Don Messer's Jubilee tribute show visits Lively May 11

At 43 years old, Fergus, Ont. native Scott Woods isn't old enough to remember Don Messer's Jubilee.

The variety show, featuring old-time, country, and Maritime-flavoured folk music — and a lot of fiddling — was broadcast on CBC Television from 1957 to 1969, and even earlier on East Coast radio stations.

Outside of Hockey Night In Canada, in the mid-1960s Don Messer's Jubilee was the No. 1 show in the country, earning higher ratings than even the imported CBS variety show, The Ed Sullivan Show.

Woods said when he was a kid, he and his four siblings took violin lessons from his dad, an accomplished musician.

As a reward for learning the “boring stuff” — classical violin — he would also teach them fiddle music in the style of Don Messer.

Woods went on to win several fiddling championships, and toured with a Don Messer tribute show for 10 years.

These days, Woods has his own band, which tours Canada and the United States with a different-themed show each year.

Ever since the previous Don Messer tribute show wrapped up in 2007, people have been asking Woods to do his own tribute to the program.

“We've been having much anticipation about this particular Don Messer tribute, for sure,” Woods said.

The Scott Woods Old Time Jubilee will make a stop at the T.M. Davies Community Centre in Lively starting at 2 p.m. May 11.

The five members of Woods' group will do musical tributes to regulars on Don Messer's Jubilee, including Marg Osborne, Charlie Chamberlain and Messer himself.
Woods said he'll also share some photos and clips from Don Messer's Jubilee on an overhead screen made to look like a '50s-style television.

He said the show will be a “trip down memory lane” for those who can remember Don Messer's Jubilee, but will also be fun for younger generations.

“It's a family-oriented show,” Woods said.

“You can bring the grandparents or the grandkids, whatever the case may be, and feel comfortable. You don't have to be embarrassed by stories that are off-colour. It's all very clean and family friendly.”

Tickets to the show, which cost $25 for adults and $10 for children, are available at the TD Bank's Lively branch or by phone at 1-855-726-8896.

For more information, visit www.scottwoods.ca.