Roxanne Goldade was an up-and-coming star in the late 70's, attracting national attention (a Juno nomination!) in her mid teen years, based on a series of LP and single releases. It looks like after these country-focused singles, she was part of soft-rockers Hot Pursuit, before heading into University - leaving the music biz and ultimately becoming a doctor. [img width=659]//7ca49eb9f67ba1319ef136f9d52cd8b8.cdn.bubble.io/f1722129804888x739346853822345300/richtext_content.jpeg[/img] [b]Young pop singer puts career on hold [/b] By Bob Blakey (Herald staff writer) Many a singer and musician finds local fame by performing professionally in clubs and bars. But Roxanne Goldade attracted special attention in the 1970s, not just for her talent, but because of her age, too. By the time the 15-year-old Calgarian was nominated for a Juno award as best new female vocalist of 1977, she had been performing semi-professionally for about eight years. In the early days, she sang on CFAC Television's Safety Roundup, then turned up on other local TV shows. She recorded an album at a Calgary studio off and on between 1975 and 1977, from which three singles were released. Another Juno nomination. followed, then some bookings in Calgary nightclubs and a tour of Eastern Canada with a band in the summer of 1979. Music reviewers in this area described Goldade as having a good voice, a comfortable way with middle-of-the-road pop songs and a charming stage presence. Still a student at St. Francis High School, she faced the possibility of a career in entertainment if she wanted to make the leap. Even then, however, she talked about wanting to be a doctor. The Juno nominations didn't lead to the coveted awards, and her records weren't exactly chart-busters. The late '70s was a time of decision for her, and her name hasn't been in the news much for several years. Last week, Goldade paused from a typical day of studying to talk about the time since those days, and her current plans. "Right now I'm concentrating on school," says Goldade. "When I first got out of high school, in 1980, I went on the road with a band called Hot Pursuit." The band toured Western Canada playing music that Goldade likens to FM radio's "adult contemporary" format, a pleasing style to many people but one with a vagueness of direction that might have contributed to the group's lack of huge success, she says. Goldade and the five other band members stayed on the road for a year. It was her first break from continuous education, and that part wasn't easy. "I really would miss school. "I was offered a lot of scholarships when I got out of high school. I couldn't take any of them because I went to play." She had the backing of her parents whatever her decision was. "They said, 'Do what you want to do. You can always go to school afterwards. If you have to get it out of your system, do it.'' Most of the bookings were out of town in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, but there was a stint at Calgary's Ranchman's nightclub, which "didn't go over very well" because of the band's soft-rock repertoire. "The group could have gone places, but there were personality conflicts," Goldade recalls. Also, "being on the road was boring. During the day, what do you do? I needed something intellectually. "I decided I wanted to go back to school." She's in her third year at the University of Calgary, majoring in biochemistry, with plans to go to medical school. All those years of study ahead before becoming a doctor take her breath away at times, but her professional singing experiences convinced her she knows what she wants. "I tried once to play on the weekends while going to school, but because of the science and all it's really heavy it just doesn't work. "Right now it's just school. My studies are more important, but that doesn't mean I want to stop playing. "Music is an important part, but when I was on the road the fun was taken out of it because of the whole business aspect. Not that I was turned off by the business part of it, but I wanted it to be fun, not just a chore. "If I went back out and played, it would be for the fun of it. Right now I'm anxious to be playing. I see someone up on the stage, and I'm itching." A convenient and lucrative sideline for Goldade is recording "jingles" those commercial radio melodies that star all manner of products. These days, she can be heard singing the praises of Franklin Mall and Jasper's tourist attractions. The pay is "phenomenal," says Goldade, who expects to finance her medical studies with these and other part-time singing engagements. When she does perform, there are comments from impressed listeners that straddle the boundary between compliment and admonishment. "People say to me, 'How come you're going to school now? You're crazy, don't you dare give it up. This is what you have to do.' "I had to make a decision.... "When I was on the road I didn't do any kind of studying. I had to get school off my chest, and I'm really enjoying it. "I think I can make the best of both worlds."
