Tim Lawson

So Many Stories Lawson was a successful businessman and entrepreneur before deciding to pursue his lifelong passion, music. He had first picked up a guitar at age ten, after falling in love with the music of the Beatles, still a key inspiration. "When I returned to music, I was totally committed to trying to recapture that spark, that energy, I had felt when I was playing music years ago."

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My new sounds:

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Biography - Tim Lawson

TIM LAWSON

In 2004 Tim Lawson and his band released their 7th studio album enititled So Many Stories. Indeed. B.C.- based singer/songwriter Tim Lawson has plenty of his own to tell. The possessor of a keen and inquiring intellect, this well-travelled troubadour is also an eloquent teller of the stories of others. This ability has helped earn Tim a devoted audience in Canada and Europe, and it is shown once more on this superb fifth album. "There is no shortage of stories around if you start talking to people," says Lawson. "It is just amazing, the stories they have. I'm lucky to be a person with a microphone, but so many other people have stories worth hearing." As Tim sings on the album's title track, "Painting with words, melodies like songs, So many stories, old and new." His own story is a fascinating one. Lawson was a successful businessman and entrepreneur before deciding to pursue his lifelong passion, music. He had first picked up a guitar at age ten, after falling in love with the music of the Beatles, still a key inspiration. "When I returned to music, I was totally committed to trying to recapture that spark, that energy, I had felt when I was playing music years ago." Lawson never tackles anything half-heartedly. The release of his debut CD, The Quiet Canadian, in 1997 signalled the arrival of a major new musical talent. Tim's highly literate yet always accessible songs were perfectly complemented by his warmingly mellow and melodic voice and the stellar musicianship of a band comprising some of British Columbia's very best players. His sophomore 1999 release, The Right Way On, helped Lawson establish a following in Europe. And in 2000, Lest We Forget, a collection of songs around the theme of Remembrance, was designated to help raise money for The Royal Canadian Legion's Poppy Fund by donating five dollars from every sale. 2002 saw two new albums.  Please No Talking demonstrated Lawson's continued growth as an artist, and elicited more rapturous reviews. Irish journalist Lee Mac wrote that "Lawson is a poet, songwriter, singer, a man with a message and the lyrics to make it happen."   The Sunday World's Eddie Rowley praised "a passion that sweeps the listener along," and concert dates in Europe were received with equal fervour. Lest We Forget II continued the Remembrance theme with profits to the Royal Canadian Legion.

