It isn’t often that I get to interview a singer in a band. That’s what Larry Symynuk does. He sings in a band. He also plays guitar (and plays it well). My wife and I attended a session at the Caleb Seniors Residence to listen to a three-piece band called Keeping it Country. The group comprised Dennis Pidwerbeski on base, Duane Heintz on steel guitar and fiddle, and Larry Symynuk on vocals and guitar. I had heard Duane many times. In fact, he stepped in with my band a few times. He’s an awesome player. I had also heard Dennis Pidwerbeski a number of times. He’s a consummate musician and has played with all of the big name bands in the Battlefords over the years. But I had never met Larry or heard him sing. Were we surprized. He was good; actually he was really good – perfect pitch (which is a rarity in the local music community) and, as I found out later, he’s a first class guy – a pleasure to talk with.
I interviewed Larry on Nov. 15 at the Co-op Café. I completed the interview on Nov. 29 at Larry’s and Anna-Maria’s home in Denholm.
Larry was born at the farm on Aug. 26, 1939, to Peter Symynuk and Lena Symynuk (nee Nahirny), one of six children. He grew up on a farm east of Tessier by Goose Lake. He took Grades 1 to 9 at Tessier School and one year at Rosetown High School in Rosetown. Like many other kids, he had to ride a school bus every morning and afternoon.
After completing his Grade 10, Larry quit school and went to work in Saskatoon for Wilke’s Cycle Sales and Repair Shop. In 1957, he worked for Andah’s Esso Service Centre. Next, Larry was employed by Automobile Clearing House where he greased semi tractors. Later, he was employed at the Churchill Service Centre.
Larry married Betty Lou Climenhaga in 1962. Of this union were born two sons: Michael who is a tinsmith in Whitehorse, and Daniel who is a clerk for an electrical wholesale store in Saskatoon. In the same year as they married, they moved to Harris where Larry got a job on a farm. It was hard work but the farmer said that Larry was, “…the best farm hand ever – the best.” Larry worked there for two years and then got a job as a cat operator building roads for the rural municipality of Harris. After one season of building roads, Larry moved over to the Outlook Dam Project where he worked for a time as a pump crete operator. Then Larry and his family moved to Kindersley in 1963 where Larry worked as a road grader operator. In 1964, Larry was lucky enough to land a job with the CNR as an express clerk for nine years and then as an engine watchman fueling the diesel engines for five years. Then, unfortunately, Larry and Betty Lou called it quits.
In 1976, Larry moved to the Richard area (near Speers) where he worked for the rural municipality of Douglas as a grader operator. He lived in Richard. Larry also rented an Eaton’s mail order house – two and one half stories high (shipped by train and assembled on site in the 1930s). It had a nice fireplace but the heat went up the chimney
In 1977, Larry bought the Haans Pflug farm near Mayfair (five miles south) but continued with the grader operator until 1982 when his back problems forced him to quit. Along with farming, Larry did odd jobs for farmers in the area. He also built three outdoor furnaces, one of which he has used to heat his home for 12 years (in Mayfair).
In 1978, Larry and Anna-Maria Paslawski were married. They both love animals and the outdoors, and raising cattle and Katahdin sheep. In 1994, they sold their cattle but continued with sheep until 2005. At this point, Larry and Anna-Maria decided to sell their farm. They had their sale on May 1, 2005. Larry and Anna-Maria were very successful at farming a half section of land. They named their farm Sheep-ee Hollow. Interestingly, they had up to 55 customers whom they supplied with lamb meat.
They retired to a spacious home on a large lot at Denholm. They are still busy with their hobbies, which include fishing, gardening and repairing garden tractors, and travelling.
Larry’s musical career:
At first, Larry felt he had not inherited his father’s musical ability but, after a time, he realized he had. Larry was a small and skinny boy, but he loved to sing. While he was milking cows, he would practice singing in a low key. And he would practice singing low when he was driving a John Deere tractor. (As a side note, Larry’s sister, Marg Crozier, residing in Biggar, wrote Larry’s story, much of which I am using to write this story.)
Larry’s dad’s guitar, a Maybelle, was a fixture in the Symynuk house but Larry had little interest in it. Then, when he was 17, Larry’s dad bought him a red and black sunburst, arch top Silvertone guitar. Larry started taking an interest in playing it when he was about 17. He learned how to chord, and sang while he was working on the farm. He also sang at parties. Larry sang Sonny James (Young Love) at an amateur hour in Harris on April 7, 1957. He got second, which was a great accomplishment. Bill Storey was the Master of Ceremonies. While he was living in Kindersley, Larry took a few years to hone his singing and playing skills. Then, at age 30, Larry joined a band, the Trail Riders country band (based in Kindersley) as lead singer and rhythm guitar player. The band included Ralph Donahue, a great player on steel guitar, and Bill Haffermehl on base and lead guitar. Larry learned a lot from these two musicians. Drummer Larry Gertner was also in the band. The group played in a variety of venues including Kindersley night clubs, Coleville, Provost, Unity, Leader and Eatonia. Larry was with this band for eight years.
At this point, Larry moved to Richard where he sang and played guitar at house parties. Larry subsequently moved to Mayfair and bought a farm. Larry was back to singing and playing guitar by himself, and at old folks’ homes in Spiritwood, Rabbit Lake, Hafford and Cutknife. He accomplished this by himself – no band to accompany him.
At about this time, Larry bought a VOX amplifier (like the Beatles had). He begin to sing and play in more distant places like North Battleford. He played in all of the seniors’ homes solitaire – all good country music. Shortly thereafter, he partnered with bass player Wally Koralchuk who played bass and was MCr. Sadly, Walter Koralchuk passed away on Aug. 19, 2005. Don Heppner, an excellent lead guitar player (Chet Atkins style) teamed up with Larry. Sadly, Don passed away as well on Aug. 24, 2012. Dennis Pidwerbeski, a truly great musician, joined the duo. Larry and Dennis persuaded Duane Heinze to join them and to form an excellent three-piece band. Keeping it Country has been together for 15 years and is characterized as being one of the best bands in the business. They play venues regularly, at the Western Development Museum, senior homes in the Battlefords area, and the Le King’s Restaurant in Battleford.
Larry noted he gets nervous before he sings and plays at a function. He’s on edge and lacks confidence – even after playing all these years. He remembers the words but still uses lyric sheets (join the club). He confesses it’s a crutch but it works.
While still on the farm at Mayfair, Larry made a CD – “Country Favorites.” It was pressed by Wayne Warren Studios. Later, Dennis Pidwerbeski cut a CD in his basement studio – Keeping it Country (featuring Dennis, Larry and Don).
In conclusion, it has been truly an honour to spend some time with Larry and Anna-Maria to detail Larry’s life story and musical career. Larry is one of the finest singers in the Battlefords. And, he’s a first class gentleman to boot. I am proud to know both Larry and Anna-Maria
