From Scrubby For DENNIS.
Bit of a story on Dennis Gale 24/05/47- 27/08/07
Where do you start with our mate Dennis. ....He was a loving husband, a dedicated father, a good provider, a great musician, a builder, keen sportsman & a very funny man for starters.
Music was a very big thing in his life, along with Sandra & his family. In the latter years when he wasn’t so well he never wasted time talking about his health issues, preferring to talk about here, now & the future... I never heard him talk negatively about any person....But he may just make a joke about them if they really deserved it. !
So a bit about his music of life...He was a good singer with a good ear & later learnt to play several instruments including guitar & bass guitar. He played in many bands starting out as a singer in a Rock & Roll band in Sydney’s south side as a young man in the Sutherland district.
In 1969 with Sandra he moved to Brisbane, where both their first two children were born.
In 1976 the family settled on the Tweed around Murwillumbah, where, later two girls were born. With their last child being born in 1980, Dennis was kept busy building extensions & renovations on their home in Crystal Creek.
Dennis had again by now found time for his music, & was playing guitar with John Newton’s band, which included Grant & Julie Radonich, & others.
Although we had played together once or twice it wasn’t until the start of 1983 he had joined forces with me to play in some funny named bands such as “The Point 05” & “The Random Breath Testers”, otherwise known as the RBT. (For some reason the venues were not too happy with those names). However we were the first band for some time to bring live music back into Mur’bah central. It was during this period that he swapped to bass guitar.
He then continued his career more seriously in other good bands with unusual names such as “Squatta” & “Rockinitis”.
Dennis, with Jamie Cantwell became the rhythm section in John Gray’s “Rockinitis” in the mid 1980’s. This band had much success, for the next 12 years playing at many Northern Rivers &
S. E. Qld venues & festivals including Maleny Folk Festival & Tanawha Blues Festival in Southern QLD, the Grafton & Bellingen Jazz Festivals.. & the East Coast Blues Festival at Byron for many appearances. During this time the band played support for great international acts such as Albert King, Canned Heat, Charlie & the Night Cats, & others & were the chosen & preferred backing band for Big Bad Smitty at the 1994 East Coast Blues Festival.....
Dennis eventually formed his own band, “Commotion” where he had a brief stint on lead guitar. He was also playing country music with Steve Brown by now. Den & I joined forces again in “Mr Kokomo”. This was a big band often hiring a Brass section which included Oz legends, Davey Rankin, Colin Jones & Mal Capewell.
Dennis was forced to take a break from music at the end of 2003 to deal with the horrendous & invasive effects of Chemo therapy, radiation & a bone marrow transplant. Yet in only 12 months he was back on deck playing bass & singing in our new line up called “The Hillbilly Blues Bandits”. (The names didn’t get any better) But the public everywhere have really seemed to love this band which was just out having fun.
Dennis organized most of the bookings which generated some 230 gigs in 3 years. Peaking with 90 jobs in 2006 instead of the usual 12.! This is a phenomenal effort considering how many other acts there are out there, & how few venues that are still operating...He had the patience to deal with Publicans & Agents...because Dennis loved his music.......
Well if that’s not enough to respect, the mans footprint on the planet.........
In the 1990’s, Concurrently while being a provider for his family, a musician & a good handy man builder on friends projects, he became senior coach at Murbah Services Soccer club, winning coach of the year.!! Through his skills, the clubs senior team was elevated to the  A  Division in the very competitive Gold Coast comp.....Dennis was there in the first place, because both his sons were keen young players.
Another very positive thing about Dennis was that he always had time to chat & have a joke with all his friends children no matter what age they were, he didn’t leave them out & just talk to the adults. For many years while all our children were growing up the Gales were instigators of many family fun days whether it be down the beach or out at their property....
Well, some 20 years ago, Dennis & Sandra bought their own acreage at west of Murwillumbah, at the base of the beautiful Border Ranges. Here they have built a magnificent family home & made exquisite gardens. If youv’e ever been lucky enough to visit Sandra & Dennis you would realise another of his passions is gardening, & what a gardener ! You had to be careful though when visiting, because he could offer to let you cuddle the huge python he just found ! He didn’t seem to have a problem with nature either, he was a natural ! With a wicked sense of humour.!
The Man was a great provider, carpenter, sports man & coach, a loving husband & father, & musician.
He was very skilled, reliable, trustworthy & professional at what ever he tried. He had a positive influence on all those who met him. He was many things to all of us, .... including our mate..........
    Thank you Dennis for your time & effort.
Ps We hope to have a new album out this month featuring Den.......

Minnie CD……..
Dennis “Rollin D” Gale – Havin a Bit of Fun
   
1. Ooh Baby – P. Hurcombe
2. Morning T Blues – Mr Kokomo
3. Too Hot – D. Gale
4. My Babe – W. Dixon Arr. Hillbillies
5. Tell Everybody I Know – Arr. D. Gale
6. Bad Whiskey – J. Wells – Arr. Mr Kokomo
7. H K Wagon – D. Gale

Hillbilly Blues Bandits
Scrubby Pete – Vocals, Guitars    Peter Jaggle – Drums & Percussion.
Rollin D Gale – Vocals, Double Bass, Fender Bass & Acoustic Guitar
Guest Musicians – Jamie Ashforth - Harmonica
Roy Ainsworth - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones
Mr Kokomo is Scrubby Pete, Rollin D Gale &
Glenn Woodmansey – Drums,    Ashley Renton – Saxophone
Davey Rankin – Trombone,    Dave Kolb - Harmonica
Copyright - 2007 Peter Hurcombe. All rights reserved.
Contact - Peter Hurcombe  Po Box 193 Murwillumbah 2484 NSW Oz.
Phone/fax – 02 6677 9371.    Email: hurcombe@onthenet.com.au