As mentioned, In 2004 Tim and the band released So Many Stories to much critical acclaim. The album has also helped broaden awareness, and to raise more than $50,000 for HIV/AIDS in Africa. 2005 saw the release of the latest TLB album, At A Loss For Words. The lyrical and musical strengths of his earlier work are both duplicated and built upon on this, his strongest work to date. The sterling contributions of his musical comrades are recognized by the last three records bearing the name of 'The Tim Lawson Band.'  "It's not about ego," explains Tim. "It's about credit where credit is due, and to recognize that Chip [keyboardist Richard Sera], Ray [Harvey, guitarist], and the other band members are integral to The Tim Lawson Band."  The others are: guitarist Lee Smith, harmonica player Keith Bennett, drummer Ronnie Baran, and bassist John Dryden. They have all graced Tim's earlier records, and their musical empathy shines through the grooves. Sera and Harvey are credited as co-producers with Lawson, and Tim describes their input as invaluable. "They work in our studio on an ongoing basis. We work on a song as a team, trying to hear the possibilities. I refer to it as musical brainstorming. We are able to take ideas and put them on the table. It doesn't matter if they're silly ideas, they may spawn brilliant ideas". Tim explains, "the process of recording music has never been easier, but I like the idea of 'no challenge, no fun.'  If you give yourself an Olympic-sized challenge and can execute the high dive, then you have something you can take pride in accomplishing.  I love that exploration, when you are in the moment, listening to a part presented in a certain way, or a certain effect being put in.   We then see if we miss it if it's gone. We joke here that we want to host the annual Ismore awards, named in honour of Les!" The results of that process are audible on At A Loss For Words. The Tim Lawson Band comprises seven musicians, plus the backing vocals of Saffron and Camille Henderson, but their sound is never cluttered or over-produced.  The focus remains on the voice and the lyrics but the inventive arrangements and ever-crisp musicianship certainly enhance both. Lawson's approach to songwriting is spontaneous and unforced, another secret to his creative success. "Often I will just be sitting at the kitchen table and I will find a couple of lines in a half hour.  Over the course of a week, maybe the song will come through. Sometimes I'll just leave it, as I have faith it will come on its own. If it feels right after repeated singing, then I figure we are going down the right track. We are following the song's lead, as opposed to trying to impose something on it." There are certain recurring themes in Tim's material, such as his deep love for his wife Karola, one he has explored in many facets.  He also moves from the personal to the universal with ease, showing real courage in tackling such global subjects as the war on AIDS, via the powerful closing song, "Why Me", the destruction of the rainforest, and the need for Remembrance of those who have fought for our freedoms. Lawson also profiles people whose lives well lived can serve as an inspiration to the rest of us.  A towering figure in Tim's life was Sir William Stephenson, also known as The Man Called Intrepid.  This wartime hero turned humanitarian was the subject of the title song of "The Quiet Canadian", and the Lawson-owned publishing company Timberholme Books scored a best-seller with their work, The True Intrepid: Sir William Stephenson and the Unknown Agents. Another example is that of Lady Di, depicted eloquently in the So Many Stories track, "Barefoot Princess."  The purchase of Tim Lawson albums should not be viewed as totally altruistic acts, however. The genuine listening pleasures they provide surely ensures that. This is a man of So Many Stories and his compelling recordings definitely merit your close attention.

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Dear Friends

From Vancouver, BC, we'd like to send you all warm wishes and the spirit of springtime and renewal. Please have patience as our website is in a similar state!

Tim Lawson has always been a person who put his heart behind the music, and is a tireless optimist and believer in the future.  With the help of a good team, he has a history of using his music to help raise much-needed funds, and awareness, for a number of excellent causes.

For the past couple of years, Tim and the band have not been touring, due to many happy circumstances in their lives.  They all consider themselves very lucky to have the quality of life we enjoy here in British Columbia, and believe this is reflected in the music.

Tim and the band continue to support charitable causes and try to help make our world better through new opportunitie.   The core of our latest album At A Loss For Words is the combination of Lawson’s warm, melodic voice and his insightful and compassionate lyrics.   His six long-time bandmates and guest backing singers, Camille and Saffron Henderson, add a musical richness that resonates in listeners' souls.  Tim, an ambassador for MS, feels privileged to be "some sort of catalyst, both musically and substantively."

Having raised over $75,000 for The Royal Canadian Legion and $50,000 for HIV/AIDS in Africa, the band hopes that their efforts will continue to help raise awareness, above all.  Lawson states, "It all adds up - the combined energy of a wide group of people can be astounding in effect - and if you don't go for it, you'll never get it!"

And, as Sir William would quote (loosely from the Bible), don't forget, "A merry heart doeth good like medicine." (!)

Thanks for visiting our website - good luck in all your personal endeavours.

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The Langley Advance - Article by Angela Wiebe

Music: Local musician's song touch charities A local musician is using the gift of music to make a difference in the world, through four separate causes. ---------------------------------------- by Angela Wiebe [email protected]

While most people have one, or perhaps two, causes close to their heart, Langley musician Tim Lawson's heart goes out to many.

As an active fundraiser for genetic research through Jesse's Journey Foundation, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, HIV/AIDS relief in Africa through The Stephen Lewis Foundation, and the Royal Canadian Legion, Lawson said it is the stories of people, whether loved ones or strangers, that have touched him and moved him to contribute to each cause.

