NEWS photo Mika Waketlighd NORTH VANCOUVER’S Norman Foote is quickly making a name for himself as one of North America’s top children’s entertainers. est Foote forward North Van children’s entertainer Norman Foote Evelyn Jacob SPOTLIGHT FEATURE F DISNEY Records has its way, millions of North - American kids will soon have incurable Foote fetishes. Norman Foote, that Is. At 37, the North Vancouver children’s entertainer is well on his . way to becoming one of North America's top children's enter- tainers with his winning mix of “sophisticated wackiness and genuine feeling,”’ as one Los Angeles Times writer put it. “A can’t be just goofy,’’ says Foote, who is enjoying a few weeks off to mave house and set- tle into married life, having just tied the knot with Saskatchewan- born Monique Dansereau. “It can’t be all trivia,” he says. “| have to have material that people can hold on to.” The mood may be silly — among his zanier compositions are The Eggplant That Ate Chicago and Fancy Dinner (‘squashed peas, burnt fiver, cauliflower custard”) — but most of Foote’s songs touch on a slice of life that allows kids to be kids. He cambines comedy, “props with an attitude’”’ (ranging from a giant baby and bassinet to an oversized talking head), finely- executed music — an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, rock, country and take-offs of popular tunes — to hook his audience, which includes big people as well as little ones. Performing before live audiences is where Foote really sparkles, when his nuttiness is brought to life by such zany characters as Velcrohead. “My forte is being able io engage audiences. The family crowd is my thing, which means that you have to keep your mate- tial universal; it can’t be too polit- ical. “That's fine because that stuff doesn’t interest me. And real smutty humor is something I’ve never liked.” Born Norman Mervyn Barr- ington-Foote, the local songwriter has come a Jong way from the days when he made his living as a street performer in Australia and New Zealand. But in typically modest Foote style, he says he doesn’t feel he has progressed as far as some - would give him credit for. “really don't feel I've gone any further. ... My albums are just starting to take off in the States. “tn Canada, they're starting to hit the stores, but it takes a while to create a demand. ... People ! know — especially my mom — are always complaining they can’t find my records in the mainstream record stores.” in March, Foote released his fat- est album, /f The Shoe Fits, on Disney Records’ Music Box Artist Series, and he’s already working on‘his next recording. His deal with Disney has en- sured wider North American distribution for his juno-nominated atbum Foote Prints, in addition to live performances coast to coast. He’s a regular at North Ameri- can children’s and family festivals as far south as Alabama. And he loves working with or- chestras, which he likes to in- troduce as ‘‘my back-up band.” With a pilot for a new TV series in the bag, what more could a guy ask for? : Maybe an album containing some new songs that ‘‘don’t fall into the Disney category,’’ muses Foote. “But that really scares my management and my record label. They want me to be just for the four- to 10-year-olds and their parents.” Success, he says, will come simply by ‘‘plodding away at it.” By putting his best Foote forward. “The whole game plan is to get my name cut there as much as possible and get people to hear my music.”’ Besides, it’s a highly competitive business. It isn’t easy walking in the footsteps of giants like Sharon, Lois and Bram, and Fred Penner. “used to think that Raffi had the best songs and the best luck, untit | realized that financial rewards weren't everything. ‘ANhen } got remarried | sat down with my two daughters and told them, look, it’s not how much your house is worth — because they live in a fairly big house in Squamish — it's how happy you are in that house.” And what do his daughters think of Norman Foote the children’s entertainer? “Well, they’ve got solid opi- nions of their own. ... They’ve learned a Jot about life from the bunnies they've raised. “The other day | said to my oldest daughter, how’s your bun- ny? And she said, ‘Dad, don’t call them bunnies, they're rabbits.’ And | thought, gee, what a great idea for a song! ‘Don’t call them bunnies, they’re rabbits/ Don’t call them tummy aches, they’re s.um- ach aches ...”” FOR ANY MAKE OR MODEL PLEASE CALL AMBLESIDE AUTO SALES & LEASE 925-3255 aOR CELLULAR 351-1958 Have You ever Wondered how things might have turned out had you done something differently? Well, retirement is an excellent time to stop and smell the flowers. If you are ready to explore the possibilities retirement has to offer, please join us for an afternoon of tea, flowers and music on Sunday, October 25th 2:30 - 4:00 An afternoon hosted by WHITECLIFF RSVP. Brenda Howard at 732-4760 Retirement Living professionally managed by International Care 4 subsidiary of éy Life: pc:s : er | (22 PATHFINDER” A/C, V6, ENGINE AIC, V6 engine, ABS . 23,888 ‘92 SENTRA CLASSIC DELUXE 8,092 10,068 COME IN AND SEE WHY NORTH SHORE RESIDENTS GET MORE FROM MorRey! 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