Hewitson, Jeff and The Fugitives

Websites:  https://citizenfreak.com/artists/91281-bed-time-story-the, https://citizenfreak.com/artists/90804-ardels
Origin: Peterborough, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Jeff Hewitson emerged from the thriving Peterborough, Ontario teen-band circuit of the early 1960s, a scene that produced a surprising number of musicians with ambitions that stretched well beyond the city limits. Born in London, England on September 19, 1945 and brought to Ontario as a child, he grew up during the first wave of rock ’n’ roll and quickly became known locally as an unusually versatile young performer. In Peterborough he fronted a succession of groups — the Continentals, the Jaguars, and the Fabulous Fugitives — sharpening his stage presence while developing into a rare multi-instrumentalist, able to switch effortlessly between harmonica, saxophone, and guitar. His reputation in the region grew to the point where later accounts would describe him as one of the defining figures of Peterborough’s “golden age of rock & roll.”

By 1966 the latest incarnation of his band, now billed as Jeff Hewitson & The Fugitives, had attracted enough attention to be signed to RCA Victor’s Canadian International Series. With Al Kingdom alongside him, the group entered the studio to cut Hewitson’s original song Magic, paired with a fiery cover of In the Midnight Hour. Produced by Allan Fainman and George Campbell, the single (RCA Victor 57-3406) captured the raw, horn-driven energy that had made Hewitson such a dynamic live frontman. Magic briefly broke onto the national radar, appearing in RPM’s Cross-Canada Chart Action in December 1966 — a rare achievement for a young band from outside the Toronto circuit — and stands today as a sought-after artifact of mid-sixties Ontario R&B.

Soon after the record’s release, Hewitson relocated to Toronto, where his seasoned performing experience made him a natural fit for a city beginning to redefine its own pop and R&B identity. He joined The Bed Time Story, a group formed from the remnants of prominent Toronto acts including the Ardels, eventually sharing and then taking over lead-vocal duties during the band’s Columbia period. His work with Bed Time Story connected him to musicians who would remain active across the Toronto scene for decades, reinforcing his role as a bridge between the Peterborough and Toronto music communities.

Hewitson later returned to Peterborough, where his influence continued in unexpected ways. Under his full name, Geoff Hewitson, he became an important documentarian and interpreter of the city’s music history, producing the television feature Peterborough’s Rock & Roll Roots. His creative life expanded into theatre as well, writing the comic drama Wild Oats for the Peterborough Theatre Guild and performing with local companies, including a notable appearance in 4th Line Theatre’s production of Doctor Barnardo’s Children. By the time he was honoured by the Peterborough Pathway of Fame, he had become recognized not only as one of the city’s earliest rock frontmen but also as a custodian of its cultural memory.

Today the lone RCA single by Jeff Hewitson & The Fugitives stands as the recorded trace of a musician whose story threads through bandstands, dance halls, and theatre stages, linking two music scenes and several generations of artists. It remains a vivid snapshot of a young singer from Peterborough whose drive, skill, and restless creativity carried him far beyond the local circuit where it all began.
-Robert Williston

Related acts:
The Ardels: https://citizenfreak.com/artists/91281-bed-time-story-the
Jeff Hewitson and the Fugitives: https://citizenfreak.com/artists/90804-ardels