I was thinking back to my days living in a storefront studio on Ossington Ave. back in the mid-80s. I really liked that place and had all kinds on interesting adventures back when I lived there.  Ossington back then was a mish-mash of businesses. Portuguese kitchen shops. A bakery that sold me stale pastries. A variety store that sold me stale milk. Some fish stores up at Dundas. A few artists sprinkled here and there. A printer. The drunk tank. A booze-can. Around the corner on Queen, a fortune teller.

Back then I thought some of the best live music happening in Toronto was being made by a guy who called himself Handsome Ned. I think we first saw him as a singer in a rockabilly outfit called The Sidewinders. Then later he played the Cameron regularly, and some of the other local places too, solo and with his band.  He also had a radio show on CKLN that I think was called the Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor Show. I believe it was early in 87 when Handsome Ned died. I recall it seemed like a huge loss for our community at the time.

Here’s a video I found on the YouTube machine featuring Handsome Ned performing Steel Rail Blue.

And here are The Handsome Neds