Remembering Chris When I interviewed Chris Trowell in 2018, the long-time Wortley Village resident and blues guitarist was leading the Bruce Springsteen co- ver band 10th Avenue , and the Chris Trowell Blues Band and also enjoying just getting together with local musician friends for pick-up gigs. Favourite memories included playing along with Phil Guy (Buddy Guy’s brother) and B.B. King’s daugh- ter, Dutch Mason, Hock Walsh and other blues luminaries at the Old Chicago’s Blues Club that he had co-founded. Just diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, he was never- theless planning benefit concerts in support of the London Men’s Mission and to raise funds for the Kidney Foundation. Chris toured extensively but was a favourite with Londoners at Ledbelly’s, the Old Firehall, the Wortley Roadhouse, the Richmond Tavern, Mustang Sally’s, Eastside Bar and Grill, the London International Blues Fest and many other local live music venues. He survived kidney surgery but sadly succumbed to cancer in September 2025. A tribute concert for Chris was held November 2nd at the Eastside Bar and Grill. “Over 300 people attended the six-hour event, where more than 50 musicians performed to honour Chris’s lifetime of musical influence,” reported his sister, Tracy Trowell. “We heard stories of Chris taking musicians under their wings, musicians who said. ‘I want to be him one day’. He didn’t just play FOR people, he played WITH them. He wasn’t just a musician, he was a storyteller, a friend. Through music, he will always be present with us.”
Dave Semple – ‘Stories & Songs’ by J.Bruce Parker
If you know Wortley Village resident Dave Semple, his quality of generosity would first come to mind. The retired drama teacher with over 35 years’ experience as an actor and director has offered free workshops for aspiring thespians. As a guitar luthier, he has built and given away several guitars to those he felt needed them, as well as taught the instrument to seniors. It was no surprise that this talented craftsman created Stories and Songs – a fundraising event for the Palace Theatre. Dave is a voice of his community, and his voice regaled friends and fans with his music and personal reflections. His performance at ‘Procunier Stage’ on November 6th was perfect for an intimate evening. A comfortable parlour chair, and an antique table displaying the visual memories of his songs, were underscored with soft lighting. He picked from four guitars, regarding all as his ‘friends’, and explaining the history of each. His one-off marathon performance, just under three hours, was culled from seven books of poetry, two novels, four CDs and a warm and generous heart. He empties his pockets of childhood memories in song and spoken word, directing us to his beginnings as a five-month-old child being given up for adoption in Quebec. Love, acceptance and family become important themes in his music. His presentation was interactive as he requested ‘Dad Jokes’ in regard to his remembrance and relationship with his own adoptive father, as well as inquiring about a recent moment of ‘joy’ from his audience. And joy is something we need more of these days. Gathering a few young people to sit at his feet, Dave, in a most ‘grandfatherly’ and comedic manner, told an anecdote of something antiquated and nearly extinct: the vinyl record.
His final song was not his, but of his friend, musician Jake Le- vesque, a musical force of this city, who passed away in 2024. Following Dave Semple down his road of memory is often a very familiar journey as his mem- ories can be so relatable. Dave Semple’s books can be found at Amazon.ca. Follow Dave on Facebook – Dave Semple Singer/Songwriter
Tribute concert for Chris Trowell. Scotty Bollert MC’d and performed Jump, Jive and Wail, the last song he had performed with Chris.
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Wortley Villager December 2025 • Page 13
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