He Walked the Line

The Ron Budden Article is published with the permission of  The Express St.John’s, NL

Popular busker played with legend; uses advice for inspiration
Memories of playing with the late Johnny Cash remain fresh in Ron Budden’s mind

BY DANETTE DOOLEY
For The Express

Ron Budden stands in a familiar spot — the front of the Scotia Centre on Water Street.
The busker has been playing and singing in that same place for more than two decades. Dressed entirely in black like his hero Johnny Cash, he begins to sing and strum one of his favourite songs by the late singer/songwriter. The open guitar case at his feet is an invitation to passersby that Budden doesn’t shun those who’d like to drop in a few coins as a token of appreciation.

“Give my love to Rose please won’t you mister
Take her all my money, tell her to buy some pretty clothes
Tell my boy his daddy’s so proud of him
And don’t forget to give my love to Rose”

Budden’s deep voice attracts several people who stop and listen. Now 62, he sang that very same song as a 21-year-old when the Man In Black played Memorial Stadium in the early ’60s. Sipping a coffee at a nearby café a while later, Budden recalls the moment Cash took notice of him as if it was yesterday. Telling the story still brings tears to his eyes.  “About half way through his show, Johnny took a break. Then one of the boys with me said, ‘We’ve got a guy back here who can sing just as good as you can.’ Johnny got a little bit perturbed about that but said, ‘OK, send the guy up.’ I reluctantly went up and I sang one of the best songs I know by him called Give My Love to Rose.”
After finishing the song, Budden got a huge surprise. Cash asked to see him backstage after the show. The words from the legendary singer left the young Newfoundlander speechless.
“Johnny looked at me and he said, ‘You know, I couldn’t have done that any better than you did.’ And he said, ‘I’m going to make a deal with you. I’d like you to come on a little tour with me around the different States.”

Jumped at it
At the time, Budden was working at the CNIB Cafeteria in the General Hospital. When given a leave of absence, he jumped at the opportunity Cash presented.
The next month was a whirlwind for Budden. He played with Cash in Louisiana, Texas and New York, staying in one hotel after another.
At the end of the month, Budden headed back to Newfoundland with over $800 in his pocket — a tidy sum of money in 1962. However, the lessons learned from Cash were more valuable to the young singer than the actual money.
“Johnny was 30 then, nine years older than me. The best part of that month was being with him and experiencing that ultimate thrill of working with such a popular artist. He was a very down to earth person.”
Like Cash, it’s not unusual for Budden to be dressed entirely in black when he’s playing the guitar and singing. It’s a way he has found to remain close to the man who saw something in him at a very early age.
“Johnny believed in the downtrodden and the oppressed. He tried as hard as he could for those kinds of people and that’s what a lot of his songs are about.”

Blind
Born in Heart’s Delight, Trinity Bay, Budden grew up in Notre Dame Bay. At 11, he was brought to St. John’s for an eye examination. Tests brought devastating results — the little boy was legally blind. Shortly after, the child was sent to a school for the blind in Halifax. Devastated at the thoughts of being ripped from his parents, brothers and sisters, Budden found himself expressing himself through music.
“Because of my lack of vision, I think I’ve had acute hearing. So I picked up a lot of music ever since I was a child. When I was in the Halifax school, I missed home so much that I used to go into the piano room and play for hours and hours. That was the only thing that seemed to give me any relaxation or peace.”By the time he reached his teens, Budden was playing guitar. He now made regular appearances on Don Messer’s Jubilee working with Marg Osborne, Charlie Chamberlain, Catherine McKinnon and the famous Buchta dancers.
“I met all of them. Gunter Buchta was one of the best dancers there ever was,” Budden smiles into his coffee cup.After returning to St. John’s in the early ’60s, Budden spent many years working in different cafes run by the CNIB. About 10 years ago, he released an album. Songs From the Heart contained original tunes, written from his life experiences that include the pain of “two bad marriages. “Between those bad marriages and now I’ve had some relationships that didn’t work out either. And the songs that I put on the album are based on some of those things.”

Now happy
Budden is quick to point out he’s now in a healthy and happy relationship. He met his wife, Dianne, who is also legally blind, during a Max Simms/Lions Club Camp for the Blind about 10 years ago. He is grateful to Wheelway Transportation for picking him up at his home, dropping him off downtown and coming to pick him up again later, sometimes close to midnight.
The transportation system is for disabled people. Because of his blindness, he would never make it from his home in the Thorburn Road area to downtown on his own. While he doesn’t talk in specifics about the money he makes as a busker, Budden admits relying on social assistance. But he says, just like the lessons he learned while touring with Cash, some things are more precious than the coins that people drop in his guitar case.
“I don’t do it for the money, even though I need it badly. But, you know something, I do it for the satisfaction of knowing that I’m doing something for the public and that people are enjoying it. “My acceptance by the people of St. John’s and surrounding area has been tremendous. I don’t think there’s any way I can thank the people adequately for giving me such a good feeling over these 21 years. “If a person just comes by and says to me, ‘I like your music,’ sometimes they have to tap me on the shoulder because I can’t see them. But it does me a world of good, you know. It does something for me right in here,” he whispers, his right hand held to his chest.

On air
In addition to busking on Water Street, Budden can be heard on radio every Sunday morning from 8:30 to 9:30. He conducts a music ministry on CHMR FM 93.5, the Memorial University station. For Budden, the feelings he has for music and his belief in the old-fashioned values and ways of life are something he and Cash have in common.
“Johnny always told me, ‘Don’t give up on this. You’ve got something going here, man.’ He told me there would be times when things would be discouraging and that I’d be rejected, but he always said, ‘Don’t give up.’ Johnny gave every last ounce of energy he had in serving his people, the public. And that’s the way it should be.
“And for the past 21 years, I’ve been trying to do the same thing for people who enjoy my music now. First, I thank God for being with me and protecting me and then I thank the public for being here for me all these years.”