It's time to take a trip down memory lane. Stephen Maguire is bringing his Memory Lane performance to the city, a show which features hits from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, including many all time classics from artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and Buddy Holly. The show takes place on March 2 at the St. Mary's Cultural Centre.
Maguire says that his passion for this era of music started with his father, who took him to see The Buddy Holly Story and had played in bands with names like Dusty Springfield and Van Morrison.
"I was hooked on the old classic music... So when we were putting the show together the biggest problem we had was what songs are we going to leave out? There are so many, there are thousands of hits from those eras," he said in a recent interview with The News Review.
The show itself is for the entire family, something Maguire says is important to him, since bringing people of all ages is the best way to keep the music alive for multiple generations.
"I love it when grandkids are with their grandparents. This is a totally all ages event, and this is how I was introduced to this music, when my father would bring me to shows like this," he comments.
He also says that since the songs in the show were so influential, it's something that can connect with people even if they aren't familiar with them.
"It was just an important show I had to do. I tour in my own right, but this show was something that is very close to my heart and songs that are favorites of my folks."
Music is closely tied to memory, and Maguire says that he wants to bring back positive memories for the crowd, and that he also hopes people share their memories of the songs with their families.
"There's so much history, I think there are so many things kids learn about their parents and grandparents that they never knew because of a night like this. It's called Memory Lane because that's what it is, a trip down memory lane, not just for the music but for the stories from the parents and grandparents to their kids."
The show has been well received so far, Maguire says, with people saying they want to have a chance to hear music from this era again. He says he enjoys it most when he sees people enjoy hearing their old favorites.
"It's so interesting because when we introduce the songs you can kind of hear that gasp from the audience... They're all hits, that's the beauty of the show, everybody is going to recognize these songs from their past."
This performance will be to a hometown crowd for Maguire, who has an important connection to the city.
"When I was picking places to go, Yorkton was at the top of my list because I got married in Yorkton. The place where the show is is where I had my wedding reception! My wife is originally from Yorkton, I've done that trip many times and I've got many great friends in Yorkton."
Memory Lane takes place on Saturday, March 2 at the St. Mary's Cultural Centre. Tickets are available at Yorkton Co-op.
"I'm so looking forward to making that drive back to Yorkton," he concludes.
