WINNIPEG -- Randy Bachman took care of some business at his former high school yesterday.

The Guess Who/Bachman-Turner Overdrive guitarist was the special guest at a ceremony to announce the construction of a new performing arts facility at West Kildonan Collegiate, which will be named after him.

"It's pretty amazing," he said.

"The last time we played this kind of music here it was verboten, now they're getting taught it by (Guess Who bassist) Bill Wallace."

KICKED OUT

Bachman attended grades 10 and 11 at the Main Street School in the late 1950s and played his first public show there in a band called The Embers. He was kicked out for playing hangman in his literature class and eventually graduated from Garden City Collegiate.

He said it was an honour having the building named after him, although he admitted it was ironic since he was booted out.

"You never dream about things like this. You never think, 'What if I have a hit record?' You just want to be in a band," he said.

Before the ceremony Bachman strapped on a guitar and played the BTO hit Taking Care of Business with the school's senior jazz band.

The students said they all knew of Bachman's legacy, with most of them having heard of his bands from their parents.

"I grew up on the Guess Who because of my dad. He was proud someone from north Winnipeg became famous," said Victoria Stevenson, 15, who sang for Bachman with the school's vocal jazz group.

Jazz band guitarist Josh Piche, 17, has been a fan of Bachman's for as long as he can remember and cites him as an inspiration.

"I really like his style. He shows how much the power of one note has. Some people can play a hundred notes, and he can do the same thing with just one," he said.

In a weird twist of fate, Guess Who bassist Wallace was hired as the school's music teacher this year.

He wrote the charts for Taking Care of Business from scratch after learning a week ago Bachman would be attending the school.

RARE OPPORTUNITY

"A lot of these kids are good musicians, but when they get out of school they'll never touch their instruments again, so this is an exciting thing for them to do," he said.

Tenor saxophonist Samantha Procyshyn, 16, said the opportunity to play with Bachman was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It's cool because he came here and it gives us hope that we can follow our dreams, too," she said.

The idea to name the arts wing after Bachman was sparked by Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh, who wanted to recognize a community success story. The plan was approved by the Seven Oaks School Division last month.

Construction on the facility should begin next year and be completed by the fall of 2005.