Ray Condo

Rockabilly revivalist Ray Condo was born and raised in Hull, Quebec, picking up the guitar at age 12 and at 16, making his recorded debut with the British Invasion-influenced teen combo the Peasants. After a stay at art school, he spent several years kicking around the country and did not return to music until the mid-'70s, settling in Vancouver and joining a punk band, the Secret V's. Condo again drifted away from performing, however, and only after relocating to Montreal in 1984 did he form the Hardrock Goners, a cult-favorite quintet noted for its energetic blend of rockabilly, Chicago-style blues, traditional country, and Western swing. The group issued their debut LP, Crazy Date, on the Pipeline label in 1986, followed by albums including 1993's Hillbilly Holiday and 1994's Come On!. Homesick for Vancouver, however, Condo dissolved the Hardrock Goners soon after, forming the Ricochets in late 1994. The band's debut, Swing Brother Swing!, appeared a year later and was reissued on the West Side label in 1996. Subsequent outings include 1997's Door to Door Maniac, 1998's Condo Country, and 2000's High & Wild. Condo had taken time off from music after High & Wild, working for the Canadian National Rail for a time until deciding to return to music three years later. He was in the process of building a new band when he suffered a fatal heart attack and passed away in Vancouver in April of 2004. © Jason Ankeny /TiVo