I are a jerk. The other day, I was running on little sleep – and in a rush. Bad combo when you are posting on your blog. I very clumsily made a ‘plug’ for my good friend Susan Crowe and her work as a singer/songwriter. You all, including Susan, deserved better than a plug in your eye.

There is a story behind all this, and I would like to assure you that I receive no monetary gain from talking about Susan’s career – I ain’t no pimp.

Susan and I have been friends since I was 17. That’s a long time. We’ve had breaks in our friendship – distance, a few spats – but we have always in the end remained friends.

You know how some friends are just special like that? You can pick up where you left off (except you get a little wiser with time) and the years fall away. Susan is like that to me. A dear friend who can make me feel 17 again with the silliness (who doesn’t like to be silly?) and yet with the knowledge we have accrued over the last 35 years which allows for serious conversation.

I have other friends, good, good friends. But none of them have the talent that Susan seemed born with. I don’t recall her ever not playing guitar, singing and songwriting. I don't write this as a total amateur. I spent 15 years in the 'business' myself (until it burnt me out) as an agent for singers and actors. So I'm not just a fan girl. Susan is very, very gifted.

I remember back then, sitting on the floor while Susan played her guitar (you did that back in the 70’s) and sang with a rich mellow voice the tunes of Joni Mitchell, The Eagles, Bruce Cockburn (for those of you not familiar with Bruce it’s pronounced ‘Coburn’ – don’t be rude). She’d played a bit around town, but you know how it was back then – there was a multitude of girls with guitars.

Then she got serious about her art and realized she'd give a shot at making a living at it and moved to Toronto. For a number of reasons, mainly the music business (business is the stressed word) she stopped playing. Her partner did not even know she could play the guitar for three years. Then she started again.

She moved to Vancouver this time, and began to develop a very refined style which brought her to the attention of promoters and she did just about every folk festival on the circuit, gave workshops in songwriting and produced 4 CDs, all exquisite examples of superb songwriting with that deep, rich voice.

Recently she moved back to Nova Scotia, produced yet another CD, and as a result of that won Canada’s songwriter of the year award. Not bad for a kid from Cow Bay. She now tours across Canada (has one in the west this February) usually in small intimate vernues. She hates those impersonal ‘halls’.

So that’s Susan in a very small nutshell. I wrote this not just to promote her music, but to let you know that Canada doesn’t always ‘loan’ out our artists. Y’all can borrow Joni Mitchell, Shania Twain, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray and the likes. But some we have kept under wraps and Susan is one of those. I figured it was time to ‘share’.

As I mentioned in my last clumsy blog, you can reach Susan’s home page at http://www.susancrowe.com. She does a great blog too.After all, she is a writer.  As mentioned in my STUPID blog you can also hear her music and some conversation from a CBC interview off the CBC page at http://www.cbc.ca/atlanticairwaves/. It’s on the right under recent interviews or something like that. If you hate listening to interviews just skip your media player to the songs. You'll have a nice surprise. No girl with guitar - but a seasoned songwriter with a velvet voice.

So I apologize for being a jerk. Again, both you and Susan deserved better than something that was just called ‘A Plug’. I should have plugged myself until I felt more myself. I hope y’all will forgive me for being so damned crass.