"I want to hold up the example of living a life well lived," Lawson said of using his musical career to help others.

Lawson said he has been inspired by people, such as Canadian WWI and WWII hero Sir William Stephenson and HIV/AIDS relief worker Stephen Lewis, who have used their lives to help shape the world into a better place.

"If each of us do what we can, if we all can contribute as a team, that's how we'll solve the problem," Lawson said.

And Lawson feels fortunate to be able to contribute through his music.

"We're so lucky to work with music," he said of his band The Tim Lawson Band.

While Lawson, 54, has been enthralled with music since he was a 10-year-old boy watching the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, he has only been pursuing music as a career for the past 10 years.

He said that, after playing guitar throughout high school, his father convinced him to pursue a more stable career than music, and Lawson entered into the world of business for the next 20 years.

It wasn't until the early '90s, after receiving some encouragement from a private music coach, that he decided to leave the office behind for a life with his guitar.

"We all have a desire to do well," Lawson said, "and for me, it was to take on the challenge of music and hopefully make it into a work of art."

Lawson joined up with a number of musicians - including keyboardist Richard Sera and guitarist Ray Harvey - to form The Tim Lawson Band.

And though Lawson said they "stumbled and fumbled along [their] way at the beginning," 10 years later, the band has put out seven albums, including the recent At A Loss For Words, which was released Nov. 29.

"I never thought it would get as far as it has gotten," Lawson said.

Lawson knew from the beginning that he wanted to use his music to tell other people's stories.

"Lyrics are something that come very naturally from him," said Sera.

Lawson's musical catalogue is filled with many different stories - songs about wartime love, his parents' marriage, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and Princess Diana of Wales.

But, Lawson decided to take it a step further and use his career as a constant fundraiser for all of the causes that he sings about.

So far, The Tim Lawson Band has raised more than $75,000 for the Royal Canadian Legion and over $50,000 for The Stephen Lewis Foundation.

"It's still a drop in the bucket of what is needed," he said.

Lawson will continue to raise funds through his latest non-profit project, in which he will give $10 from the sale of each of four CDS - At A Loss For Words, Love Songs, So Many Stories, and Lest We Forget II.

Sera said the band's goal, if nothing else, is to reach "everybody with an awareness factor" of the causes they are backing.

"To hear about somebody doing something is a chance to inspire," Lawson added. "The bottom line is inspiration."

To donate to one or more of Lawson's causes, visit www.jessesjourney.com, www.mssociety.ca, www.stephenlewisfoundation.org, and www.legion.ca.

Visit www.timlawson.com or in Langley, check out McBurney Junction Furniture and Design Centre, 20528 Fraser Hwy., Doris' European Delicacies, 105-22575 Fraser Hwy., Cedar Rim Nursery, 7024 Glover Rd., or Township 7 Vineyards and Winery, 21152 - 16th Ave., to purchase music by The Tim Lawson Band.

© Copyright 2005 Langley Advance

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Song 10, At a Loss For Words, from the At a Loss for Words album by The Tim Lawson Band

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Song 09, Slow it Down, from the At a Loss for Words album by The Tim Lawson Band

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Song 04, Maybe Tomorrow, from the At a Loss for Words album by The Tim Lawson Band

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The Langley Times - Article by Jan Westell

