Community, city work together to help former rock star clean up
原始发布日期： 2016-01-17 发布者：李方字变大 字变小
Scott Herzog, right, and Dave McPherson of We R Movers in the backyard of Kelly Jay's Penbrooke Meadows home on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. The men were volunteering a hand cleaning out the backyard for the former singer for iconic Canadian rock band Crowbar, and a well known hoarder, whose yard has been the subject of scrutiny by the City of Calgary. Ted Rhodes / Calgary Herald The southeast property of Kelly Jay, vocalist and keyboard player for the 1970s rock band Crowbar, is now up to city bylaw standards for cleanliness, thanks to the hard work of many groups. And the former rocker is now looking to tidy and organize his own home and his beloved tour bus filled with rock memorabilia and a myriad of memories. “I am so grateful for all of the help. It has given me so much peace of mind,” said Jay. “But that bus is my granny suite, it’s where I go to write my book, and get away. It’s where I’ve started my new project. “I made a living writing, writing songs on my piano, but now it’s all been taken away by some cruel fate. So now I have to find another way of making a living.” Jay was faced with city bylaw scheduled to attend his property last November to clean up his yard and remove his sacred bus after complaints from neighbours. But once the city learned about all of the trauma he’s survived in recent years, they chose instead to give him a reprieve until the spring to tidy up the property. After his story appeared in the Calgary Herald, dozens of community leaders and volunteers came forward with offers of help. “Crowbar is the very first concert I ever went to. I’ve been interested in music all my life. And Kelly has gone through so much, I just think the community should step up and help him,” said Paula Anderson, who has worked with a trucking contractor and a team of volunteers to help clean up his yard. 
Scott Herzog, left, and Dave McPherson of We R Movers move a lawnmower in the backyard of Kelly Jay’s Penbrooke Meadows home Wednesday January 13, 2016. The men were volunteering a hand cleaning out the backyard for the former singer for iconic Canadian rock band Crowbar, and a well known hoarder, whose yard has been the subject of scrutiny by the City of Calgary. Ted Rhodes / Calgary Herald Aarand Moving and Delivery was on site this week helping to haul garbage and tree branches from the Penbrooke Meadows property. Anderson said her team is also working to build some shelving in his living area so he can better organize his belongings and have more room to move around. “He has such an amazing spirit, an amazing soul, and I know he doesn’t want to give up. So we can’t let him down.” Jay has admitted he has issues with hoarding, particularly after suffering several traumatic losses in his life. In 2012, Jay’s wife of 15 years, Tami Jean, died of heart problems. Her death came years after his daughter suddenly vanished in the 1990s while working in Tokyo and the mother of his three children was killed in a car accident. After Jay’s health deteriorated and his hoarding became worse, he agreed to appear on an episode of the reality TV series Hoarding: Buried Alive in 2013. During the TV episode, Jay toured cameras around his split-level home, filled with rows of packed suitcases, vintage signs, and stacks of Tami Jean’s clothing. He has said, however, the counselling promised him as part of the show was no help. Carissa Vescio, spokeswoman for city bylaw services, said the city is continuing to work with Kelly around his hoarding issues, connecting him to help agencies including the Calgary Community Hoarding Coalition. “We’re really happy with the clean up of Kelly’s yard so far, it is up to standard,” said Vescio. “We just want to keep working with him, and take things slowly, to ensure his emotional well-being. We don’t want to move things too fast and have him regress in anyway.” Vescio said neighbours are still complaining about the bus. But the city will give Jay more time to either try and tidy it up, get it into working condition or move it to a different location. Jay and his Crowbar bandmate Roly Greenway, who co-wrote Oh, What a Feeling for their debut album Bad Manors, had their song inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011. eferguson@calgaryherald.com Calgary Herald |