ECMA is pleased to announce the Bucky Adams Memorial Award, which will replace the African-Canadian Recording of the Year. ECMA worked with the African Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA) to rename the award after legendary East Coast musician Bucky Adams, who passed away in 2012.

This award, which is presented each year, recognizes a full length or EP recording in any musical genre by an East Coast African Canadian artist or group. The nominees for this year’s award will be announced at 11:00am on January 26 at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre in Sydney, NS.

Charles R. “Bucky” Adams was born into a large musical family on Maynard Street in Halifax in 1937. From the 50’s through to the 80’s, Bucky formed several successful bands, including “The Rockin’ Rebels”, “Club Unusual”, “The Basin St.Trio” (with whom he made his first recording) and “Generations”, comprised of young players on the cutting edge of the Halifax music scene. Bucky also played with or to jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Dizzie Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Count Basie, B.B. King and Lionel Hampton.

Adams continued to release music in the 90’s, including “In a Lovin’ Way”, an autobiographical collection on which he wrote or co-wrote all but one song. Adams remained a fixture in Halifax’s music scene into the 2000’s, being a regular presence at the Halifax Jazz Festival as well as playing volunteer shows with the Senior’s Band at the Northwood Manor. In 2007 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from ANSMA.

Bucky Adams’ sons Anthony and Corey have shared the following statement with us about the announcement:

“First of all, thank you for bestowing this honour to our father. The legacy of our dad is that he took music, which had always been a part of our family’s history, to a level beyond what his father and forefathers could have even imagined.

From the beginning, he had felt the urge to play music. Early on he witnessed how music could lift a person, as he peered into the faces of people in the audience who appreciated the sounds that he was creating. The knowledge that music could create an escape for the musician playing or practicing is something he had always known, but to see the effect on the person listening always remained with him.

As the years passed and the gigs started to dry up, he created a gig if you will, at the Northwood Manor where he was a resident. He would play in the lounge located in the Manor one or two nights a week accompanied by his very loyal band member friends. On nights when we would visit him there he would point out to us persons who were entering the lounge supported by cane or another’s arm; he’d say to watch.

As the music began to play we watched and saw the look on their faces as they recognized an old familiar song and how they would forget about the cane or arm for support as they walked onto the dance floor and began to dance and sway to the sounds of their youth. He was right.

Dad never left Nova Scotia, though some suggested that he would have had more opportunity elsewhere. He always thought that he would make it here.

The fact that this award will now be named The Bucky Adams Memorial Award, to his family and his fans, shows that he did make it here and the award is the marker.

We can see our dad’s bright smile from here, thank you.

Warm regards,

Anthony & Corey Adams”