Quiet Canadian Tim Lawson blends music and words with socialresponsibility

Tim Lawson is happy at home twiddling the controls in his South Langley studio producing CDs. By Jan Westell Times Reporter A philanthropic musician enjoys the creative process of writing and playing music. Yet when it comes to sales, Tim Lawson has a mandate to share proceeds of his musical productions with various charitable causes. The Langley musician favours a soft-rock/folk genre, and has recently produced, written and arranged a new album - At A Loss For Words.  His own production company, Timberholme Music Co., is distributing the new album with three other previous releases in a display promotional package intended to benefit four different charitable causes. Lawson has hired his own sales staff to promote the four CDs mainly throughout the Lower Mainland.  He also has a professional music distributor for wider release, and he says he'll designate part of the proceeds of those sales to the same causes.  So how is he making money?  That's not the point, says Lawson, who is not primarily concerned about making millions with his music.  That's partly because he lives comfortably on a 10-acre property in South Langley, and he's willing to wait for the retail momentum to pick-up.  He also made a mid-life decision, and a personal commitment, to benefit others - through his music. "For me it is not about fame or fortune," he says.  "I'm lucky in life, in terms of fortune. Fame? I don't want it." Lawson's love of music began when he was a youth and played in a band.  By the age of 20, he relinquished that artistic dream to join his family's publishing business.  Despite many career transitions along the way, he never gave up his original passion. About a decade ago, the now 52-year old musician returned to writing and producing music full-time, with an inspiration that is firmly rooted in political and social causes. "To me, it was just a natural evolution," he says. Lawson released his first CD in 1997.  The Quiet Canadian paid tribute to a family friend, and the original inspiration behind the best-selling book A Man Called Intrepid, about Sir William Stevenson, by William Stevenson (no relation), published in 1978.  Lawson says that book was a misrepresentation. His own Timberholme Publishing released a related book a decade after the release of the Quiet Canadian CD.  That book was entitled The True Intrepid, by Bill MacDonald, which became a Canadian bestseller about Stevenson's role with Second World War espionage and the British Secret Service.  "Sir William Stevenson, was the genius behind the scenes," says Lawson. "This book challenges the historial issues of (the book), A Man Called Intrepid." His second publishing enterprise was Jesse's Journey, by John Davidson published in 2001. It was also a charitable effort with proceeds to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  It's a story about a father who pushed his son Jesse, who suffered from the same genetic disease, across Ontario in a wheel chair. The book raised funds and awareness and was considered a successful campaign.  The publishing company also blended well with Lawson's flourishing musical career, which was a natural partnership for a creative individual. "It's a love of words," explains Lawson, who finds publishing satisfying, but it is music that really inspires Lawson, and the charitable potential that wide distribution can offer-not only in sales, but also spreading knowledge about issues that Lawson cares about.  The four CD promotion pack is a non-profit campaign, with $10 from the sale of each CD designated to a particular charity. Partial proceeds from At A Loss For Words, will contribute to genetic research, while partial sales from the CD Lovesongs, will go towards multiple sclerosis.  The same can be said of the CD So Many Stories, which will benefit HIV/AIDS in Africa, and Lest We Forget II, which will benefit The Royal Canadian Legion.  In Langley, the four-pack of CDs, which are individually sold, are available at various local retailers, including Heritage Meats, 6131 200 St., Petfare, at 4042 200 St. (Brookswood), and McBurney Junction, in downtown Langley.  To purchase a copy of So Many Stories, by the Tim Lawson band, visit their Web site at www.timlawson.com.  © Copyright 2005 Langley Times

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The Langley Times Article by Brenda Anderson

Langley's musical story teller Proceeds from Tim Lawson's latest CD are being donated to help AIDS sufferers John GORDON/Langley Times 

