About Tony Latimer

            Tony sang in church as a boy soprano. At highschool he had leads in numerous Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. His mother is a fine dancer who fostered in him a love of swing music, particularly Django Reinhart, along with the great American jazz musicians. As dancing is a great part of Australian culture, American popular dance music had a strong hold on his musical attention in the 1950's. Early influences ranged from Hank Williams to Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers.
            In the 1960's, along with all his friends, he spent his time between Jazz clubs and Folk coffee houses. He was greatly influenced by Martyn Wyndham-Read, a fine English musician who was then resident in Australia. Having always been involved with boats and the sea, he naturally gravitated towards Forebitters and Sea Shanteys.
            In Melbourne he studied Graphic Design and Art, while working in advertising agencies. In 1964 he left Australia, travelling extensively in the far east, working as a freelance artist.
      In 1966 he immigrated from Hong Kong to Canada, just in time for the great Centennial party of 1967. It was a period of great political turmoil, in which Tony was involved by teaming up with his sailing crewmate Paul Kirby, to open Ghandi House - and to act as Art Director for Paul's highly regarded underground newspaper "Logos" in Montreal. During this time they were both leading double lives - Political activists and International Dragon Class racing crew, coming second in the 1967 Canadian Championships.
            After the great days of 1967 and 1968, Paul went out west to start the Caravan Stage Company while Tony went to sea. Environmental concerns had caused him to abandon his area of expertise in advertising, but it left him without a career. The music of Gordon Lightfoot, Ian & Sylvia and particularly Ry Cooder had captured his attention, inspiring him to take up guitar. Tony lived in the Caribbean for about six years in the 70's, honing his skills as a boat designer, builder and sailor. All the while he played and wrote music where ever the wind took him. While delivering sailing vessels he played waterfront bars from Long Isand New York, and Newport Rhode Island to Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, and the Virgin Islands.
            As time passed, he developed fantasies of designing and buiding a schooner aboard which to live, travel, draw, play music, and raise a family. It became an all consuming madness, occupying all of his time and earning capacity for most of the next twenty years.

            After an extensive career in the marine field he blended this with his experience on stage to presrnt a compelling and popular television personality             During these wonderful adventures he wrote these songs.