Desilets to Don Brose and the Chords

North Bay has been home to a wide variety of talented musicians since its founding in 1882. This page lists musicians and bands from Desilets to Don Brose and the Chords.

Joseph Arthur “Art” Desilets. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Desilets, Joseph Arthur “Art”

Joseph was born in North Bay on Jan. 20, 1922. In 1939, he worked with the Ontario Northland Railway as a painter apprentice and from 1942 to 1945, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy. When he returned to the ONR he continued working as a painter and during the thirty-six years he was there, he became a paint foreman. As a young boy, Joseph played the trumpet with Thomas Burton Sr.’s ACT Band. In 1932, he began playing with the Nick Cangiano Orchestra with whom he played alongside for five years. During the 1950's, he played with the Northernaires. In the early 1960's, he played with Irwin Prescott's first band. He then began his own group called the Desi Quartet which played at the Elk' Club for four years. The members of the Desi Quartet were Norm Promaine, on the accordion, Caddy Petrolia, on bass, Addie Schiavo on drums and Joseph on the trumpet. For three years, he played with the 8th Field Squadron Band. He was also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 23, and a volunteer with the Heritage Railway. He married Pauline Patricia Calnen in 1943 and they had four sons and two daughters. Joseph died on August 5, 2006 at the age of 84.

Dicker, Ann

Ann was born in 1914, North Bay. When she was eleven, she started taking piano lessons. Her father had been a military band musician who played brass instruments. She completed her musical education in North Bay and obtained her music teacher's degree from the Royal Conservatory in 1953. She taught the piano and the organ for many years. Ann became the pianist for the North Bay Rotary Club in 1937. In 1977, the Club awarded her the "Paul Harris Fellowship Award" and in 1998 they honoured her with a scholarship in her name to be awarded to a music student with the highest marks in the area. In 1987, the Rotary Club honoured Ann with a gala party in recognition of her fifty years with them, and in 1989, she became the first woman member of the North Bay Club. Ann played for the Kiwanis Club for about 10 years. She played for the Rotary Songsters and was the organist for many years at Calvin Presbyterian and Trinity United Churches. Her radio program "Wings of Songs" was broadcast live on CFCH Radio for 16 years. She was secretary in the support staff section of the Ministry of Education, she joined in 1966 and worked for them for twelve years. Ann also worked as a clerk in the CPR Freight Office for 17 years and as a legal secretary for the law office of John Paquette. She was board secretary for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind for 9 years. In 2004, she was inducted into the North Bay Musicians and Entertainers Hall of Recognition. Ann passed away on May 5, 2007 at the age of 93.

Fred Dicker. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Dicker, Fred

Fred was born in North Bay in 1910. He worked as a welder on the C.P.R. for a period of 44 years. He also worked at Craig Bit in the heat treatment department and as a janitor. In 1959, he worked again with the C.P.R. in the car department. Fred took music lessons from Egidio Virgili, and as a child, he took lessons from Harry Gasson. He was 16 when he joined the Premier Band. He played both the trumpet and the alto horn. He was also a member of the Temiscaming and Northern Ontario Railway Band and the 8th Field Squadron Royal Canadian Engineers Band. He often assisted the Bert Lehman Orchestra, the Rocco Lucenti Orchestra and the Alfie Parisien Orchestra. He and his wife Marie McGillis had two children. His deep appreciation for music was passed on to them.

John Dicker Jr. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Dicker, John Jr.

John was born in North Bay, Dec. 17, 1941. He started playing double BB Bass in 1956, in High School. From1956 to 1960, he played both the Bass and the Euphonium in High School Bands and with the 8th Field Squadron Royal Canadian Engineers Band. He played alongside Mike Ricci and Johny Corbeil in the 8th Field Squadron Band. When he switched to only playing the Euphonium, John played alongside Caddy Petrolia and Stan Church. From 1956 to 1960, John played the baritone horn in the 547 Air Cadet Squadron Band, along with Peter Gallardi and Jack Dodgson. He "sat-in" with the North Bay Area Band several times during return visits to North Bay. He joined the Canadian Army Regular (Royal Canadian Corps of Signals) in September 1960. Starting that year, depending on where he was posted or transferred, he played in several community bands. After his service in the military, he played the Euphonium in the Ottawa Community Concert Band. He married Jo-anne Eaton in Feb, 1968. They had two children.

John Dicker Sr. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Dicker, John Sr.

