Music, man. It’s a powerful thing…

Every week, I will be profiling an extraordinary human being who lives in our community. If you know someone who is doing something interesting with their life, I want to hear about it. Send me an email at [email protected].

Jeff Stamp does not look like the kind of guy who would join his grandma for bingo on Tuesday nights.

He is the kind of guy, however, who looks a bit rock and roll. From the signature denim overalls he often wears (that appear to be more of a colourful canvas for art not just a clothing item) when he’s getting into the role of his alter-ego, to his shaggy do, goatee and tattoos, Jeff just looks like the kind of guy who’s into music. Actually, his style of music has a classification of its own: redneck rock.

“…, a little bit rock, country, blues, and it can be jazzy at times, which is fun,” he explains. “Overall, it’s just good music to drink and dance to.”

There’s a good chance you’ve heard Jeff singing his heart out on local airwaves. He’s a regular on Hunters Bay Radio and he’s also made appearances on Moose FM. He’s the frontman in the Jukebox Scoundrels, a cover band that plays everything from Elvis Presley to the current top 20 hits. Ol’ Stampy’s Saloon, well, he tells me, that’s his own thing.

He’ll make music until the end of his days, he says.

Jeff has released four albums since 2006 but has been part of more than a dozen others. He is currently working on an album that features duets with a variety of local female singers. He will be donating proceeds from CD sales to Cystic Fibrosis Canada and has set up a GoFundMe account for the cause. It’s an organization that has a special spot in his heart.

He’s an extrovert who can be a hermit. Sometimes he likes to tuck himself away in the “little saloon” he built outside of town. He won’t see anyone for months. He likes the peace and solitude of being alone. But when he’s ready to come out of hiding, he’ll emerge as a social butterfly and go out every weekend. Aside from being a dedicated musician and really driven, musically speaking, Jeff has also been a carpenter for over two decades. He has an apartment in town. It makes for convenient living. Especially if he’s performing live at one of the local bars.

“I have an alter-ego who’s sort of this shit-kicking red neck hillbilly,” says Jeff. I try not to laugh. But I’m thinking that’s a pretty hilarious description of his other self.

Jeff getting into the role of his alter-ego. His overalls are an added touch to his image as a rowdy hillbilly.

He comes across as being self-aware. He’s tuned in to who he is. He collects crystals, does Reiki and quantum healing and he’s a big supporter of organ donating. He’s got a unique vibe going on. His body is a canvas for some pretty cool tattoos. I forgot to ask him if the one on his knee hurt terribly. It seems like an interesting spot. Many of them tell a story, like the one he bares on his upper arm that’s a symbol for Cystic Fibrosis. He lost his close cousin and his wife to the disease. Her name was Carla and he met her at a Toronto hospital while he was paying one of his many visits to his cousin.

He got to spend three-and-a-half years with Carla, but they were only married for two weeks before she died in 2011. It was a dream of hers. He still deals with the loss. It’s an ongoing process and he’s come a long way. For Jeff, immersing himself in his music was a way to distract himself from the sorrow he felt. Check out his touching video for his tune Hers was Gold on YouTube. It was number one in the top 20 countdown on Hunters Bay Radio 88.7 FM for five weeks.

“Three years of it were ridiculously hard,” he says of dealing with his wife’s death. “Being a single father, I had to keep my shit together and not fall off the charts like I wanted to. I went from crying several times a day for two years, to maybe breaking down once a week and then it slowly dissipated. I wrote a handful of songs about [losing his wife]. When we hooked up, she came with a dog. After six months the dog was more mine than hers. It was a special pet and I just had to put her down in February so it was my last connection to my wife, really. My last release, I guess. The circle was complete.”

(Above from left) Jeff gives some good energy to his favourite guitar. He’s certified for Reiki levels 1 and 2.
This particular tattoo is associated with Cystic Fibrosis. Having lost his cousin and his wife to the disease, he’s using his music to raise funds for CF research.
The tattoo on his knee was eye-catching through his signature ripped overalls.

It’s pretty remarkable to think that Jeff took only a handful of guitar lessons when he was nine before he gave it up. When he was a teenager, he formed a band with his good friend. While he loved playing the guitar and performing, it was the recording aspect that he was truly inspired by. He didn’t really start taking music seriously until about 13 years ago. He was in a relationship with a girl who was living and breathing music and wanted to pursue her dreams in the city. They were a great duo and even released a CD together. Eventually, though, they parted ways but Jeff had found his groove as a musician. His sound had evolved to another level.

He doesn’t mind singing about rowdy stuff and admits he can be a bit obnoxious at times. Listen to one of his Ol’ Stampy Saloon CDs. He says you’ll know what he means by rowdy. But every now and then he likes to put his gentle side out there, too.

He’s working on Vol. 3 for the Ol’ Stampy’s Saloon trilogy. A CD release will be announced some time this summer.

“I don’t do it to make money,” he says. “I’m recording out of my love for it. I’ll make music for the rest of my days. I don’t know if I have a goal or a dream of making it big… My goal is to just be a presence in the music scene and to contribute.”

(To make a donation to Jeff Stamp’s CD for Cystic Fibrosis visit his GoFundMe page, his Facebook page for the CD or email him at [email protected].)