Author Stephen Lewis has written a new biography on Stratford rock legend Richard Manuel.
Lewis said from the time he saw Manuel on the screen in The Last Waltz – a documentary musical about rock group The Band – he was a fan and interested in learning more about the person, his music and collaborations.
“Once I started to dig into his story, as I am apt to do with a lot of different musicians and records…I found that there was really a lot to talk about.”
Lewis said one of the reasons he wrote the book is because Manuel is “woefully underrepresented” in his field, while being an integral part of moving “a whole musical movement forward.”
Manuel played with The Revols, a well-regarded Stratford band, and with The Hawks, featuring Ronny Hawkins.
Lewis said Manuel and his bandmates helped express their music to a wider audience.
In his research, Lewis found Manuel to be someone that was always smiling and good to be around, and always up for a good time.
“He was always looking to contribute, to collaborate…he got great joy out of making other people laugh and seeing other people happy.”
A book signing will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Stratford Perth Museum.
