Celebrated Hollywood refugee and new Canadian immigrant Randy Quaid and his wife Evi like White Rock.
That’s according to Blue Frog Studios’ Kelly Breaks, who said the pair made a quiet and unadvertised visit to town last week to record two of the actor/musician’s original songs – including Star Whackers, his punk-style anthem pointing the finger at those the couple blame for forcing their departure from the U.S.
Applying for refugee status in October, the Quaids claimed they were potential targets for “star-whackers” who have been killing actors – citing the mysterious circumstances in the deaths of such friends as David Carradine and Heath Ledger.
The flurry of media attention since their arrival – and oustanding burglary and misdemeanour charges relating to their alleged squatting at a home they used to own in Santa Barbara, Calif. – seemed to be forgotten during the peaceful sanctuary they found March 24-31 at the Johnston Road recording and video production studios.
“They were great people,” Breaks said. “Really good to deal with and so positive – they loved White Rock. They often went across the street to order sushi. They enjoyed that.”
Breaks said Quaid was working with a back-up band of drums bass and two guitars, dubbed The Fugitives, while Evi, a filmmaker, was videoing all of the sessions for inclusion in a documentary movie the couple are planning to release on April 22 at Vancouver’s Rio Theatre.
He described the song Star Whackers, premiered by Quaid at the Commodore in Vancouver March 18, as “kind of a punkish, up-tempo piece,” while the other song recorded, Will We Be Together Then?, he termed a “mellow” ballad.
“He’s not a bad singer,” Breaks added, about Quaid’s emerging career as vocalist.
Quaid – known for such diverse films as The Last Picture Show, the Vacation series, Independence Day and Brokeback Mountain, not to mention the TV series Saturday Night Live from 1985-’91 – plans to release both songs on iTunes in a couple of weeks, Breaks said.
And it’s a fair bet the Quaids may return to White Rock in the future as they settle into residence in Canada – Evi, whose father is Canadian, was granted full Canadian citizenship in February and is sponsoring her husband’s immigration application.