Plain and Fancy: 06/12/24

Leigh Ashford founders Waszek and Agnello knew each other as members of G.W. And The Demons at Riverdale High School in Toronto. Fresh out of high school Agnello joined The Ambassadors and Waszek joined the Lee Ashford Blues Band. When the Lee Ashford Blues Band folded Waszek and keyboardist Newton Garwood joined Agnello and new drummer David Cairns (Tom And Ian And The Soul Set) as sidemen for The Spirit Revue. By early 1967 the four had grown tired of the suits and the restricting etiquette of the Spirit Revue and revived the name Lee Ashford as Leigh Ashford – complete with a fictitious biography that painted Ashford as a turn of the century prostitute.

After playing around the growing Toronto rock scene for two years Guess Who producer Jack Richardson signed the act to his own Nimbus Records. Studio sessions were initiated for an album but collapsed when Cairns took ill. He was replaced in the studio for the bed-tracks by Wally Cameron (A Passing Fancy) and one useable track resulted in the long forgotten single “Country Place”. An attempt to get Cairns back on track faltered and Lance Wright (Terry & The Pyrates) filled in on drums until permanent replacement, Craig Kaleal, (Witness Inc.) was enlisted. A new vocalist, Buzz Shearman (Shearman & Peabody), was brought in to give the act a harder edge.

In 1969 the band opened for the Vanilla Fudge at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto and later on that year, for the Who at the Rockpile in Toronto.With a release from their Nimbus deal, the band kept busy in the clubs, and occasional studio work, and as 1970 wore on, Garwood was replaced by Bruno Weckerle on keyboards. In 1971, Mort Ross’ Revolver Records picked up the band and took them into the RCA Studio in Toronto to produce the ‘Kinfolk’ album.While in New York, Leigh Ashford would do opening slots for The Who (at The Rockpile) and Vanilla Fudge.

The album’s first single, “Dickens”, began gaining attention and upon returning to Canada they performed at the Strawberry Fields Festival in Mosport, Ontario. But, typical creative differences broke the band up by 1972. Waszek continued to work for Mort Ross and Revolver Records as Ross’ cash cow, Motherlode, was refit for a third incarnation headed by Waszek and featuring ex-Chimo! vocalist Breen LeBoeuf, future Triumph bassist Mike Levine and former Leigh Ashford bandmates Wally Cameron and Newton Garwood. After one failed Motherlode single, Waszek revived Leigh Ashford with Buzz Shearman, Cameron, Garwood and bassist Don Elliott (ex-Mandala).

Mort Ross had another subsidiary label on the go, Hopi, and grabbed Leigh Ashford for one under-achieving single of Waszek originals – “Workin’ All Day” b/w “The Country’s Got A Soul Of Its Own”. With the departure of Elliott (with Doni Underhill taking over), the Leigh Ashford name was retired and they became Burgundy before, it too failed to chart a single. Waszek and Underhill decided to jump ship at this point and joined Fludd in 1974. Buzz Shearman kept the band and its name going for another two years before finally evolving into the hit recording act Moxy and helping future metal chanteuse Lee Aaron launch her solo career.

Shearman would die tragically in a motorcycle accident in the early ’80’s; Agnello continued on as bassist for many showcase R & B acts around Toronto including Chuck Jackson; Underhill would eventually leave Fludd to reform the band Fingers with Waszek before moving on to stint with Trooper; Elliott went on to be an audio technician and cameraman; Waszek, meanwhile, did session work with the likes of Triumph (on “Just A Game”) and would spend a good part of the late ’80’s with Bobby Dupont and in the ’90’s as alternate lead guitar with Eagles tribute band Desperado which featured former members of Refugee. He is now a fully retired postal worker living in the USA; Bruce Weckerle died July 10, 2004 of complications from a stroke in 2003; Newton Garwood died of cancer November 4, 2005. Bill Wade succumbed to cancer July 27, 2001 at the age of 53; Terry Juric passed away July 18, 2023.

Canada Music