\ ETOBICOKE \

A little article I wrote in my to-nite magazine in August of 2002 about bass player and singer Kenny Forde, who was remembered Sunday May 21 at a private service following his recent passing at 52 years of age, perhaps summed up how he was perceived by many on the Etobicoke music scene.

“A longtime local musical icon and constant subject of conversation,” I wrote, Kenny “would be well suited to a game of Musical Survivor.

“He’s one of those talents you can never count out of the game, no matter how many times he seems to have played his last card.

“The effervescent, excitable and always entertaining go-getter reassembles his Funken Hippies Rock/Blues ensemble this Friday Aug. 9 for a night of staying afloat while exploring all the crests and troughs at Waves Sports Bar.”

As anyone who knows him can attest, Kenny had plenty of highs and lows in his life and was always an animated, vibrant persona, who sometimes let his passions get the better of him.

Gigs that I attended during the late 90s and early part of the current millennium by the Funken Hippies, which also featured guitarist Joe Polito, were always lively and often unpredictable but never boring.

Forde was also a fairly regular presence at the Sunday night jams at Southside Johnny’s in Etobicoke and was an undeniably talented player who may well have gone further in the business had he been able to better control his temper.

Polito, who announced Kenny’s death a couple of weeks ago, mentioned that he and Forde had been talking just recently about relaunching their band but a shoulder injury Polito suffered had delayed that until too late.  No information has been released about the cause of death.

Along with other close friends and family who attended the service at Ridley Funeral Home in Etobicoke, Polito indicated that he was hoping to put together a musical memorial show for his departed bandmate perhaps some time this coming August.

-Gary 17, TorontoMoon.ca