Matt Minglewood Receives UCCB
Honorary Doctorate Degree
May 12, 2002
Doc Minglewood
Canada's legendary blues-rocker Matt Minglewood was presented a honorary
doctorate degree on Sunday May 12 at UCCB (Universitey College of Cape Breton)
convocation exercises. Matt opened the ceremonies with a passionate version of
O Canada. To follow is the presentation speech given by Dr. Richard Mac Kinnon
:
Roy Batherson ("Matt Minglewood")
Madam vice-chancellor, Roy Batherson, or "Matt Minglewood," as he
is better known, began his musical career listening to his grandfather's
Scottish fiddle tunes. His first stage appearance was at the age of four,
singing two Gaelic songs in Port Hood at the local church hall.
Growing up in Cape Breton in the 1950s, Matt was surrounded by
country music and the emerging rock and roll. He quickly discovered that
the roots of rock and roll are in blues music, a form that he loved because
of its expressiveness and passion.
Like many Cape Breton youngsters Matt took piano lessons. But he added to
his musical skills by teaching himself to play guitar and joined his first
rock and roll band, "The Rocking Saints" in highschool. Many people here
probably have great memories of attending Rocking Saints dances in school
gymnasiums and community halls across the Island.
By the late 1960's the call to music had overpowered his dreams of playing
in the NHL (he played junior hockey in North Sydney) and in 1969 Matt
joined "Sam Moon and the Universal Power." They criss-crossed Canada and
even went north to Alaska performing their own style of rhythm and blues.
Then in 1973 Matt formed his own group, "The Minglewood Band". They brought
Matt's Cape Breton blues-rock to every province in Canada and beyond to the
United States and Europe. As he says in one of his tunes:
Well I've been across this great big land
Guitar case and a cookin band
Pedal to the metal always trying to pass
Running on empty but not out of gas
You can call me Matt, you can call me Roy
The Cape Crusader just a good old boy
Not only has Matt been the island's crusading ambassador but his rock and
roll road show has meant a little less homesickness for the thousands of
Cape Bretoners who live and work across this land. He is a role model for
many of our country's musicians.
He has ten albums to his credit and numerous awards from Juno
nominations to Canadian Country Music Awards. He has gold and platinum
records, a songwriter of the year award and a Lifetime Achievement Award
from the East Coast Music Awards. He was recently granted the Great
Canadian Blues Award by CBC's National radio Show, Saturday Night Blues.
Legendary blues guitarist Jeff Healey sums up the feelings of many by
saying, "Not only is Matt Minglewood a great singer, songwriter, guitar
player and performer, he is a Canadian treasure. " It gives me great
pleasure to present to you for the degree Doctor of Letters, honoris causa,
a great Cape Breton musician, songwriter, husband and father who has
achieved much during his career. He has brought distinctive Cape Breton
music to Canada and the world, and is a pioneer of the Canadian music
scene, Mr Matt Minglewood.
The other honorary degree reciprients were a rather illustrious crew: Ron Joyce
(co founder of Tim Hortons), Tom Kent (who some of you may remember when he
lived in the Cape as CEO of Devco), Arthur Defehr( a great humanitarian )Johnny
Miles ( marathoner, who my father had the opportunity to race with ) and last
but not least a very humbling and admirable man, LT.General Romeo A. Dallaire.