The summer of sa国际传媒�77 changed April Wine guitaristsa国际传媒檚 Brian Greenwaysa国际传媒檚 life.

Greenway was living in Montreal, working a steady part-time forklift job, and playing occasionally in another band.

sa国际传媒淚 was unemployed as a musician, working a steady job versus the security of a being a musician,sa国际传媒� he said with a laugh.

Greenway previously played with the drummer of April Wine at the time, Jerry Mercer, in a Quebec-based band called Mashmakhan.

sa国际传媒淚 knew them. They always carried people with them, singers or the keyboard player. They said they wanted to try and add me. I played keyboard, sang and played guitar. So in the summer of sa国际传媒�77 I started with them on a trial basis. I remember just thinking sa国际传媒榞eeze, I hope they say yes, I can stay on,sa国际传媒� and they did and the rest is history so to speak.sa国际传媒�

With the addition of Greenwaysa国际传媒檚 raspy voice and the band now having a three guitar attack, April Wine curated a distinctive edge that has stood the test of time.

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The first album with Greenway, the seventh for April Wine, pushed band into a new rock and roll stratosphere.

First Glance (Roller, Get Ready for Love, Right Down To It) was the first to reach Gold record status outside Canada and prompted bands including Rush, Journey and Styx to request April Wine to open their shows in the U.S.

sa国际传媒淚 wish I could remember a lot more of it. We did a lot of hits. It really started happening on the stage. Nine months is kind of gone. We were in a different town everyday,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚t was the party days. We had the best time we cansa国际传媒檛 remember.sa国际传媒�

April Wine would release five more albums between then and 1986 when they took a hiatus. The Nature of the Beast in 1981 was the height of their commercial success earning certified Platinum in the U.S. and reaching No.24 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The record included songs Just Between You and Me, which became April Winesa国际传媒檚 most successful single in the U.S. and Canada, and the moderately successful, but crowd pleasing cover of Sign of the Gypsy Queen.

During the hiatus, Greenway released a solo album Serious Business.

April Wine would come back together in 1992, releasing four more albums.

Theresa国际传媒檚 talk the iconic band will release a 50th anniversary record next year.

Greenway said he plays 20 to 30 shows a year with April Wine and also performs as a one-piece band playing guitar, singing and using drum pedals at a friendsa国际传媒檚 restaurant in Montreal. In addition, he also heads up the five-piece Blues Bus band with former April Wine bandmate guitar player Gary Moffet (1973-1984).

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sa国际传媒淲e play songs you forgot you loved. It keeps me playing and active during the week. Isa国际传媒檝e been doing it two years now. Isa国际传媒檝e learned so much more about guitar from playing acoustic,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 want to go away and fortunately the reputation of April Wine helps with other projects. Good music is good music. Live music is slowly disappearing.sa国际传媒�

Greenway said thatsa国际传媒檚 one of the reasons Pentictonsa国际传媒檚 Peach Festival is so special.

He couldnsa国际传媒檛 remember if hesa国际传媒檇 ever played the free family festival, but knew hesa国际传媒檇 played Penticton several times.

sa国际传媒淚 cansa国际传媒檛 remember if wesa国际传媒檝e done Peach Fest but wesa国际传媒檝e done lots of different fests, all the food group festivals,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a pretty part of the world.sa国际传媒�

Free concerts provide a chance to connect with fans and maybe make some new ones, he said.

sa国际传媒淵ou tend to get a lot of people out at those kinds of things. A lot of them sometimes donsa国际传媒檛 know who they are going to see. They are just going to see a free show, but at the same time you can attract fans. You can get kids when they are younger and brand them into April Wine, just kidding,sa国际传媒� he said with a laugh.

April Wine plays the Penticton Peach Festival Thurs., Aug. 9.