Every so often a musician will arrive on the scene who is not only hugely talented, but also a genuinely good person. These are the artists whose legacies become inspirations for others and whose music tends to reflect their personality in song.
is one such musician.
Bentall is playing a series of concerts on Vancouver Island in October with his band, Cariboo Express, before heading off to gigs on mainland B.C., Calgary and Toronto.
His concerts, though, are not typical, so a little background is in order.
The Cariboo Express is a 12-piece western band led by Bentall but the extended cast of the band includes Dustin Bentall, Ridley Bent, Matt Masters, Kirby Barby, Stephanie Cadman, Wendy Bird, Scott Smith, Geoff Hicks and Rob Becker, all united in the spirit of giving back to the communities that have supported their careers.
鈥淚t all started out when we were asked this one time to do a sort of charity event at a local rodeo dance. Afterward we sat around and thought about it and decided that, once a year we鈥檇 go out there and raise money for charities, and Cariboo Express resulted,鈥� Bentall said. 鈥淭hat was 20 years ago and since that time we鈥檝e raised about five or six million dollars for a variety of charities.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 like to make a big deal of it. We work with charities and get sponsors for songs and then introduce the songs the way they used to do in Grand Ol鈥� Opry days. We have some fun with it, and it helps us to give something back (to the community).鈥�
But it should come as no surprise to anyone who's followed Bentall鈥檚 career that he has a unique approach to life and to his music.
Barney Bentall first drew the attention of the music world when he and his band, The Legendary Hearts, recorded and toured extensively throughout Canada. The group sold more than a half million records, had a host of hit singles and achieved platinum status for multiple albums. They also won a Juno and were a regular feature on Canadian radio.
Then, in 2000, Bentall decided to get off the music world鈥檚 treadmill and traded in his musical career for life as a cattle rancher in the Cariboo region of central British Columbia.
But true musicians like Bentall never really stop creating. Over the next few years he continued to write songs saying, 鈥渢he damn things just wouldn鈥檛 leave me alone.鈥�
鈥淚 look at life as a journey and I guess it鈥檚 great to do one thing and do it well, but I鈥檝e always been enamoured by the adventure of it all and I鈥檓 always willing to try new things.鈥�
It was just as well that Bentall鈥檚 soul was still tied to music. In 2006, friend Jim Cuddy, of Blue Rodeo fame, prompted Bentall to return to the music scene.
鈥淛im Cuddy came to me and said that 鈥榶ou have more to say, let鈥檚 go make a record,鈥� and that鈥檚 just what we did,鈥� Bentall said. 鈥淚t was a reset for me.鈥�
Bentall went on to perform and record both as a solo act and in collaboration with others.
His band, The High Bar Gang, featuring friends David Barber, Kirby Barber, Rob Becker, Wendy Bird, Colin Nairne and Shari Ulrich, were nominated for a 2014 Juno Award for "Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year" and won "Vocal Group of the Year" at the 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
In 2022, Bentall released his album, Cosmic Dreamer that featured nine new singles as well as two covers 鈥� Bob Dylan鈥檚 You Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go and Gordon Lightfoot鈥檚 Shadows.
And Bentall still plays the occasional gig with The Legendary Hearts.
鈥淲e did a couple of shows this summer and it was all right there,鈥� Bentall said. 鈥淚n fact, when we played, I it reminded me of how much I love the elements of rock and roll. It鈥檚 part of my wheelhouse, for sure.鈥�
That wheelhouse also includes a broad range of roots, country, bluegrass 鈥� and even instrumental.
And although Bentall has scaled back on his ranching activities, he still maintains his ranch.
鈥淚t keeps you grounded,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hear some musicians complain about the business and I say, 鈥楾ry sitting in a saddle for 10 hours in the snow, looking for your cows or fixing a barbed wire fence sometime.鈥� I feel grateful that I鈥檓 one of the lucky ones who can perform music and make a living at it.鈥�
鈥淔or me, I look at life as a journey and I guess it鈥檚 great to do one thing and do it well, but I鈥檝e always been enamoured by the adventure of it all and I鈥檓 always willing to try new things.鈥�
Bentall and the Cariboo Express are performing four shows at Sidney's Oct. 24 to 27, before heading to 's Knox United Church on Oct. 28.
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