Dave Cairns (vocals, drums)
Joe Agnello (bass)
Newton Garwood (keyboards)
Gord Waszek (guitar)
Wally Cameron (drums; replaced Cairns)
Lance Wright (drums; replaced Cameron)
Craig Kaleal (drums; replaced Wright)
Buzz Shearman (vocals; replaced Cairns)
Bruno Weckerle (organ; replaced Garwood)
Don Elliot (bass; replaced Agnello)
Doni Underhill (bass; replaced Underhill)
Earl Johnson (guitar)
Terry Juric (bass)
Bill Wade (drums)
Leigh Ashford founders Gord Waszek (guitar) and Joe Agnello (bass) had musical connections dating back to Toronto in the early '60's while the two were members of G.W. And The Demons at Riverdale High School with drummer Don Nolan and vocalist Allen Ashby (and later drummer John Wathen). Waszek was well known around the area as a great guitarist and would teach a young kid named Hughie Leggat how to play. (Leggat, of course, would go on to form Lords Of London/Nucleus with Agnello's brother Sebastian some time later).
Fresh out of high school, the two opted to pursue the best avenue for an aspiring musician in those days - the R & B scene. Agnello joined The Ambassadors and Waszek joined the Lee Ashford Blues Band. But, a turn of events would bring Agnello and Waszek back together in short time when Lee Ashford folded leaving guitarist Waszek and organist Newton Garwood free to join Agnello and new drummer David Cairns (Tom And Ian And The Soul Set) as sidemen for the popular 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 -- this time with a more English prefix of Leigh -- and concocting a fictitious historical background to validate the name as that of a supposed infamous prostitute.
After pounding away, endlessly on the burgeoning Toronto rock scene for two years. A highlight of their stage show was opening gigs with the theme to "2001: A Space Odyssey". Word got around and Guess Who producer Jack Richardson scooped the act up for his own Nimbus 9 Records.
But subsequent studio work to produce an album failed when Cairns took ill, was replaced in the studio for the bed-tracks by Wally Cameron (A Passing Fancy) and only one useable track resulted in the long forgotten single "Country Place".
An attempt to get Cairns back in gear failed and Lance Wright (Terry & The Pyrates) filled in until permanent replacement Craig Kaleal (The Witness) was enlisted. A new vocalist, Buzz Shearman, was also brought in to round-out the line-up.
With a release from their Nimbus 9 deal, the band kept busy in the clubs, and occasional studio work, and as 1970 wore on, Newton Garwood was replaced by Bruno Weckerle on keyboards.
Yet, in 1971, Mort Ross's Revolver Records soon picked up the band and sent them into a New York Studio to produce the 'Kinfolk' album. While in New York, Leigh Ashford would do opening slots for The Who (at The Rockpile) and Vanilla Fudge.
Things were looking bright for the band as the album's first single, "Dickens", began gaining attention. They returned to Canada where they played 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 failed single of Waszezk originals -- "Workin' All Day/The Country's Got A Soul Of Its Own". With the departure of bassist Elliott, the Leigh Ashford name was abandoned for the more colourful Burgundy before, it too failed to chart a single.
With Leigh Ashford banging its collective head against a wall, Waszek and Underhill decided to jump ship for the more affluent 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 Fingers with Waszek and finally on to join Trooper; Garwood was last seen as store manager for Long & McQuade in Toronto; 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.
Leigh Ashford received a fitting tribute by Pacemaker Records in 1997 with the release of 'Kinfolk' on CD; Bruce Weckerle died July 10, 2004 of complications from a stroke in 2003; Newton Garwood, who had worked for years at Long & McQuade music store's head office in Toronto, died of cancer November 4, 2005;
with notes from Gary 17, Bill Munson, Mary Weckerle, and Sebastian Agnello.
Singles
1970 Country Place (Nimbus 9) [with David Cairns on vocals]
1971 Dickens (Revolver) [with Buzz Shearman on vocals]
1971 Never Give Myself (Revolver)
1971 Good Day (Revolver)
1972 Workin' All Day/The Country's Got A Soul All Its Own (Hopi)
Albums
1971 Kinfolk (Revolver)
1997 Kinfolk [re-issue] (Pacemaker)
Video
Collaboration Tracks
with SEBASTIAN AGNELLO
1970 'Sebastian' [Leigh Ashford appears on "Jimmy, Janis and Alan"]
Compilation Tracks
1971 "Workin' All Day" on 'Concept' (ARC) - compilation
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