Saint John's Backstreet Records owner honoured at ECMAs

Perhaps New Brunswick's best-known record spinner and slinger, Gordie Tufts of Backstreet Records is being recognized by the East Coast Music Awards.

Tufts opened Backstreet Records in Saint John approximately 38 years ago, and the Fredericton sister location eight years later.

Now the regional music awards are honouring the man who dedicated his life to his store and making independent music accessible.

"It's not all on my shoulders," said Tufts, who will receive New Brunswick's Stompin' TomAward.

"I have to thank people who help us do what we do."

The store owner has no idea how his name was brought up to the East Coast Music Awards, which gives one of these awards for each of the four Atlantic provinces and one extra one for Cape Breton.

"I'm not a musician," he said. "I don't play. I don't sing. I run a record store."

Venue and vinyl

But Backstreet Records hasn't just been a store where someone can buy hard-to-find vinyl, it's also become a venue for fledgling songwriters looking for a place to play when they pass through Saint John.

"These particular awards are given out to people who have paved the road for successful East Coast artists," said Dean Stairs, the chair of the ECMA's board of directors in an email. "Gordie's commitment to championing music of all kinds for nearly 40 years has undoubtedly impacted generations of musicians both within New Brunswick and without."

"In that time, Backstreet Records has been an important hub for musicians, community, and fans - and Gordie has been a generous steward of those spaces."

Stompin' Tom returned award

Stompin' Tom is often claimed by the city as one of the, "few famous people from Saint John."

He was offered the lifetime achievement award by the East Coast Music Awards in 1993 but would only accept it if he could give it back.

Instead, he asked that an award be created to honour those who have made "a long-term contribution to the East Coast music industry," according to the gala's website.

Tufts said he will travel to Halifax this weekend to accept the award and celebrate his wedding anniversary with his wife.

Still, he said, he's not just accepting it for himself but for the promoters and artists who have contacted him over the years.

"It's not as if Backstreet is writing a cheque and say, 'Here you go. Thank you for playing our store," he said. "These people are the people who deserve as much recognition as anybody.

"It's nice to be acknowledged that we're there."