to enthusiastically lend a hand to anyone who needs the help, he has been doing an annual ‘repair tour’ to see to the needs of remote communities as far east as PEI. Rufus continued to work at his craft up until his 85th birthday. Living happily with his weaver wife Charlotte in Parksville BC. Rufus’ Island Guitar Shop, https://www.rufusguitars.com
5 years ago Vancouver’s Reid Jamieson and CVM broke a year long pandemic related songwriting paralysis – with Rufus to thank. It’s not the first time this hardworking luthier has had an impact on this particular artist’s musical life. When Reid and his songwriting partner and wife Carolyn (who incidentally shares a bday with Rufus) first moved to BC back in 2005, they connected with Rufus immediately as the best person to tend to Reid’s jumbo Taylor steel string guitar. However, that big beautiful guitar that was his main axe and the envy of friends, soon found its way to Craigslist. It was after trying a cheap well worn second-hand nylon string guitar in Rufus’ shop (back when it was in Cook St. Village) Reid’s musical output was changed forever. Something about what happens to an instrument after this luthier has made his adjustments left it feeling like a long lost friend. Transformed now into a nylon string player, Reid adapted to a whole new way of playing and has since toured North America, with the likes of Stuart Mclean and the Vinyl Café, and the little beaten up guitar that could. Written by Reid and Carolyn the week before Rufus’ 80th, ‘The Ballad of Luthier Rufus Stewart’ is a tip of the hat to someone who has touched many and isn’t done yet. Our elders bring wisdom and knowledge, and sometimes much needed inspiration. https://rufusguitars.com/
THE BALLAD OF THE LUTHIER RUFUS STEWART
Written by Reid Jamieson & Carolyn Victoria Mill
Here’s your story,
in all its glory, tho
you’ve never been one
for center stage
Bombs in your backyard
Losses taken hard
Gone forever,
turn the page
Found a broken wing
Set it right, made it sing
Claimed a calling
and a wage
From Montreal
to the Maritimes
where mermaids call
You rise, you fall
in Kingston and its music halls
To Vancouver isle
from the Valley to Victoria
In every song
there is a note for us that
must ring true
You made a life out of
keeping all of us in tune
Part of every song
that we create
well it was made by you
Tinker, sailor
Martin, Taylor
boat or bow
the wood will bend
Songwriter’s savior
Cracked neck, failure
Fret not my friend
for bridges mend
At your bench nightly
with strings wound tightly
Second-hand
is new again
From Montreal
to the Maritimes
where mermaids call
You rise, you fall
in Kingston and its music halls
To Vancouver isle
from the Valley to Victoria
In every song
there is a note for us that
must ring true
You made a life out of
keeping all of us in tune
Part of every song
that we create
well it was made by you
Found your weaver wife
Her web a happy life
And still the sea and highway call
From Montreal
to the Maritimes
where mermaids call
You rise, you fall
in Kingston and its music halls
To Vancouver isle
from the Valley to Victoria
In every song
there is a note for us that
must ring true
And you made a life out of
keeping all of us in tune
A part of every song
that we create
well it was made by you
Here’s your story,
in all its glory, tho
you’ve never been one
for center stage…
THE BALLAD OF RUFUS STEWART
Written by Reid Jamieson & Carolyn Victoria Mill
ABOUT: https://reidjamieson.com/the-ballad-of-rufus-stewart-rufus80/
DOWNLOAD: https://app.box.com/s/h7tzt5tpw17xywxj1ahae19p5mllfp27
https://youtu.be/QBX4SpHu_OU
https://soundcloud.com/reidjamieson/the-ballad-of-rufus-stewart