Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Prologue: Though we both grew up in Ottawa, I didn’t officially meet Dan the One Man Band until I bumped into his show at the Edmonton Fringe Festival around the mid-1990s. I’d heard that he’d been performing in Japan (as had I) and at the end of his show I walked up and introduced myself. He seemed to know who I was which was interesting, but then again I had heard of him and felt like I already knew him too… Our mutual shared experience and mutual friends lead to easy conversation and a quick friendship. One of my fondest memories of working with Dan came at the 2006 PNE. At the end of every day I’d try and give him a hand bringing his props back to the green room. Somehow the walk back up the hill towards Pacific Coliseum seemed important.
STATS
Name: Dan Duguay – Dan the One Man Band
Birthday: August 25
Place of Birth: Toronto, ON, Canada
Started Performing/Working in the Industry: 1990
Discipline: Multi instrumental humourist
Website: http://www.dantheonemanband.com
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiPstGMHKRM
Venues Worked: Street Performer Festivals, Children’s Festivals, Fairs, Fringes, Street Corners, Parks, Pedestrian Malls, Shopping Malls, Boats, Airplanes, Trains, Comedy Clubs, Night Clubs, Theatres, Sporting arenas, Parades.
Hot 10 Questions:
- What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream and why? • Tiger Tiger. Orange and licorice together in one hump, need I say more?
- Name one movie that would make it to your Top 10 all-time great films. • “The Mission” You have to get rid of everything to find what is truly important.
- What was your favorite toy from childhood? • G.I. Joe with the kung fu grip.
- Who were your biggest inspirations when you got started? • Pete O’Connell (aka: Pete the One Man Band), Bert from Mary Poppins, and I do remember seeing Checkerboard Guy in the Byward Market in Ottawa one Saturday afternoon. He had a huge crowd and I watched him collect his money after the show and I thought, “that’s a cool way to make a living”. Must have been 1984 or ‘85.
- From the world of animation what one character do you most identify with or see yourself in? • Woody from Toy Story.
- Name something that scares you. • Needles.
- Apart from the entertainment industry, name one other job you’ve had. • Worked for a summer at the Regional Assessment Office in Ottawa. My mom got me the job.
- What’s something you haven’t done yet that you’d like to try? • Ride an Elephant.
- What’s your least favourite thing about being a performer? • Being away from my wife and kids.
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? • You spent a lifetime making people smile, come on in.
The Nugget:
Pick one nugget of wisdom you’ve picked up from your career in Show Business to share with the World.
“Enjoy what you do cause one day it’ll all be over.“
–Dan Duguay