John Dicker was born in Paignton, Devon, England, April 16, 1883. He joined the Garrison Artillary Band in the Portsmouth or Plymouth area as a bandsman, playing the Euphonium. He emigrated to Canada in 1905, returning to England in 1906 to marry Annie Louise Wonnacatt on April 19, 1907. John returned to Canada in that same year to live and work in Toronto Junction. He moved to North Bay in1908 and started working for the CPR. He eventually became a Boilermaker at the CPR’s shops in North Bay. He had four children, two of which took-up music, Fred and Ann. John played the solo Euphonium in various North Bay bands, including the Citizens' Band of 1913. He enrolled in the 228th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1916 which later became the 6th Battalion, Canadian Railway Troops. He served in France and Belgium, playing the Euphonium in the unit band. He was released from the Canadian Expeditionary Force May 21, 1919 and returned to North Bay. He died in 1934 in North Bay at the age of 50. He would be well remembered as a musician by members other than his immediate family, such as Caddy Petrolia and Bill Gasson.

John George “Jack” Diegel. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Diegel, John George “Jack”

John was born in 1903 in Logan Township, near Mitchell, Ont. He came to North Bay to work for the Temiscaming and Northern Ontario Railway in 1923; he worked as a clerk and at the time of his retirement was chief clerk. He was married to his wife, Adelia Hinz, in 1925. Until the 1960’s, he played the trumpet in city bands including the Temiscaming and Northern Ontario Railway Band and the 8th Field Squadron Band. He served as secretary-treasurer and librarian in the Temiscaming and Northern Ontario Railway Band for many years. He also played the lead trumpet for over thirty years. For his personal enjoyment, he played the violin. John was also a good vocalist; he sang in the church choir at the Redeemer Lutheran Church for many years. He passed away in 1971 when he was 68.

John Diegel. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Diegel, John

John was born in 1950 in North Bay. He started learning music in Public School under the leadership of Jim Sharp. While he was attending Chippewa Secondary School in 1965, he played with the North Bay Area Band. He played the oboe in the Waterloo Symphony. John is a violin, saxophone, clarinet, and string bass player as well. He received second prize in the all Canada Science Fair. He graduated from University of Waterloo in 1973 majoring in Physics. He worked for the Ontario Northland Railway Communication Computer Area for seven years and taught two years at Canadore College. At the same time that he was doing computer consultations, John was raising Hereford Beef Cattle on a 200 acre farm in Chisholm.

Ralph Diegel. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Diegel, Ralph

Ralph was born in 1926 and started playing the trumpet when he was eleven. He and his father, Jack Diegal, were playing with the Northern Ontario Railway Band in 1939 when it performed at the Toronto Exhibition. Ralph played with them as well as the Rocco Lucenti Orchestra until 1944 when he enlisted in the Navy. Returning from the navy in 1946, he continued with the T&NO Band, and then with the 8th Field Squadron Band until 1965. Ralph was chairman of the "Save the Band" fund in the mid-sixties and helped to raise nearly $10,000 to buy instruments and uniforms. He has been the bugler for Branch 23 of the Legion for many years, and he played with the North Bay Concert Band, the Salvation Army Brass Band, and Norm Mauro's Orchestra. Ralph’s son, John, was also a musician who played in country groups.

Fred Dominico. Photo courtesy of the Falconi Collection. Photographer unknown.

Dominico, Fred

Fred was born in North Bay in 1914. He worked for the North Bay Nugget as a plant superintendent for 50 years. He started playing percussion instruments when he was seventeen and took formal lessons from Charlie Parslow. During the 1930's, he played for many Scottish Hogmanany dances and square dance bands. He played with the Nick Cangiano Orchestra of the 1930's, then played with the Lucenti Orchestra during the 1940's. For seventeen years, Fred played with Rip Barham and the Sophisticates. In 1945 and 1946, he played with Curly McFarlane and the North Range Cowboys. This group played on the radio for an extended period of time. During the 1960's, he played with the Norm Mauro Orchestra and during the 1970's, he played with the Alley Cats. He joined the North Bay Concert Band in 1980 and was a member of the Powassan Lion's Band. He married Evelyn Kubisewcky in 1944 and they had two sons. Later, he married Muriel Nee Widner. On March 18, 2001, aged 87, he passed away.

Don Brose and the Chords

Besides Don Brose, the members that make up this band are, John Ranger, on the organ, John-Joe Vendetti, on drums, and Sven Pedersen, on lead guitar. Their musical career as a band really started when they performed at a Christmas party at the Chippewa Barracks. Don was told that if they did well, they would be invited to play at the New Year’s Eve party as well. They were, and after that they played in outlying districts. For five years, they worked at the Commodore Hotel. After this, they performed at the Voyager. Don Brose and the Chords recorded "Loving You From a Distance" in 1972. Written by former band member Dave Johnson, the song was released the 1973. The band promoted the single on its own, sending the record out to more than 230 radio stations.