32

The Hitchner kids Record - recorded for their Grandmother in 1950. Keith Hitchner singing.
Circa 1950
High River, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Keith Hitchner

33

Record made by the Hitchner kids at Len Cook's radio shop
Circa 1950
High River, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Keith Hitchner

34

Keith Hitchner talks about his life as a musician
1950s to present day
Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood

35

Keith Hitchner
Circa 1960
Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood Archives 989-037-006

36

Guitar owned by Keith Hitchner
Circa 1950s
Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Courtesy of Keith Hitchner

37

The Cavaliers band: Barry Isaac, Jim Hitchner, Don Olson, unknown
Circa 1960
Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood Archives 006-022-171

38

James Lee (Jimmy) Hitchner
Circa 1975
Highwood Area, Alberta, Canada

Credits:
Museum of the Highwood Archives 990-012-006

39

The Pekisko Kids

Albert "Ab" Arnold farmed just east of Cayley, Alberta. When he wasn't in the fields, however, Ab was a founding member of the band "The Pekisko Kids", a band that became well known in the Highwood area, playing in every community hall within a 50 mile radius.

They started up in 1946, playing in each other's homes just for the fun if it. The other original members were Doug Stevenson, Shorty Hanson, Gordon Arnold, Babe Hallett, and Verne Shantz. Other members were Morley Scobie, Dick Dayment, Ben Buchard, Fred Norton, Joan Fox, and Dan Dale. Their first live preformance was in the Pekisko Hall (Fosk-Springdale) and so they decided to call themselves The Pekisko Kids.

Wearing western suits and cowboy hats, the boys played for more than 400 dances over a 20 year period - often playing as many as three dances a week. The long list of venues they've played at is impressive. Besides community halls, they played for rodeos, barn dances and parades. They developed many prize winning comic floats with themes such as "Saturday Night at Guy Weadick's" and "Medicine Tree and Medicine Wagon". Rumour has it that one of their floats even sported a "sleeping" calf.

The Pekisko Kids were unique in that they were a semi-professional dance band who played only by ear. They couldn't read sheet music so they never used it. In the beginning they did have some trouble keeping up with the latest western and dance songs. That is, until they discovered St. George's Coffee Shop in High River. Nickle after nickle they were able to play the tune on the shop's Wurlitzer as many times as it took until they learnt it perfectly. Eventually they invested in a record player so they could learn the music at home. Nonetheless, they were always happy to give an unpracticed song a try. If someone at a dance recommended a tune and Ab could whistle it a bit he'd say, "Yeah - I know the one you mean - we'll fool around with it and maybe we'll be able to play it yet tonight." And they would. Later Ab would say, "That was purty good. We'll have another spasm", and they'd continue onto the next song.

When the High River carnival brought in an import band to provide the music for the event, the Peskisko Kids felt snubbed. They were sent to the Town Hall to deal with any overflow crowd. Well, as it turned out the crowd all squished into the Town Hall, leaving the imported band to play to only a handful of dancers.

They often played for free saying that, "money made little difference to us. We loved to make music and be one of the party."