Roger Quick & The Rainbows

Roger Quick was born in Warwick Village, Lambton County in 1940, and started his musical career at the age of 5 when he took piano lessons which he later dropped in favor of the Hawaiian guitar. He changed to the Spanish guitar at the age of 12. Roger’s first professional appearances were with a local band that played in the Watford and Warwick area and was made up of Ross Campbell, Bob Howson, and Mugs Miller. This led to two more years of playing with different local bands until 1959 when he joined Ross Campbell’s Rainbow Band,  with Ray Watson, Shawne DeWinter, Ingram McCallum and Jerry Black. They began to play local dances which included five years of Saturday Night Dances during the summers at the Ipperwash Casino and the band later played in Port Huron. Roger became known as the leader of the group because he did the announcing and the lion's share of singing. It wasn’t long that the band was known as Roger Quick and the Rainbows. 

The Rainbows - 1960

Roger Quick & The Rainbows - 1966

Roger's wife Norma joins playing the bass and singing. 

In November 1966 at the Michigan Award Night in Detroit, MI, Roger Quick and the Rainbows received an award for Top International Country Band. Pictured with the award were Ross Campbell – Steel Guitar (Kitchener), Bruce Sharp – Drums (Watford), Ray Watson – Fiddle (Inwood), Norma Quick – Bass, Roger Quick - Spanish Lead Guitar (Parkhill), Glenn Butters – Rhythm Guitar (London). 

By the early 70’s things had wound down, and the ‘band’ consisted of Roger and Norma, until 1973 when drummer Bill Knapp joined, and they became more of a group again. Bill may have introduced Ross Loft to the Quick’s who liked his ‘Gordon Lightfoot’ style voice. Ross sang with the band from time to time,  and by the fall of 1974 suggested to Roger that he should record an album and Ross could use his expertise as a student in the Music Recording program at Fanshawe College. Roger ended up recording four long play albums from 1975 to 1980, as well as producing a solo record for John A. Wurm.  Roger signed with Thunderbird Recordings in February of  1976 as the 17th artist and stayed with the label for 2 1/2 years.  

Roger's first annual Jamboree in the Stix was held on June 4th 1978 at West Williams Community Centre and Park. Afterwards Roger and his family hosted a BBQ at his home for special guests. The author of this blog and his family partook in the first half of the festivities, enjoying the home grown country music. The author was 13 at the time. 

Roger Quick & The Rainbows 1973 - 1977

Norma Quick, Bill Knapp, Roger Quick, Sylvia Bell

Roger Quick & The Rainbows 1978 - 1980

Jerry Quick, Joanne & Maryjane McLinchey, John A. Wurm, Norma & Roger Quick 

On May 18^th 1979 the London Free Press did a two page story, ‘Roger has to be Quick to get all his chores done,’ with a great picture. When Roger isn’t tending to his 300 acre farm he is performing with the Rainbows, handling the bookings and promotion. Sometimes he’s in his basement studio producing records for other artists, or maybe doing some paperwork for his sheet music publishing company, No-Ro Productions, or organizing another bus trip to Nashville, or booking more artists for his second annual Jamboree in the Stix. You might see him bringing in his private plane onto his landing strip. Ever since he ordered his first guitar from the Eaton’s catalogue at the age of seven, his music career had flourished. His band, The Rainbows, had been around since 1959, and to date have sold 17,000 albums! The band is totally booked for 1979 and 1980. He formed NRG Records to handle his recordings, and rehearsals are easy enough, two band members live in his house while the other two live just up the road. His wife Norma has played bass since 1966, and seventeen year old Jerry recently joined on to play drums. Neighbors Joanne (16) and Maryjane McLinchey (17) play piano and rhythm guitar. Since the kids have grown up a little, he’s pursuing his show business career more actively, participating in events such as The Grand Ole’ Opry Canada Tour, opening for Hank Snow in Chatham, and playing an average of three nights a week with the Rainbows. Roger feels that country music in Canada is changing, it used to be the truck drivers who carried it, but now because of the radio play it’s reaching more people, especially women. It’s going more uptown than country and western in the old sense. His 2^nd annual Jamboree in the Stix will be held on June 3^rd 1979 at West Williams Park.

Roger Quick & The Rainbows 1980 - 1982

Donny, Norma, Roger Quick, Barb Saunders, Cindy, Connie, Jerry Quick.

