Norman Kenneth a Canavor
April. 9th 1930 - March 5th 2018

A Man and his Music…..

Although my dad and I lived an estranged life, I did get to know him in his last few years..
I am sorry I didn’t get more time, more time to understand, more time to heal, more time to share the things we both missed… more time to be a part of each other’s life…

But in these last few years after spending some time together and many hours on the phone , then after his death, reading about his career in newspaper articles and Vancouver magazines that I found in his possessions…..

Well , this I know to be true….



From his baby days playing teen town dances, Norman started his career in 1951, at the Mandarin Gardens and at that same time he also kept busy with “Evan Kemp’s radio show. “ he did this for three years, followed up by another three years with the Rhythm Pals. This was followed by another 5 year stint with the Jimmy Morris Band and dances at Pitt Meadows. In 1959 he joined the orchestra at Forbidden City and later that same year, he went to the Kublah Khan. A series of cabarets including the Coconut Grove and Hector’s – where a disastrous fire took all of his music and his drums. But armed with new music, drums and partner, Normans future looked very bright.

Then in June of 1968 Norman started with another musician at the “Living Room Cabaret” it was a turning point in his music career where they found their style when mixed together in intimate atmosphere, clicked over night, and his brand of music found a home.

I did get the opportunity to hear dad play and sing a few times, he was good…. I remember hearing him sing “”Mack the Knife”
And I could hardly believe it, if I closed my eyes I would have sworn it was Bobby Darrin.

For Norman it marks a milestone at the age of 39 in an already busy career.

He could comfortably handle everything from Latin American to the Polka, from Waltz to Foxtrot, to Pop music. Mostly catering to an over 30 crowd, with songs everyone knew the words to.

After a few years at the Living Room, Norm went on to travel a great deal as he went on tour with “Klondike Kate”

A Successful travelling show depicting Gillian Campbell as the historic Klondike Kate, entertainer of the Gold Rush days. Dad traveled with this show for a few years and loved it.

Then his big booking, dad traveled the Princess Cruises “Love Boat” and entertained while doing a great amount of travelling. When he spoke of the Love Boat Days it was with much excitement, for the places he visited, the things he saw, people met, and the music he played…

Shortly after he arrived back in Vancouver, when his contract had come to an end, and once again he lost everything, drums and music to theft.

They were replaced, but Dad never really played in a band much again. Still loved his music though and he spent hours making a collection of music for the enjoyment of himself and others as he began playing his music for local dances. This to me seems as though he had come full circle… starting out at Teen Dances and ending with Senior Dances..

In his last years he worked for the Canadian Legion in Coquitlam right up until the age of about 81.

Dad lost his partner of many years, about three years ago and that is when he reached out to me, I tried to get to know him and he me as much as was possible over that time…


Dad was predeceased by a daughter and a son, and leaves behind this daughter who is saddened and heartbroken over the father she was just getting to really know and the relationship we are never going to have.

Dad spoke of one of his favorite days in the past years and it was out fishing in a place I had no idea he had been and that I love to go! This will be his final resting place….💞