Chilliwack In Concert
With their string of hits through the 1970s and ‘80s, Chilliwack were responsible for some of the most memorable and melodic songs of the era. They also became part of the foundation for Canadian popular music, with smashes like "Baby Blue," "Fly at Night," and "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)" all helping to ensure the nation's musical artists had a regular home on their own airwaves.
Though vitally important as a landmark act of the early "Can-Con" era, Chilliwack is very much part of the present, too. Bill Henderson is still at the helm more than five decades after the band's origins in Vancouver's bustling rock scene of the ‘60s.
Seeking a fresh start after the collapse of local favourites The Collectors, Henderson founded Chilliwack in 1970. By 1972, they were making an impact on both sides of the border with songs like "Lonesome Mary," the first of many singles that cracked Billboard's Top 100. The smooth, sultry rocker "Crazy Talk" and more country-influenced "Raino" earned them further exposure.
Henderson and his group hit their apex in the early ‘80s with the release of "My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)," an ingenious mix of hard rock, pure pop, and doo-wop that showcased Henderson's vocal harmonies with the band's drummer and co-vocalist Brian MacLeod. A No. 1 single at home that also reached No. 22 in the U.S., it established Chilliwack as Canada's preeminent hit-makers. In 1982, the band extended the winning streak with their tenth album ‘Opus X' and "Whatcha Gonna Do," another top 10 single in Canada.
Though lineup changes and record company problems led to the end of Chilliwack's original run in 1988, Henderson's music career continued to thrive thanks to his participation in UHF, a Canadian folk-rock supergroup he formed with Shari Ulrich and Roy Forbes.
The demand for Chilliwack was so high that Henderson launched a new version of the band in 1997. Released in 2003, ‘There and Back – Live' is a testament to Chilliwack's renewed vitality. One of Canada's most iconic musical acts remains an audience favorite thanks to Henderson's indefatigable energy as the frontman. He gets invaluable support from such talented players as his brother Ed Henderson on guitars and background vocals, and drummer Jerry Adolphe, a part of the Chilliwack story since 1984.
