William and the Shadows – an extraordinary musician and band. I interviewed William Prescesky at the Co-op Café on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 at one o’clock.
William was born June 13, 1938, to Mike Prescesky and Mary Prescesky (nee Mantuk). He took Grades 1 to 9 at the Wavy Bank School near Ruddell. He completed Grades 10 and 11 at the Convent of the Child Jesus (COCJ) in North Battleford. After he left school, beginning in 1956, William farmed (a mixed farm for many years and then straight grain towards the end) with his dad for 10 years. William related that he and his dad always had good John Deere equipment. William took over the farm and managed the business until 1990 at which time he retired (28 years ago).
William will turn 80 in June. He has played music for over 70 years. He could be the oldest musician in the area and also played the longest. William is in good health. At his age, he can still jump up on a three-foot stage.
William is married to Margurite. Unfortunately, she had cancer 15 years ago but today she is cancer-free. William related that Margurite was a great supporter of the band and his musical career. She is also a good dancer. Sadly, William’s first wife, and also his second wife, died of cancer. William has five children: Debbie, who sadly passed away, Murray, who is in chemical sales in Edmonton, Steven, William’s adopted son and who works in the oil patch in Alberta, Sharon is a nurse at the Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH), and Galyn who is a dietician at the BUH. William also has 10 grandchildren.
William’s musical career:
William started playing in 1944 at the age of six when he was in Grade 1. His dad bought him and his brother Vic a brand new accordion. Vic played the fiddle and William played the accordion. At a young age, the two brothers played for two wedding dances at Wavy Bank and Lilac schools respectively. It was the 50s and William’s musical career was progressing quickly. William and Vic began playing with Bill Buttery and Bill Thrower in venues like Ruddell, Maymont, Fielding and Denholm. The band’s name was The Ruddell Revelers. Then William and Vic struck out on their own. Vic played the sax and William, of course, played the accordion. The two brothers played for weddings and anniversaries. Then Vic hooked up with other groups and William played with other bands in North Battleford including Pete Bahrey for two years. In 1974, he formed the band Country Roads which played as many as 76 times a year. The band folded in 1989. William freelanced for a few months and then put together a band called The Wanderers. The band stayed together for three and one half years at which point William shut this band down and formed William and the Shadows. William is the leader. Band members include the following, each with a short biography:
William Prescesky – As mentioned, William started playing fiddle at the age of six. The in 1946, young William was asked to play accordion for two wedding dances. Over the years, William formed four bands. He is currently the leader of William and the Shadows, the band he formed 27 years ago. William related that he likes to make people happy.
Elizabeth Hostra – Elizabeth plays a rhythm guitar and pairs up with Leroy Manske on vocal numbers. She then switches to her six-string guitar for old tIme dance music. On Clay Kentucky (a CD), Elizabeth overdubbed her banjo for a fuller, richer sound. In addition, her vocals add the dimension and variety to The Shadows that make for a special touch for a truly entertaining performance. William said that he was so glad to have met Elizabeth. Elizabeth thanked the guys in the group for knowing how to have fun. She noted that making the CD (discussed later) was a great experience. She also mentioned that she missed her mom and dad, and felt fortunate that she grew up in a home where music was loved and encouraged.
Dale Paulow – Dale is the drummer. William noted that Dale keeps the band in time, keeps the pace and provides the dance tempo which is accurate and at the same time provides excellent style and improvisation for the vocal line-up that everyone enjoys. Dale related that he had played with William and the Shadows for seven years. He also plays with a wide variety of other groups when the opportunity arises.
Gerald Daviduke – Gerald plays lead guitar, acoustic guitar and electric bass. On one occasion, the band needed a bass player. Gerald picked up a bass guitar and played it like he had always played it. He is gifted and talented with a solid and bold style as evident in the quality of his musicianship on the CD. David has been playing music since he was 12 years old and has played in various bands over the years. His love for music encompasses all types and styles. Gerald’s main motivation is to see people dance and enjoy the music.
Leroy Manske. Leroy related that his Grandma McPeek passed away a year before he was born. Yet she was a major musical influence on his family’s life. On many occasions he had heard the older generation talk about his (Leroy’s) musical talent and his insatiable need to play anything with strings, made of brass, or that had keys. Grandma McPeek had a picture of Leroy and his brothers and their band on the bookshelf. They were a dance band and played for many community events. As a young child, Leroy would look at Grandma McPeek’s picture and dream and hope of being part of band. His dream came true. Leroy did not pursue his interest until later in life. Grandma McPeek had left a small inheritance to Leroy, and his mother and sister (who unfortunately had passed away when Leroy was two). Grandma wanted this money to be used to keep her memory alive. It seemed a natural fit to buy a guitar and learn how to play it. His sister named the guitar “Grandma McPeek.” Years later, Leroy found the courage to play with a band in front of people. It was surprising but Leroy found that musicians and non-musicians alike gave him a great deal of support and encouragement. Seeing the dance floor full brings him back to the picture on Grandma’s bookshelf. His heart fills with pride considering what he is today – a small part of the McPeek family’s musical legacy. “I am truly fortunate to be a member of the William and the Shadows band. And, it’s an honour to also be a part of William Prescesky’s musical legacy.”
William noted that the band plays all over Saskatchewan and in Alberta, including prestigious places like Dance Land in Watrous. Remarkably, the band has been together for 24 years. They currently play 25 to 30 times a year.
William has owned many accordions over the years, 10 or so before he bought an electronic accordion. In 1974, he purchased his first electronic accordion. He’s had nine since. William noted that electronic accordions sell for as much as $27,000. His latest accordion cost $20,000. William related that the only way to find out if an accordion is any good is to try it out. If it’s a good accordion, buy it.
One of the highlights of William’s musical career was cutting a CD in March of 2016. The CD was recorded at Keyteck Studios and Duplicating in Hague. The owners are Wes and Sharon Friesen. The standard price to record a CD was $5,000, but since it only took two days to record, the price was reduced to $3,500. To give the reader an idea of the versatility and depth of the band, here are the selections on the CD: 1. Moonlight Waltz, 2. I Had a Beautiful Time, 3. Franky’s Polka, 4. River Road, 5. Whitko Waltz, 6. Catfish John, 7. Vic’s Polka, 8. If You Love Me Let Me Know, 9. Feather Waltz, 10. Clay Kentucky, 11. Red Ravin Polka, 12. All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down. The selections speak for themselves.
I asked William to give me a couple of “good band stories.” He did. On one occasion in 1955, William and friends were playing at a local school dance. He put his accordion down and went to talk to some people. He forgot about his accordion and backed over it. That hurt. On another occasion in the 1980s William and his band were booked to play bar music. When they got there, they proceeded to haul in their equipment and set up on the stage. At this point, another band started hauling their equipment in. The hotel had double booked. The other band intended to take the owner to court. They finally dropped it because William and the Shadows were booked first and were the first to set up on the stage.
William noted that over the years, his main goal was to make people happy – to see the floor full and people dancing and singing to the music.
In conclusion, it was my privilege to able to write this article on the longest playing and a premier musician in the Battlefords and area – William Prescesky.