Tim Lawson enjoys life on his Langley acreage,  but he hasn't forgotten there are people far less fortunate.  By Brenda Anderson Times Reporter Tim Lawson has another story to tell. This time, the Langley singer/songwriter, who has long supported Canada's war veterans through his music and publishing company, has turned his eye toward a disease-ravaged continent on the far side of the world. Lawson is currently promoting his newest CD, So Many Stories. He plans to donate $5 from every disc sold to help fight the AIDS pandemic sweeping across Sub-Saharan Africa, and killing more than two million people per year. "My priority is to raise awareness, so I try to stay well informed," says the artist, seated in his recording studio on the 10-acre South Langley property he calls home. "I didn't realize AIDS wasn't under control," he admits. "I was so consumed with post 9-11 (issues)." "It's a dream of mine to make money doing music and then give the money away," says the former owner of a Baskin Robbins ice cream franchise.  As to why Lawson feels the need to advocate through his music, the artist replies, simply: "I've always felt I'm being guided." Perhaps there was a guiding force at work the day he turned on the TV and saw David Suzuki profiling Stephen Lewis, a Canadian AIDS/HIV activist and UN special envoy working in Africa. Lewis' stories and the startling statistics he quoted during the one-hour Nature of Things program shook Lawson to the core. "So much suffering goes on and will continue into the foreseeable future," he says. "It just ripped my heart out." But the singer was also moved by the hope Lewis expressed, that people with the deadly disease needn't suffer as they do. Soon after watching the program Lawson sat down and began writing his single Why Me? which he dedicated to Lewis and the U.N. Through their work in Africa, Lewis and his foundation are helping women and children who are dying of AIDS or have been orphaned by the disease. They work to ease the suffering of dying women, help the orphans they leave behind and assist groups of people living with HIV/AIDS to raise awareness and help eliminate the stigma associated with the disease. "There are so many reasons to hope. Every day there are more reasons to hope," says Lawson. Despite the serious subjects he takes on, the musician is, at heart, a happy man. "I believe in everyday laughter," he says with a grin. And why not? In his recording studio which sits next to a large koi pond, Lawson points out that he is surrounded by inspiration, when it comes time to sit down and write. On the opposite side of the fish pond, to the north of his house an unlikely little grove of palm trees thrives in the centre of his back lawn. Lawson planted them to find out whether they would survive. And up against the side of the house, a stand of bamboo looks equally out of place in the Canadian climate. But in gardening as in life, Lawson believes one must at least try, take some chances, even when the odds don't look too favourable. "The bottom line seems so obvious - people should not be suffering, and, if they are, we have to help them," states Lawson. There is no shame in being moved to tears by the state of the world, he says. "Like Gordon Lightfoot, I'm proud of every tear I've cried." When Lawson, whose voice resembles the warm rich timbre of Lightfoot's, penned the first single Why Me? The song all but wrote itself.  Lawson wrote the song, using what he describes as "strange tuning," in three hours and never changed it, the musician reports. "I felt good about it." Marketing the CD has been the toughest part, he explains. "We're not Bryan Adams." With some of his previous efforts, Lawson marketed them through different retail outlets and gave store owners $5 from each sale. Then he had a better idea: "Why not give to the Stephen Lewis Foundation?"  Lawson has long worked at raising awareness, through his music, of the contribution Canada's war veterans have made to this country. His publishing company, Timberholme Books, has produced volumes on Canada's veterans, as well as on the history of this nation's gold rush and a biography of Sir William Stephenson, a Winnipeg-born spy who has served as the model for various fictional spies, including Bond, James Bond. Now that Lawson has turned his attention to helping the Stephen Lewis Foundation, he is working not only to get money to the organization, but to spread the word about the important work it does. Lewis has three main goals, he would like to see met by 2010, reports Lawson. The first is universal availability of contraception for women, so they can choose for themselves whether to become pregnant; the second is for all orphans to be looked after; and, third, that by 2010, Africa's foreign debt will be forgiven. "We have all the knowledge we need," to accomplish these goals, notes Lawson, "but to do it, there must be a quantum leap in financial resources." To purchase a copy of So Many Stories, by the Tim Lawson band, visit their Web site at www.timlawson.com.  © Copyright 2004 Langley Times

