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Live Music for Charity

 

Joanie Mac & Detroit Diesel

(L to R) Dwayne Feland, Terry Petherbridge, Darrell Barr, Joanie Melanson-McMeckan,
Don McMeckan and  Bryan Feland 

 

 

Joan Melanson aka Joanie Mac

Original member Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel

Joan Melanson, also known as Joanie Mac, is originally from Edmonton and currently lives in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada with her husband Greg.

1970-71:  Gringo - Don McMeckan, Don Rimstead, Alan Quilley

1971-73:  Gringo - Gerry Rioux, Rocko Vaugeois, Alfred (Fred) LaRose RIP

1981-86:  Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel - A variety of players over the years including Darrel Barr, Don McMeckan, Dale Lot, Cal Williams, Rocko Vaugeois, Doug Beal, Gene Bruce, Dwayne Feland RIP, Bryan Feland, and Terry Petherbridge

1987-90:  Sounder  - A  weekend wedding band that included some local players from Spruce Grove.  Don Gauthier, Dan Schmuland, Francis and Karen Mella. 

Joan Melanson is continuing to enjoy popularity with Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel. Live Music For Charity was pleased to experience their vibrant performance at the 2016 Play It Forward ACT Club fundraiser at Festival Place.

Joan has shared one of her memories with us. "The Kiwanis Music Festival introduced a new category to their annual festival in 1971 which included union and non-union bands.  Gringo entered in the non-union category and not only did we get to play on the Jubilee Auditorium stage but we took 3rd place.  It was a very exciting night!"

 

 

 

Don McMeckan Original member Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel

 

Guitar playing ain't rocket science. That's why skipping school to practice didn't lead Don to live streaming from the space station. Known for his aggressive, risk-taking playing style, Don is equally adept at rock god licks and burning country chops.

Don was recording in the 70's with his group Hot Dog and went on the road as a young guitar slinger.

With his sister Joan, Don formed Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel in the early 80's and the band was a favourite in the vibrant Alberta country market.

Don lives on Vancouver Island, still in the music biz, now playing with a Steely Dan tribute band called Pretzel Logic in addition to other projects, and working as a live sound engineer.

Other Bands played in: 

  • Gringo
  • Plimsoul
  • Hot Dog
  • Moonshine
  • The Toys
  • One Horse Blue

 

 

 

Glen McMeckan  Member of Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel

 
With Don and Joan as role model, younger brother Glenn started playing drums. He played with many local bands but kept his full time job to pay the bills. Glenn started to do fill-in work with Joanie Mac in 1980.
 
He is currently semi-retired and lives with his wife Chera on Vancouver Island about a block from the beach and still does fill-in work for his brother Don and Don's wife Toni plus playing with other local musicians.

 
 
Other Bands played in:
 
Roulette
Country Classic
High Ryder
The Relics
The Herbs
Melanie Switzer Band
Joyce Smith Band
 
 
 
 

 

 

Terry Petherbridge Member Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel

You won't find Terry in the spotlight or centre stage, instead you'll find him filling in the bottom end by laying down a solid bass groove.  Playing professionally or over 30 years with groups such as Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel, WW Dance Band (Wanda, Bryan & Dwayne Feland), Mile Zero (Wade Mosher, Tim Mckeage, Bryan Feland, with guest Earl Seymour, sound clip athttps://www.reverbnation.com/cocktailsatellite/song/8916444-driven-by-white-sun-mile-zero) and for the past 18 years, Dangerous Guise (Gary Hinton, Chris Majeau, Larry Kehl, John Sweenie, Greg Russell)  www.dangerousguise.com.


Terry holds a music degree from Grant MacEwan University where he studied under esteemed bassists Bob Miller and George Koller.

During the day, he's an Account Executive for the Mccallum Printing Group, Western Canada's largest commercial printing company.  He lives in St Albert, Alberta with his wife and is an avid angler, spending some of his free time at lakes in the Edmonton area.

Terry plays a vintage Steinberger bass and prefers medium gauge plectrums.  He uses Rotosound double ball end strings and for amplification, a Carvin 200 watt head with a 4-10 cabinet.  He'd rather play sold-out small venues versus a half-empty large ones and to drink, Pellegrino sparkling water with a piece of lime, no ice.

 

 

Bryan Feland      Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel

I have been lucky enough to have toured in the U.S., India, Europe, and the Middle East, entertaining the UN Troops! I have played in the north in NWT all the way up to Alert on Ellesmere Island. I enjoyed my time with Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel. They were fun and energetic with great musicians and vocals. After Joanie Mac I moved to Ontario to play with the Terry Crawford Band. We pretty much toured the country non-stop. It feels great to be back in Edmonton and I feel privileged to have been invited to play with this great band!

 

Darrell Deslaurier Guest guitarist with Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel

 

 

Toni Hammond   Guest backing vocals with Joanie Mac and Detroit Diesel