From psychedelic to gospel to country . . . Herb Desjarlais has played it all

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He came to sing . . .and sing he did while winning the hearts of many fans during his taping on the Native Nashville North show last June.

Herb Desjarlais has been singing and playing most of his life, ever since a baby sitter taught him three chords on the guitar with a laugh, he says the first song he learned was "wooden heart."

Born and raised in High Prairie, Alberta, Desjarlais comes from a large Metis family of 11 children. The family moved to British Columbia in the late 50's while he was still a young boy and still "practicing the guitar."

"I took lessons once, but they only lasted a half hour. It cost for $11 so I got fed up and walked out." After that he learned on his own.

With much of his schooling out of the way at age 16, Desjarlais felt he was good enough to challenge the entertainment world and landed various gigs working carnivals as a singer. He says it was a hard life with very little pay, but the experience was necessary.

You have to start from somewhere, so why not the bottom. Thats where I started and learned as I went along. I guess it's called paying your dues."

The very first band he played in during the psychedelic years, was called "Nirvana". You wouldn't have recognized me. I had long hair and used to jump all over the stage."

Desjarlais recalls the last band he played for, called "Tribe", signified a turning point in his life.

"I played rhythm guitar and back-up harmony with the band for many years, then I quit because of drinking. I knew I had an alcohol problem and it wasn't getting better," he said.

For three years after leaving the band, Desjarlais worked hard to straighten out his life. He joined a church and began singing only gospel music. It was then that he started to write gospel songs. For three yeas he stayed away from alcohol.

"I never went to alcoholics anonymous meetings because I always believed I could change if I really wanted to," Desjarlais admits, saying he's controlled his drinking problem for seven years. "Sometimes I have a beer thats about it."

Since that time, Desjarlais' life is "an upward swing." Believing in himself and his writing ability has helped.

Currently, he is considering recording an LP and has joined a five piece Alberta band called "Iron Horse".

"The only thing I don't want is to still be paying gigs in bar rooms when I turn 45 or 50. If there is a chance to make it I might as well try here in Alberta, for now anyway," said the musician, whose songs have been played on British Columbia radio, where he lived for awhile.

One of the songs that Desjarlais sang on Native Nashville North is called "Ride on Lonesome Rider." An original, it proves this versitile and distinctive performer on the verge of making it in the country music world.