Rememberance of Lorne Wilson

On October 11, 1999 one of the Ottawa Valley's, and indeed this country's premier fiddle players passed away.
Lorne Barclay Wilson died at Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. He was 75.
While growing up near Stittsville, Mr. Wilson learned to play the mouth organ at an early age and did his first entertaining at house parties. By his early 20's he had made Carleton Place his home and it was there he began to master the fiddle.
While most fiddle players of his calibre learned to play at a much younger age, Mr. Wilson's late start didn't inhibit his progress.
In the years that followed, Mr. Wilson would become, in the words of well-known local musician Bernie Costello, "the best." He won countless fiddle competitions and played with the likes of Ward Allen, Reg Hill and his idol, the late great Don Messer. But aside from the famous, he also played with countless average players and was known for showing great respect for all of them.
Aside from music, Mr. Wilson had other business interests and was known locally for his involvement with antiques. Still, even in that environment, his love of music prevailed. "He would practice all day at his store," recalls his daughter Lorna Affleck.
His love of music was passed on to his sons Lloyd and Derek, who are also champion fiddlers. But it didn't stop there. His grandsons, Chris and Colin, and now his great-granddaughters, Christin and Haley are carrying on the tradition. But it's the memories of those close to him and the warm affection that they have which stands out.
"I recall that at the age of about seven, I would go past his house in Carleton Place and you could hear him playing the fiddle," said Costello. "I can hear it like it was yesterday."
Costello went on to play many an engagement with Mr. Wilson and noted "he was a perfectionist. Things had to be just so, and if your pants were not pressed and you didn't look sharp well..... look out!"

Lorne Wilson with one of his fiddles. He loaned and even gave away fiddles over the years in order that others would have a good instrument to play.

Mr. Wilson's son recall going to Toronto to play at the annual Good Roads Convention.
"We were hired to play for Metcalfe Construction of Almonte, when another businessman tried to snare us away. Dad would have none of it. He was a very ethical man," he remembers.
Daughter Lorna recalls how the late Charlie Finner, who coached Mr. Wilson in his early days, told him that he wasn't yet ready to play in a competition in Ottawa one year.
"It turned out he didn't go. But the very next year Dad won that same competition," she said.
It should be noted that Mr. Wilson was one of the first, if not the first, to play the fiddle and step dance at the same time.
In 1974 during a competition in Bobcaygeon, he was swimming in the lake right beside the arena. He was called to the stage soaking wet, played his three pieces and won his class.
So determined was he to play a piece perfectly, he would slow down a record player until he knew each note. Then he would proceed to play it perfectly.
Mr. Wilson was known for selflessly donating his time and talent for many good causes. In recent years he had developed a taste for playing bingo.
But it was his love of music that seemed to move him the most. And when he played for others, with his fingers on the strings and his hand on the bow, one could be sure that all who heard him play were moved as well.