Knechtel, Gardiner to perform show at Minto Arts Gallery May 11

HARRISTON – Richard Knechtel and John Gardiner grew up three blocks apart and had rival garage bands back in the 1960s in Hanover.

Knechtel has been busy since then as a singer/songwriter and children’s entertainer, building a solid career in the music business, while Gardiner has been busy writing since the 1960s, both in newspapers and fiction.

The two old friends will be performing together in a show called, Like an Old Friend, taking its title from the name of one of Richard’s original songs. The performance will take place on May 11 at 7pm at the Minto Arts Gallery, 88 Mill Street, Harriston.

Gardiner will be doing readings of his work during the show, mostly from his recently published literary collection, My Lefthanded, Backwards, Upsidedown Life & Assorted Short Stories, which contains a memoir of his growing up years in his small Ontario  hometown in the 1950s and ‘60s, a period of significant social change.

Knechtel has a large body of work to call on. He has written many songs over a long career stretching back to the 1960s.

There is free admission to the show but donations will be accepted by the Minto Arts Council to support that group’s efforts in the community.