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Article by Kerry Doole

by Kerry Doole

TIM LAWSON: A Musician With A Mission  Tim Lawson has received international acclaim for the compelling and uplifting music he makes. Since releasing his stellar debut, The Quiet Canadian, in 1997, the prolific B.C.-based singer/songwriter has delivered four more highly-praised albums, The Right Way On (1999), Lest We Forget I (2000), Lest We Forget II (2002) and Please No Talking (2002). These albums earned him a loyal audience in both Europe and Canada, but this 50-year-old troubadour is not in it for the ego gratification or fame. Lawson views his music partly as a means to an end, a tool to be used for social good.  Even before embarking upon his musical career, Tim worked on behalf of charity and various causes close to his heart. His commitment has deepened in recent years. Lawson is an artist who puts his money where his microphone is. This is demonstrated vividly with his new album, So Many Stories. Its final track, "Why Me," is a poignant and thought-provoking look at the AIDS crisis in Africa, and Tim has dedicated the album itself to the fight against this epidemic. Five dollars from each copy sold of So Many Stories will be donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation to assist in the HIV/AIDS efforts in Africa. In a recent interview, Lawson discussed both the origin of the song and his own fundraising initiative: "Near the end of this past January, I watched the David Suzuki show, The Nature Of Things. It was an hour-long profile of Stephen Lewis and his work as the U.N. Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. When the show was over, I went and grabbed my guitar. I just wanted to find a way to express what I was feeling." "I was trying to find the words, and I had tears streaming down my face as I was trying to translate from an emotional plane to the verbal plane. 'AFRICA - the words won't come,' was an obvious line, and the others flowed from that. In about three hours I had it, and it stayed virtually unchanged. It just came through as a powerful song. I did the demo and realized it had a special kind of power, so we added it to the album at the last moment." The televised portrait of Stephen Lewis resonated with Lawson. "I knew of his career, but had not followed him closely for quite some time. I was so impressed with his demeanour. As United Nations Special Envoy, he'd go from village to village, group to group, trying to give hope and encouragement. He reminded me of my late mother's example, that every person is as important as everyone else, and deserves to be treated with respect. He was fully aware of the plight they were in and the details of how hopeless the situation seemed.  The Stephen Lewis Foundation is dedicated to "easing the pain of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The situation is so desperate that even the most basic help will bring solace and hope," states its founder. Tim Lawson quickly determined that this was an organization completely worthy of his own support. "The Foundation has a very informed idea of pilot projects in Africa, things designed to help at a grassroots level," he says. "We want to help empower them with what I call ‘fiscal energy’. These, and other projects, can be expanded by governments and non-governmental organizations. This fiscal energy is being created by the very significant figure of a five dollar donation per CD sold. "The beauty of this plan is that it is a vehicle for average Canadians to give five bucks to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The donations then go directly to where they are needed. For me, it is a convergence that has music at its heart." So Many Stories is being marketed across Canada through independent retailers - their generosity in donating their profits is highlighted on Tim’s website, www.timberholme.com. Another Lawson-created project is aimed at furthering public awareness of AIDS in Africa. His publishing company, Timberholme Books, sponsored a national youth writers competition, entitled "Why Me”. “We encouraged high school students across Canada to do research, find out about an AIDS-related project, and write a 1,000 word essay on it. We will present 43 prizes for a total of $5,000 and publish the collected essays", Tim explains. “Philanthropy has always been a key part of our mandate”, says Lawson”. That philosophy has already been tested successfully with an earlier Lawson project, Lest We Forget. This was a two-album collection of songs with the theme of Remembrance, paying tribute to those who fought for the freedom we now enjoy. The album is dedicated to veterans and the celebration of peace. Proceeds from sales have been donated to The Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund, and have exceeded $75,000.  Another cause dear to Tim Lawson is the battle against Multiple Sclerosis. He lost a close friend to this degenerative neurological disease, and has long been an Ambassador for Multiple Sclerosis in Canada and the United States.  At Timberholme Books, Tim has also gone out of his way to publish books that have an inspirational component. One example is Jesse's Journey: A Canadian Story, John Davidson's account of his walk across Canada in 1998 to raise funds for genetic research. Lawson keeps a close watch on their work. "More progress is made in finding a cure for Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy in one day now than was made in a whole year, only ten years ago," he reports. "I love hearing stories like that." His natural optimism shines through in both his music and his commitment to worthy causes. With daily news of global tensions, terrorism, and natural disasters, it is easy for us to feel powerless and sink into a resigned apathy. That is not the Tim Lawson way, and he models an excellent example of the ways one person can make a difference.  Kerry Doole is a Toronto freelance writer. His articles have appeared in many major Canadian publications.

