Grab your lawn chair and free up your Sunday night because Earl Fries and the Chaparrals are coming to Elmira for this weekend’s free concert in Gore Park.
A local country music favourite, Fries is best known for playing guitar on the Silver Bar Ranch show with the Silver Bar Ranch Boys, before founding The Chaparrals.
Fries will be accompanied by a full band, including his son Greg. His granddaughter and her husband will also perform.
“They’re going to hear some good old country music, that’s about what they’re going to hear, and a couple of my original songs,” Fries said.
He spent 14 years on the road performing for a living, before returning home to Kitchener. He’s also performed in Maryhill recently and the Waterloo Rod and Gun Club on the odd Saturday afternoon, with tunes like The Snakes Crawl at Night, and Hank Williams material.
Fries also received the Pioneer Award this June from CKNX and the Barn Dance Historical Foundation.
“The CKNX has been around for a long, long time. They used to have a TV show and I appeared on there a couple of times. They travel around and do shows periodically and they’re the ones that gave me the award,” Fries said.
Past recipients include Paul Weber, Gordie Tapp, and a long list of others since 1997.
As a self-taught musician, Fries says he got into music because he enjoyed it, but didn’t start entertaining until he was 19. He learned the guitar when he was 18, in order to accompany himself.
When asked why he was given the award, he’s quick to reply.
“Because I’ve been around so long,” Fries laughs. “I’ll be 80 next month, so that’s the reason. I was overseas, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines. We played for the United States armed forces. We did that three years in a row. I had the group called the Chaparrales at that time.”
They also played at the Calgary Stampede for nine consecutive years – a highlight for Fries. They’d play at the Calgary Inn and do radio shows during the day.
He originally planned to play for the summer concert series in Gore Park last year, but was rained out.
“They asked if whether I’d consider a later date in September because they’re normally done by that time. We had it another date and that worked out pretty good,” Fries said.
He says people who come to the concert this Sunday will recognize songs like Don’t Chase Each Other Around The Room Tonight.
And while his touring days are behind him, he plans to continue singing his country tunes around Waterloo Region for years to come.
“I’m going to keep going as long as I can, as long as my voice hangs out,” Fries said.
Earl Fries and the Chaparrals will play Gore Park on July 19 from 7-9 p.m. and you’re asked to bring your own lawn chairs.
