Eugene celebrates 30 years as a Granville Island busker this year! He can be found frequently playing an extensive range of folk songs inside the Public Market along the lines of Gordon Lightfoot, Eagles and America.
When Eugene was nine years old, he got my first instrument, a violin before learning sousaphone, euphonium, trombone and trumpet in school. When his mom bought a wurlitzer organ, it turned out Eugene could play better that her, even though she was taking lessons. So she got mad and bought him a guitar. Although Eugene trained and worked as a five-star chef, he decided to play guitar when he moved to Vancouver.
One day, after finishing his other job working in the boat yard, he started playing Guitar Man while busking in the market. A man came up, started laughing, then bent down with a huge smile and put $5 in his case. Later, Eugene found out it was Billy Joel who’s first big hit was ˜Piano Man’!
Eugene sees Granville Island as one big family; he has watched children grow up here, and he cherishes being told by them that he’s the cat’s meow.