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London Free Press - Article by Sarah Ruttan

The Naked Truth  by Sarah Ruttan

LAWSON'S SPIRIT LIVES ON      It was a sad day when London lost the effervescent Miggsie Lawson. Londoners don't know the half of what Lawson contributed to this city. It seems her kind heart lives on in her children and in particular, her son, Tim. The younger Lawson has a company called Timberholme (www.timberholme.com) and through this company, Lawson publishes books and produces CDs. His band's latest CD, So Many Stories, is part of an initiative to help the Stephen Lewis Foundation to support the HIV/AIDS fight in Africa. The project has garnared attention from Prime Minister Paul Martin to world renowned author Barbara Coloroso. Even London This Week's David Suzuki is a fan. "I think Stephen Lewis is a national treasure - a great man. You are supporting a very worthy cause," he wrote in a note to Lawson. Local supporters of the CD have begun hitting the pavement asking local businesses and merchants to display the CD, which sells for $12.85. Five dollars from the sale of each CD goes directly to the Stephen Lewis Foundation. "It hasn't been easy pounding the pavement and asking local businesses to participate in this corporate challenge" according to Patsy Morgan local supporter of the CD. "However, I feel it is such a worthy cause/ The pandemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa truly needs the help of the entire world. Medication, awareness and care for many orphans who have lost their parents to this disease is desperately needed." Best of luck to all involved.  And that's the Naked Truth... Sarah Ruttan is a London freelance writer. Opinions are those of the author. Got a scoop for Sarah? Let her know at [email protected]

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Song 04 from the So Many Stories album by The Tim Lawson Band

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Song 02, Barefoot Princess, from the So Many Stories album by The Tim Lawson Band

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Song 01, Thought I'd Let You Know, from the So Many Stories album by The Tim Lawson Band

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Canadian Press - Article by Angela Pacienza

Words of Peace

“Singer Tim Lawson Writes War-Themed Songs for Remembrance Day”

“In ’39, there was a fever in the air/ Wait in line, for action over there/ My friends are going, so I’m going too.”

Those are the first three lines to folk singer Tim Lawson’s Muskoka Shore, a song about Howard Lovell, a Canadian soldier who barely escaped the Second World War after being stationed in Italy.

Lawson, 49, says the verse could easily apply to 2002 and one of thousands of soldiers around the globe currently in battle. “I don’t like the idea of anybody having to lose their life. If (Canadians) have to go into Iraq, it’ll be like last time with the Gulf War,” the singer/songwriter said on the line from his home in Langley, B.C., about the current political situation that could see a head-to-head confrontation between the United States and Iraq. “We can make this world a better place and as Canadians we should be leading the charge.”

For his part, Lawson has released Lest We Forget II, a collection of 12 war themed songs, including one about a Canadian pilot who flew Lawrence of Arabia to Cairo. Lawson said he wanted to keep the spirit of Remembrance Day alive through the music. “There’s a very ripe ground for celebrating these sorts of things,” the self-proclaimed peace monger said, referring to a new generation of young men and women who joined the forces after Sept. 11. The album, folky ballads about love, heroism and loss from war, is being distributed through Legion halls and record shops across the country. He says he’s already received orders totaling over 25,000 – which, if sold, makes him half way to a gold album.

Lest We Forget is a follow-up to his 2000 EP of the same name. The first album contained just three songs and various pieces of spoken word. Lawson said he always meant to write a complete album but didn’t want to rush the songs. “I thought when I started out that if you push too hard things sound contrived,” he said. “I’m trying to put myself in the shoes of soldiers or different stories and I hope on that level it really works for veterans and children of veterans.”

