A musician who grew up in Sault Ste. Marie is looking forward to returning to the city as a member of Hotel California: The Original Eagles Tribute when they perform on Saturday.
“I'm kind of the Glenn Frey singer, I suppose,” Carl Dixon said by phone from Toronto.
Dixon grew up on Amy Avenue and went to Manitou Park Public School. He plans to visit the old house while he’s in town and stop by the downtown library where he used to spend so much time.
With Hotel California, he has a few songs that he enjoys playing the most.
“The ones I sing, Lyin’ Eyes and Peaceful Easy Feeling . . . I enjoy those because I'm a singer first.”
Dixon also enjoys doing the harmony parts on Desperado and Hotel California as well as the “great guitar parts.”
This won’t be the first time Hotel California has performed in the Sault, but it will be the first time Dixon has returned to the Sault to perform with them.
The band tours regularly, Dixon said.
“This particular run is four shows,” he said.
They performed in Florida, San Diego and Idaho. The Sault will be the band’s final stop.
Dixon doesn’t perform in every Hotel California gig.
He hasn’t been in the Sault since he performed at the Tech in 2016, when he described the car accident he was in in Australia in 2008, which was when he mistakenly drove on the wrong side of the road.
Trapped in his mangled vehicle for nearly two hours, Dixon was eventually freed and transported to a Melbourne hospital where he remained in a coma for 10 days with major head trauma and a broken body.
His left arm and shoulder were the only body parts not impacted by the collision.
One person who came to visit him while he was in hospital was Andy Lapointe, a member of Hotel California.
“I was in the hospital there for six months and my friend Andy . . . he got on a plane and flew to Australia to be by my side through that.
“I've never forgotten that, so whenever Andy asks me to do something, especially if I get to come to my hometown, I’m there.”
Tickets for Saturday's concert are available here.
- With files from Donna Hopper