Nobody could have been as excited as l when l saw in the Downhomer a special release of 42 songs from Ryan's Fancy. I was on the phone to order those immediately. While l knew l would love all the songs picked, l especially hoped one favourite song would have made the cut.

When l first married a Newfoundlander and came to Central Newfoundland, l fell in love with the Irish and English tunes. Never having heard any of this music in northern Ontario, l had no idea how much it would appeal to me. Then Ryan's Fancy got their own television series and l would watch them every week. We owned several of their eight-track tapes and played them in our van as we drove around town or went with the kids out to the bay. The music would play and our oldest girl Monica would sing along with the songs. On a visit to Ontario to see my parents, Monica would sing her favourite song from their collection for her grandmother. Mom loved to hear her sing.

I think it was 1979 when Ryan's Fancy came to Grand Falls to perform. I took Monica and it was such a thrill for us to sit through a show and meet them in the lobby after. Monica even gave Dermot O'Reilly a kiss on the cheek.

Years later Monica asked me to look for tapes of their music and if l found any, to buy the one with our favourite song on it. I found one tape in Toronto at Sam the Record Man, but alas the song was not there. After that l forgot about it and believed l would never hear their music again. So imagine my surprise when l read the Downhomer and there was the CD offered for purchase. As soon as it arrived l tore open the package and scanned the contents. There it was, number 12, "Coal Town Road."

P.S. enclosed are two pictures of that evening.

  Submitted By: Jean Way