Scott Cameron enjoys visiting Tasmania and especially stopping off at the coffee shops and grabbing a bite to eat between Launceston and Hobart. Scott has visited Hobart as recently as last year, in one of the many tribute shows he takes part in to the great Buddy Holly. This time he will be visiting Tasmania in ‘Buddy and Roy together and alone’ and will be performing at the Theatre Royal in Hobart and at Launceston Country Club.
Although still very young, Scott has been performing as Buddy for quite a while and has even met some of the significant people in Buddy’s life such as Peggy Sue Gerron (the girl who inspired the song and was the girlfriend and later wife of Cricket drummer Jerry Allison), a meeting he tells me was like going to his first job interview. Now, after the initial nerves and awe he can count Peggy Sue as a friend. Scott’s respect and admiration for Buddy began long before he took on the role. As a musician he had a great respect for Buddy’s all round talent as a songwriter musician and producer.
Scott was performing in pubs and clubs when he was slightly disillusioned and decided to leave music for 6 months. One day he tried out for a role as one of ‘The Crickets’ in a Buddy Holly production and instead landed the main role of the man himself.
It is serendipitous occasions like this as well as many coincidences that link he and Buddy’s life that make Scott believe he was meant to play Buddy.
Like Buddy, Scott was involved in country music to begin with, and shifted to rock and roll. Also Scott has the correct vocal range of Buddy and Scott and was born exactly 50 years after Buddy. More eerily Scott possesses a scar over his left eyebrow in exactly the same place as Buddy did.
But the most startling coincidence must be the fact that Scott’s original name Skirving, deemed by him to be too unusual to keep as an entertainer, and a rare name at that, was in fact a name he shares with the Buddy’s family lawyer.
The similarities between Scott and Buddy are so legendary that the Sydney Morning Herald once listed the 10 similarities between Scott and Buddy.
Scott’s closeness to Buddy is further accentuated by the rigorous research he has and continues to do, including the fact he has obtained the exact shaped vintage glasses that Buddy used while other tribute acts often portray Buddy in ray bans, Scott has managed to source the glasses from the place of their manufacture in New Mexico.
You can see Scott’s uncanny tribute to Buddy Holly in ‘Buddy ‘n Roy together and apart at the Theatre Royal Friday, 28th June 2013 – 8:00pm and at Launceston country club on Saturday 29th June – 8.00PM
Paula Xiberras