In the background is former Brantford D.J. Vic Folliott 

May 31 1980 – Rain on the weekend failed to dampen the spirits of Roger Quick’s 3^rd Jamboree in the Stix, moved to Thedford Arena with the rain for the two day show. Close to 3,000 people jammed in the arena over the 2 days, with 800 people participating in the pork roast. The winners of the 14 band amateur contest were The Chapperalls from Kerwood, followed by Criman Country from West Lorne, and Gary Short from Sarnia coming in third. Eight professionals played over the weekend including Walter Ostenak, Stu Phillips, and Joyce Seamone from Woodstock. Sixteen year old Barbara Saunders of Watford had recently joined Roger Quick and the Rainbows. The show was a great boon to the village of Thedford.

Roger Quick & The Rainbows 1980 - 1982

Roger & Donny Quick, Barb Saunders, Norma, Connie, and Cindy Quick.

It was a very busy time for Roger Quick & The Rainbows between 1980 and 1981.  They traveled all over Canada and the U.S. performing for Sperry New Holland at local Plowing Matches. The band performed at many different types of live shows ranging from the Grand Ole Opry Show Canada, the Mohawk Jamboree and the Twin Creek Jamboree. They played on the same stage as The Oakridge Boys, Ronnie Milsap, Charlie Pride, Tammy Wynette, George Jones and Brenda Lee.  

Roger Quick & The Rainbows - Reunion Show July 2012 

Make it Quick - By Eric Nixon, Hayter-Walden Publications, published in the Parkhill Gazette July 12th 2012

“We just need 110. But, how about amperage? Is the amperage up? That’s the part that would mess up the equipment. Can you check the amperage?” It’s not exactly what Roger Quick expected to be talking about moments before he takes the stage for a sold out concert in Parkhill, his first time performing in the town in nearly 20 years.

But, that’s the reality. Quick is trying to figure out if he’ll be able to run his equipment off a generator for the show.

Oh, did we mention that the power has gone out in Parkhill, just a half hour before the concert is set to begin? Or that all this is taking place on the night of July 6th, the hottest day so far in 2012?
In the end, none of the minor annoyances are really important. Once the electrical logistics are figured out, Quick, his wife Norma, the “McLinchey Sisters” (now Joanne Clark and Mary Jane Ross) and their drummer, Stewart Irvine, don’t miss a beat. It’s on with the show and a Quick quip from Roger, who says he wishes he’d brought some cooler weather with him from his home in Georgia, where he and Norma moved nearly 30 years ago. He gets his wish a half hour or so later when the power returns and a breath of fresh air conditioning with it.

The evening, billed as “The Return of Roger and Norma Quick,” is a fundraiser for the Parkhill Order Of The Eastern Star. The audience of 400 is the largest in the history of the Parkhill Community Centre and tickets sold out quickly when they went on sale back in May. It’s a tribute to Quick’s popularity in the area where he was raised and where many of his extended family still reside. "We have a daughter and six grandkids, with one married,” he says. “Norma has quite a few relatives up here - sister and a brother.” In total, Roger and Norma have five kids and 17 grandchildren.

The location of the concert is pitch perfect. This is where Quick began performing over a half-century ago - and where many in the audience still remember fondly going to dances as teenagers. Legend has it that Quick would keep performing long into the night – calling it quits only when no one was left on the dance floor.

Quick recalls how it all began: “We started in 1959. It was a six-piece band. We got down to about a three-piece band, somewhere in the ‘60s. And then, on toward the end of the ‘60s and the ‘70s, we had a family – two or three of our family – and the McLinchey girls, which are with us tonight. And we played regularly Friday and Saturday nights anywhere from Goderich to London to Chatham.”
Since leaving the area, the Quicks have played at Opry North in Nashville, Regina, Wisconsin and various other locations.

Along the way, the band made four albums, three gospel cassettes and a CD compilation, which Quick says, “has a lot of the old stuff put together on it.” As well, Quick says he plans to release a video of the Parkhill concert, which he hopes to have for sale on his website in the near future.
Ruth Griffiths, Worthy Matron of the Parkhill OES, is ecstatic about the success of the event and about how it will help the group’s efforts in North Middlesex. She says, “The money that we’re going to raise tonight for our organization supports the local community. We give back to many charities: the North Middlesex Medical Centre, Parkhill Fair, Parkhill Legion Poppy Fund, Diabetes, the Food Bank and many causes that Strathroy Hospital has.”

Although hot weather and a power failure both did their best to derail the evening, it hardly mattered in the end. The return of Roger and Norma to the birthplace of their early musical careers brought back wonderful memories for everyone who attended. And that was music to everyone’s ears.

The author with Roger Quick - Nov 2015 

Roger Quick's music has gone digital! Just click on the link....Looking Back CD