Amanda Dorey Hosts Wednesday Open Stage
Make your way to Captains Corner tonight and every Wednesday for the open stage hosted by Amanda Dorey, out on the patio if the weather allows and inside if need be. Either way, in addition to the chance of seeing some up and coming talent, or some veterans that just can’t resist a chance to sing, you will be able to hear Meaford’s own country girl, Amanda Dorey, sing every week.
Amanda got a boost when she was young from Bonnie Sadler, legendary local country singer who hosted a talent show down at the harbour. (Lucky residents of Maple Meadows might hear Bonny sing in the rec centre there these days). Amanda had performed in school choirs and plays and after picking up the guitar at age 14, she hasn’t put it down, inspired by the country singing legends that you can hear resonating in her voice. She and her best friend had written a song together and they performed it as part of Bonnie’s show. She didn’t continue to write songs but did keep on singing and she is a natural talent.
Back in 2000 she hosted a weekly jam session at The Leeky Canoe which was a big success, and she can still be found there on some Saturday nights as the featured performer. She’s been joined occasionally by other local talents that include The Bambalamb Kid and James McLaughlin but she carries a show just fine on her own. Booking talent for Captains Corner became an option for her when Eric McCallum headed out west to seek fame and fortune, so she will be drawing on her circle of musical acquaintances to try to keep the music coming there on weekends.
Amanda Dorey hosts tonight’s open mic at Captains corner
In 2012 she met Will Matthews who had recently moved to Meaford and was finishing up recording his third CD. Recognizing her talent, he asked her to sing backup for him. They spent a lot of time jamming together and eventually coalesced as a duo they called “Centreville”. This was an exciting new start for her because she had left music behind a decade earlier to start a family. In the fall of 2013 they recorded “I Swear I’ll Never Tell” which Will wrote. But in 2014 he travelled to Costa Rica and a holiday turned into a new home for him. Now he is performing regularly there, writing and making videos and recordings and has become acclimatized to the tropical lifestyle.
Recently, with the opportunities offered for performing and booking talent at Captains Corner, Amanda is getting back into the swing of music. “Even though I gave up my music to be a wife and mother in my early twenties I would never change a thing,” she says, “My children are slowly starting to become a part of the music world with my influence and I think that is wonderful. I also think I have a better appreciation for what I do. It is tough trying to juggle work, kids and music sometimes but for the most part they are very supportive and probably my biggest fans”.
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