File: macinnisbillysenior06-oh-charlottetowndances_M.mp3
Speakers:
BM – Billy MacInnis Sr
KP – Curator Ken Perlman
BM: Oh, when I was a kid there was dances just about every night of the week.
KP: Where were these dances, what kind of places?
BM: The Rollaway, before it was called the Rollaway it was the Sportin' Club. That's back in Don Messer's era, it was the Sportin' Club. And they changed the name I think when they get into, probably the early to mid-50s it was probably changed from the Sportin' Club to the Rollaway. And in probably the 80s, I think it was changed to the Silverado. It was on Grafton Street a bowlin' alley on the first floor and the dance hall was on the second floor. And when I was about 6 or 7, there was a gangway between the Rollaway Club and the duplex building next to the Rollaway, with a fire escape going up the side of the buildin', And I used to go up that fire escape different nights when Don Messer was playing there and sit on the fire escape with the door open, lookin' in watchin' them playin'. I wasn't old enough to get in there. They were popular and back in them days they were playing almost every night of the week. Because there was venues, there was dances, and that was the thing back then.
KP: Who else besides Don Messer played at these places ?
BM: Also Pius Blackett, Pius Blacket in Charlottetown: Pius played Hawaiian steel guitar, had a recording studio in Dorchester Street. Pius' band was popular. Pius had – Back in them days Pius had George Chappelle played fiddle with him.
KP: Is that the same George Chappelle who used to be on the radio?
BM: Yes, the same George Chappelle. And he had Garfield Chappelle, I believe played guitar, and he had Mel Burns Sr. played guitar with him. And later years, fiddler John Dan MacPherson, John Dan played with Pius Blackett.