Loverboy, guests to play benefit show
Newsroom Editor
Northshore News
Vancouver (November 20, 2000)
The search for a diabetes cure is a personal mission for Loverboy guitarist and founding member Paul Dean. His son Jake was diagnosed with diabetes last fall. Managing Jake's health has been a struggle for Dean and wife Denise, who live in West Vancouver. Said Dean, "It's been a huge challenge to try to keep Jake out of the hospital, especially for a little boy who sometimes doesn't want to eat. If he doesn't eat at the right time and in the right amount then you're really scrambling for how much insulin you want to give him."
Jake must eat six times a day -- three meals and three snacks. Said Dean, "Sometimes there are more snacks in between and you have to balance it with the amount of insulin you give him, which is a minimum of two times a day.
"We know a lot of people who take six injections a day, but they're really on top of their own control. We're keeping Jake as level as we can, being third party. You balance it between exercise, which brings the blood sugar down and insulin, which also brings it down. When you're really high you get really moody and you don't want to eat," said Dean.
More than two million people in Canada have diabetes. Even if a child manages diabetes well, there remain risks and complications from the condition including blindness, stroke, amputation, heart and kidney disease.
The idea of Loverboy supporting the search for a diabetes cure surfaced earlier this year. "We originally wanted to play at Swanguard stadium for the Walk for the Cure back in June. It didn't work out with the security problems and other logistics. We figured, actually it was Denise's idea, that we should try and do something in November. I said, 'I'd sure love to play the Commodore.' I went to my long-time manager Lou Blair. He's been doing an amazing job. He arranged to get the Commodore for a very small fee. Donations have been coming out of the woodwork and we've got corporate sponsors," said Dean.
Loverboys Paul, Mike, Scott, Doug and Matt will be joined by Colin James, Powder Blues, Bif Naked, Jeff Healey and Paul Hyde. "It's going to be rocking, it's going to be great," Dean said.
Tom Lee and Yamaha drums have donated a complete set of Yamaha drums to be auctioned off at the show. Among the many prizes to be won: Dean is giving away an Odyssey guitar that was custom built for him in North Vancouver in 1981; Trev Deeley is donating a weekend on a Harley; and there's a weekend at a dude ranch to be won as well as Grizzlies tickets and more.
Loverboy remains hot and heavy on the touring circuit doing about 60 shows a year in the summer in Canada and the U.S. The band last played the Vancouver area opening for Steve Miller in September. Dean says he can't remember if Loverboy has ever played the Commodore. "I think this is a first. I played there with Streetheart and I've jammed there with people there before," he said.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster for $30 or by calling the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation office in Burnaby at 320-1937.