GULOIEN, Nels Howard (Howie)

On September 13, 1995 Mr. Howard Guloien of Edmonton passed away.
Born February 8, 1923 in Wadena, Saskatchewan, the fifth of eight children to Norwegian parents, Nels and Hazel. Having learned the saxophone at the age of 13, Howard had a deep devotion to music. At the age of 16, he left the family farm to join his brothers in pursuing a lifelong career in music. He served for four years with the R.C.A.F. band during World War II. While stationed in St. Thomas, Ontario, he met June Louise MacArthur whom he later married in 1948 after serving two years overseas. They settled in Edmonton so that he could play at the newly opened Trocadero Ballroom. He later joined Northwestern Utilities where he worked for over 35 years, until his retirement in 1985. During his 59 year musical career, he enjoyed playing with numerous local orchestras. After 39 years of marriage, his beloved wife passed away. Howard continued to enjoy the company of his family and many friends. Howard was a strong, kindhearted, gentle man who will be greatly missed...

HARRY BOON, musician and radio personality

Since anybody bothered keeping records, there have been signposts in Edmonton's remarkable musical history; moments and events that caused great positive changes. They started pretty early in the 19th Century, and they still continue. One of them occurred in 1946, when the Trocadero Ballroom opened on the site of the former Empire Theatre. The big house band from the opening day was Bob Lyon and his Serenade in Blue. The Trocadero was a magnificent place. The balcony railings were in the form of musical staves, with the notes of the melody of Serenade in Blue etched on the lines. It immediately became the social centre of our city.

Bob Lyon (Robert Lyon Rutherford) was a good and practical bandleader, as well as one of the proprietors of the Trocadero; and he knew that in Edmonton, which was regularly visited by the best of the big traveling bands, he had to have a band of first-rate musicians. So he imported a number of them, including the wonderful pianist Harry Boon.

Harry immediately became a mainstay of Edmonton's burgeoning music scene. In those days, every radio station still aired live music in broadcasts from their studios, and Harry was heard (along with Ralph"Tubby" Mumford) regularly on CJCA. He played in the permanent band at the Trocadero of course, and came to be its leader when Bob Lyon retired from the stage to management. When CBC radio and television came to Edmonton, Harry was the main man. His excellent arranging skills and capacity to extract the very best from his sidemen made him the first-call pianist and bandleader in our city. When the Glengarry Club opened, Harry took his band to that lovely and intimate club, where he stayed until it closed, continuing his broadcast work as well.

              ---Ida and Tommy Banks and Peggy Miller

 
Those of us who had the pleasure of knowing, moreso, the privilage of playing with HARRY BOON will be greatly saddened to learn he passed away on December 10th, 2006 in Kelowna BC.

Harry, without any doubt, was a "musician's musician", a superb jazz pianist as well as capable of scoring commercial music on many radio commercials, etc. Harry was THE pianist around Edmonton during the era of the TROCADERO BALLROOM....he was there right from the very beginning when the Troc opened its doors. Harry had many radio shows on CJCA and the CBC Radio Network. In his later years, he "retired" to Vancouver. However he kept active in music and was always in demand.

Notification of Harry's passing was relayed to me by his former bassist and friend of mine, Bud Sollitt of Salt Spring Island.

              ---George Lake

I had met Harry during a couple of Tommy Banks' shows in the late 70's early 80's. A very nice man who was an excellent musician. I'm sorry to hear that he's passed.

              ---Charlie Austin