I’m sharing a blast from the past that Vancouver GenXers will likely remember. Stronger Together was an anthem performed at the Grey Cup Half Time Show in Vancouver in 1990.
I’ve written about my experience with Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and about leaving my job in Vancouver to go work on the liveaboard dive boat in the Bahamas. What I glossed over was the amazing group of guys I worked with at Stellar Productions, the event production company before I left for warmer climes.
One of those guys, Marti Kulich, reached out to me last week to share this:
STRONGER TOGETHER 2020
He wrote:
“In September 1990 the CFL contacted Stellar to produce the Grey Cup 1/2 Time Show. I immediately reached out to Jacques Lemay, and together we set to work creating a show. We brought composers Bill Sample and Sal Ferreras into the project, and they recruited Vancouver vocalist Dee Daniels to sing the lead track, “Stronger Together.”
The 1/2 Time Show was presented in BC Place Stadium on November 25, 1990, and Dee’s performance of “Stronger Together” was fantastic – she literally knocked it out of the park. Through the next 30 years I’ve always remembered and believed in the song, as well as Dee’s amazing performance.
Fast forward to 2020, and in mid-March I contacted Jacques, Bill, Sal and Dee and suggested that as we all face down this pandemic there is no better time for the song, with its inspiring message, to be re-booted. They agreed, so we slapped together a simple homegrown video to support the song’s message, with Jacques taking the lead role in building the video.
Our goal was simply to create a unifying call to action that will help us all get through the pandemic by working collectively and doing “the right thing”. Hopefully the video will also provide a little inspiration that we can/will beat this as we navigate the difficult days ahead. It was one small thing that we thought we could do to help…”
You guys, this video gave me goosebumps, and I got to giggle at those 1990 hairstyles and fashion.
We’re doing such a great job of flattening the curve in BC – we really are stronger together!
What a wonderful flashback that is especially relevant today. We are stronger together and that is how we need to move forward.