MacDOUGALL, John

[Dan MacDonald]

John MacDougall was a truely distinctive person among the many Cape Breton fiddlers, highly respected by one and all.  He had a knowledge of old music (tunes, names, composers, etc) that was remarkable and he had a gift for the new tunes that was unrivalled.  At last count he was approaching his goal of 35,000 compositions.  I wonder if he made it.

John was a solitary figure, living alone but accessable to all.  If you wanted to talk fiddles, fiddlers, and fiddle tunes, he was your man.  Over the years he has helped and influenced many players, most recently Ian MacDougall (his grand-nephew), and Robbie & Isaac Fraser (with whom he shared playing duties at the Distillery for many years).

He will be missed.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike LITTLE" <mike.little at ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <cbmusic at locals.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 8:33 AM
Subject: MacDOUGALL, John


> sadly another Cape Breton Fiddler dies.
> 
> 
> http://thechronicleherald.ca/announcements/display.php? 
> anntype=obituaries~2008/12/17~16800601
> 
> MacDOUGALL, John
> 83, passed away on Tuesday, December 16, 2008, in Inverness  
> Consolidated Memorial Hospital. Born at home in Egypt on April 17,  
> 1925, he was a son of the late George and Margaret (MacLellan)  
> MacDougall. John was a member of Stella Maris Church, Inverness. John  
> is survived by half-sisters, Georgina Musgrave, New Waterford; Rita  
> Picano, Ontario; Kay Guthro, Frenchvale, and special cousin, Matilda  
> (George) Ingraham, Kenloch. He was a member of the Cape Breton  
> Fiddlers Association and was the first teacher of now known fiddlers.  
> John was well-known for his love of the fiddle and played at Glenora  
> Disterely and many a dance and house party. He will be missed by his  
> friends, neighbors and community. John was predeceased by his sister,  
> Mary AuCoin (New Waterford). Visitation will be in Inverness Funeral  
> Home, today from 7-9 p.m. and Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral  
> mass will be held on Friday, December 19, at 11 a.m. in Stella Maris  
> Church, Inverness with Father Duncan MacIsaac officiating. Burial to  
> follow in the parish cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the  
> Stella Maris Church Repair Fund or to Central Inverness Palliative  
> Care Society, Inverness. On-line condolences may be sent to:  
> invernessfuneral at ns.aliantzinc.ca
> 
> 
> take care
> 
> Mike & Marg  www.cbchoices.com
> mike.little at ns.sympatico.ca
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.cbmusic.com