Born May 19, 1947 in Aberdeen, Scotland died on October 30, 2009 in Victoria, BC. He is survived by his wife, Mechthild “Maggie” Williamson; sisters, Anet Williamson of Victoria, BC, and Eileen Harvey (Bill) of Halifax, NS; nieces, Nicole, Renee, Rachelle and Juliet of Halifax NS; brother, Charlie Williamson (Ava) of Mission, BC; mother-in-law, Helga Kroscky of Germany; and sister-in-law, Annette Henrichs (Kasper) of Germany.
Lou was an extremely honourable man, a multi-talented percussionist, specializing on vibes and drums. He was a mentor to many and will be greatly missed by all.
In Lou’s honour, a musical tribute to celebrate his life will be held in the new year. To honour Lou’s memory, donations may be made to the “Lou Williamson Scholarship Fund” for young drummers, AFM Local 247 Musician’s Association of Victoria and the Islands, 732 Princess Ave., Suite 202, Victoria, BC V8T 1K6.
46 Responses
I want to send Lou’s family my deep condolences. Although we were not close friends – I will always remember that smile and joyful playing! I was a young ‘wannabe’ bass player in the McGill jazz band and had the extreme good fortune of having Lou teach me at every rehearsal. I remeber with fondness that he did this with kindness and humour.
There are are people you never forget – he’s one of them.
Frank Opolko
I am saddened to hear of Lou’s passing. He was very nice to me during my early days as a percussionist at at McGill during the mid 80’s. I was only able to have one lesson with him but that lesson continues to serve me well today. He taught me the necessary grooves to play survival jobbing drums. That one lesson earned my and my family thousands of dollars! The attitude and passion of Lou’s playing also inspired me to have enough confidence to move to New York city where I worked as pro player for most of my adult life. Thanks again Lou, you will be missed!!
Aubrey Dayle
I’m shocked and saddened to hear of Lou’s passing.
He was one of my first drum teachers and was a major influence during my formative years when I was a student at Concordia University in Montreal.
He also provided me with the special opportunity of becoming a drum instructor at Concordia (after I graduated) to assist in carrying his load of students – which became quite numerous during the early 80’s. Teaching is something that I continue to do to this day…
I was always impressed with his attention to detail…delivered in a very organic, caring way.
My sincere condolences to his surviving family.
Rest in peace, Lou…your torch is being passed.
To Lou’s family,
Please accept our heartfelt condolences. Lou was one of the first musicians I met upon moving to Mtl in the early 80s. Bill and I had the opportunity to play with him during our student days at McGill and beyond. Always a consumate professional Lou was also a great mentor to young musicians. I remember in particular his remarkable patience with the young drummers he worked with at McGill. He will be remembered fondly by the countless musicians who were touched by his generous spirit.
Jennifer Bell and Bill Mahar
To the family of Lou –
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Lou was such a talented musician; he was a great entertainer and a lot of fun to work with. He always had a smile on his face on stage. Having just performed some concerts he was supposed to be in, we in the orchestra felt his passing all the more keenly.
It was privilege to have known and worked with Lou. We will miss him.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Lou’s family and friends at this time of loss. I really did not know the family but I knew Lou for many years through our AFM affiliation. Lou was a wonderful guy and a true confident. I could talk to him about anything and know that my confidence would be kept. His counsel was always honest and pertinent. I will miss you a lot Lou, my good friend.
To Maggie & Family,
This is very sad news indeed. I can’t believe that Lou is gone.
He was an extremely nice human being, besides being a very talented (fantastic) drummer and musician.
Susan and I would like to express our most sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to you and your family at this very sad time.
Please be aware that our thoughts are with you during this difficult period.
Sincerely,
Ross & Susan Holloway
ONTRAC MUSIC LTD.
We offer our sympathy for the terrible loss you have suffered. We were great fans of Lou as regular Sunday guests at Hermann’s when Dixieland Express played with Lou’s very spectacular drumming and we enjoyed him even more on the vibraphone!
We will miss him very much also as a very friendly person!
I studied with Lou in the late 80s and I learned a lot from him, thank you Lou for everything you have given so many drummers in Montreal,
Rest in peace
The world is a better place because of Lou’s contributions, abilities and personality. He was a meticulous craftsman on the drum set and on melodics plus he was an excellent percussion section leader who cared as much for his fellow musicians as he did for the music to be played. His vibes improvisation on “My Funny Valentine’ still ranks high on my list of cherished musical moments. He never took himself too seriously. He was fun to be with on a small gig or a big concert where he was often featured. Lou, thanks for what you did for so many of us. We’ll miss you.