Half of the tracks on Lest We Forget II come from Lawson’s previous four records. Six are new including Such a Beautiful Tree, about a tree planted in Vancouver in 1960 in memory of a First World War flight instructor. “These wartime songs just keep creeping through in my writing and I find that I’m continually fascinated by reading more and more about wartime experiences,” Lawson said. “Millions of people gave their lives through the conflicts of the last century, usually young people. I want these songs to inspire anybody to ring with the veterans.”

Lawson is also concerned about the current financial troubles of the Royal Canadian Legion. It has closed nearly 200 legion halls across the country in the past 10 years because of dwindling membership ranks as veterans age and die. Nearly 30 percent, or about 120,000 legion members, are 75 and over.

Fifty percent of the CD’s sale price, $10, is going to the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund which helps war veterans, their widows and dependants. The goal is to raise $100,000.

Lawson, whose grandfather Ray Lawson has a hall named after his in Chatham, Ontario, thinks singing about war time emotions is one way to keep the memory of Remembrance Day alive at a time when many young people are experiencing conflict for the first time because of the way of terrorism.

Much of Lawson’s work was influenced by the late Sir William Stephenson, a Winnipeg man who became a renowned spymaster during the Second World War (and was the inspiration for the character M in the Bond novels.) The two were introduced in 1985 via Lawson’s father, an army colonel who served in the Second World War. “I was looking for some way to contribute in my life to help make the world a better place and Sir William gave me a focus in terms of the military look at things, underscoring that idea that our freedom wasn’t free,” Lawson recalled.

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Legion Magazine - Article by Natalie Salat

Poppy Fund Benefits From Songs of Remembrance

With his new album, Lest We Forget II, musician Tim Lawson is fulfilling his own goals of promoting remembrance and helping veterans. Half of the proceeds from this CD, released this fall, will be donated to the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund.

“It’s been a dream of mine to have a full album of war-themed songs, but rather than depress anybody, to use them to let people know what happened,” says Lawson.

His late father, Tom, was a colonel during WW II. And his late grandfather, businessman and philanthropist Ray Lawson, served as lieutenant-governor of Ontario from 1946 to 1952. The Legion’s Hon. Ray Lawson Branch – where Tim is a member- in Chatham, Ontario, is named after him.

Born in 1953, Tim Lawson spent his first 25 years in Ontario. Although he started to play the guitar at age 10, he put aside his musical aspirations until 1991. In the meantime he relocated to Vancouver, worked in printing, bred Arabian Horses and operated an ice cream company.

Since then, Tim Lawson has established his own music and book publishing business, Timberholme. Lest We Forget II consists of 12 songs inspired by wartime, six of which are new and six of which were taken from previous albums. Lawson sings and plays guitar backed by a band. “There’s stuff here that people who are 85 will like, and that 15-year-olds will like. I try to put a contemporary light on things and use the music as a bridge for all generations.”

Lawson drew from a WW I pilot’s log in which the writer describes how his unit was all but obliterated after six months in action. In another song, The Quiet Canadian, Lawson pays tribute to his late family friend, Sir William Stephenson, the Winnipeg native who became the WW II spymaster with the code name Intrepid.

Lawson’s first mini-album, Les We Forget, raised $10,000 for the Legions’ Poppy Fund when it came out in 2000. The Poppy Fund serves to provide assistance to veterans and their families across Canada. “This time, we have the potential to make a substantially higher amount,” he says. Timberholme will donate $5 to the Poppy Fund for every $10 CD sold. His publicity manager, Anya Wilson, says the album will be available through the Timberholme website www.lestweforget2002.com and major music stores. Individual Legion branches are being asked to sell the record with the $5 going to their Poppy Funds. When costs are factored in, Timberholme is likely to take a bit of a hit. “The idea is not to make money for the company,” explains Lawson. “This will be a charitable thing for us.”

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Song 01, One And All, from the Lest We Forget Volume II album by Tim Lawson