High Adventure: Tales of Canadian Rock & Roll Survival

   High Adventure chronicles the unusual musical adventures of a boy from the tiny village of Chester Basin, Nova Scotia who became a rabid pop music fan, musician, and finally a recording and touring professional and member of some of Canada's foremost pop groups. From the early bands playing High Schools, Universities, and teen dances to capacity crowds at Maple Leaf Gardens, The Montreal Forum, and Massey Hall…the experiences somehow never remained ordinary.

   Ritchie Henman and his brother David started their first band in Halifax in 1962 and were thrilled to merely have the opportunity to perform on stage before their teenage peers in Schools, Church basements and any other venue offered. Initially awed by the notion that they were actually paid to perform they adopted a businesslike attitude and channeled the income back into the shows acquiring ever more professional equipment as well as proper stage attire. The sixties saw them relocate to St. John's, Newfoundland, Saint John, New Brunswick, and ultimately back to Halifax. In each city, a new band was created and each of those groups quickly rose to the top level of success in those locations.

    Finally, in 1969 the decision was made to forego all other considerations such as formal education and a secure home in order to pursue the ultimate goal for any pop group, a chance at a recording career. April Wine was formed in December of 1969 and in April of 1970 that band departed for Montreal to seek fame. Through sheer hard work and perseverance, the band paid its dues and was rewarded with a recording contract from Aquarius Records, a management contract from the already successful Terry Flood, and exclusive booking from the DKD Agency, already a major player in Montreal and, shortly thereafter, the rest of Canada.

    By 1971 April Wine was a hitmaker from coast to coast and success continued for the next three years until the Henman brothers responded to the ever-present desire to do something different and embark on new adventures. Further success and occasional failure continued for over a decade down a path that was virtually always marked by the unusual and the bizarre.