Vince Ditrich

Vince Richard Ditrich (born April 4, 1963) is a Canadian rock musician, best known as the drummer and manager of the band Spirit of the West. Ditrich is also the author of two novels featuring fictional musician Tony Vicar (The Liquor Vicar and The Vicar's Knickers).

Vince Ditrich
Ditrich playing in Alberta, Canada, on July 17, 2010
Ditrich playing in Alberta, Canada, on July 17, 2010
Background information
Birth nameVince Richard Ditrich
Born (1963-04-04) April 4, 1963
GenresRock and roll, Pop rock
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Drums

Early life

Ditrich grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. He began playing drums as a child, and performed in his father's local band as a teenager.[1]

Career

Ditrich played drums with a variety of musicians, including pre-Odds bands with Doug Elliott and Steven Drake, Long John Baldry, and Paul Hyde.[2] He went on tour in western Canada with Sue Medley in 1990,[3] and also played with Mae Moore, Great Big Sea and Doug and the Slugs.

In late 1989, he joined Spirit of the West, and performed on their 1991 album Go Figure.[4][5] He has been a member of that band ever since.[6] In 2001 Ditrich became the band's manager as well. He has also continued to record with other musicians as a session drummer, and released a solo album in 2002.

Spirit of the West frequently performed a rendition of "That's Amore" in concert, with Ditrich on lead vocals. Except for a live recording of that song on the band's 1999 greatest hits compilation Hit Parade, however, Ditrich did not normally perform lead vocals on the band's albums.

In 2005 Ditrich took on a management role for the bluegrass band House of Doc.[7]

In 2010 Ditrich performed as part of the musical accompaniment for an original play, Debt the Musical, in British Columbia.[8] In 2011 he produced part of Calum Hughes' album And That's Okay With Me at the Vancouver studio The Warehouse.[9]

Until its disbandment in 2016, Ditrich continued to be the manager for Spirit of the West.[10] By this time he had been suffering from kidney failure for several years, and missed some of the final performances.[11][12]

Ditrich lived in Vancouver until 1993, but after the birth of his first son, he moved to Vancouver Island and still lives there with his wife, Marion, and their two sons.

Discography
  • Supertonic (2002)

References
  1. Jeremy Shepherd, "Road Warriors". North Shore News, July 26 2013. page 13
  2. Michael Barclay; Ian A. D. Jack; Jason Schneider (2011). Have Not Been the Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995. ECW Press. pp. 293–. ISBN 978-1-55022-992-9.
  3. "Singer Sue Medley has her own sound". Joy Hickson. Lethbridge Herald, via Newspaper Archives. July 21, 1990 - Page 13
  4. "'Legacy act' celebrates 25 years of music". Oct 20, 2008 by Mike Beggs Mississauga News
  5. "Potent New Spirit Drives Band". Winnipeg Free Press, via Newspaper Archives. July 06, 1991 - Page 28
  6. "Spirit of the West: An audio guide to their long, concluding journey". The Globe and Mail, Marsha Lederman, April 15, 2016.
  7. "A Look Back At The Year In Manitoba Music". Manitoba Music, December 21, 2005
  8. "Debt the Musical! Review". The Province, January 14, 2010, by Stuart Derdeyn
  9. "Kinship brother performs solo at Relay for Life". Vernon Morning Star, Kristin Froneman, Jun. 1, 2011
  10. "With front man John Mann battling early-onset Alzheimer’s, Spirit of the West prepares for its final gig". The Globe and Mail, Marsha Lederman, VANCOUVER, April 13, 2016
  11. "Death casts a shadow over musical moments of 2016", Vancouver Sun, Stuart Derdeyn, December 30, 2016
  12. "Final Regina show for illness-challenged Spirit of the West". CBC News · Mar 29, 2016
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