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Regina musician Jack Semple is back to singing and strumming his guitar on stage, just months after emergency brain surgery.
During an appearance on The Greg Morgan Morning Show, Semple said it feels good to be back after he had a brain tumour removed only four months ago.
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“It’s great to be back performing,” Semple said.
The musician said his health is good now, and he has been practicing like crazy.
“My number-one job is to get my guitar chops together, and they’re better than before the surgery,” he said.
“I’m walking around. I went to Mosaic last night and went to five pavilions, so I’m back.”
Semple said he has a better understanding of his own vulnerability after the health scare.
“When I see somebody out in public with a walker or a cane or something, I have a new appreciation for those people, because it’s difficult,” he said.
“There was a point where I couldn’t walk, and I had to relearn how to walk, and it was hard, and it was very tiring. But I’m the luckiest man I know.”
Semple said he’s also been writing a lot of new songs and making demos in his studio about being lucky and overcoming adversity.
“I’ve got a song called ‘The Rock is the Way.’ The surgeon told me this story about how, when you have a big obstacle, sometimes it’s necessary for you to advance on in your life, which is to get over it and realize you’re empowered,” Semple said.
“Every morning I wake up, it’s like Christmas morning now.”
Semple will be performing Gordon Lightfoot’s songs at Casino Regina’s Show Lounge on Saturday, June 20, explaining he learned how to play Lightfoot’s songs when he was a kid.
“My brother Jim took me to my very first concert ever, which was a Gordon Lightfoot concert,” Semple said.
“It’s the first time I’d ever seen live music, the first time I’ve ever seen guitar players like Red Shea, from Prince Albert, who played with Gordon Lightfoot, and the first time I ever heard a brilliant genius songwriter. He left a big impression on me.”
Semple said he plans to kick off his “Jack’s Back Comeback Tour” with gigs, new music and a new band in September.
