In Memory of Greg Bond (1954

Welcome to the Greg Bond Memorial Website

A prolific writer and composer for 20 years, Greg died at the age of 35 on April 10, 1989, following a brief illness with brain cancer. He was loved by many — family, friends and fans alike — and is fondly remembered by those who worked with him as a highly dedicated professional with a wonderfully positive attitude.

Greg performed in the Canadian musical theatre scene for 10 years, most notably as Rum Tum Tugger in CATS during its initial Toronto run. But his first love was song-writing, and his legacy ranges from the folk songs of his teenage years, like "Funny Day Saturday," to his later songs — including "Fixing Up This World" and "Spellbound" — written for his one-man show "Heroes," which he performed two months before his death.

One of Greg's passions and concerns was the environment, and "Fixing Up This World" reflects his sense of urgency. We felt that this song, in particular, needed to be heard, so we produced an album of his music and have made it available on this site and Spotify.

Generous donations made in Greg's honor enabled us to set up the "Greg Bond Musical Theatre Fund," which has awarded annual scholarships since 1991.

Thanks for visiting...and for keeping Greg alive in your hearts! We hope you enjoy his music as much as we do.

— Ruth Bond and Beverly (Bond) Mason

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A Life Remembered

Greg was born on January 31, 1954, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
He attended Spruce Cliff Elementary School, Vincent Massey Junior High School and Ernest Manning High School.
His earliest performances were lip-synching to The Beatles' "She Loves You" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" with his sister, Beverly, followed by several years of piano lessons and recitals.
In his early teens, Greg began to learn the guitar, as well as the recorder and the saxophone. With Beverly singing back-up harmonies, the basement of the Bond home became a mini-recording studio. They practiced endlessly, learning the current hits of the day, by artists such as Peter, Paul & Mary, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, and Gordon Lightfoot.
It was during this time that Greg began composing his own songs. Throughout his years as a performer, his signature song was one that he wrote while daydreaming in class, "Funny Day Saturday." He played it at every gig.
Greg soon coerced his closest friends Ian Hemphill, Don Jones and Bill McCormick into acquiring their own instruments...bass guitar, flute and drums. Along with Beverly, and later another back-up singer, Bonnie Hall, they started the group PIPER. After Beverly and Bonnie moved on, the band became known as WALTER.
This was the era of gigs at coffee houses and school events — performing a mix of cover songs and original content, and dealing with the ups and downs of transporting sound equipment and instruments in borrowed cars.
Greg got his first taste of musical theatre at Ernest Manning High School, starring in a 1971 production of ANYTHING GOES.
In 1972 he studied voice at the University of Calgary in the Faculty of Music, where his bestie, Ian Hemphill, majored in flute. Greg started the LONDON FOG PHILHARMONIC there, with Barb Hankins (who has since gone on to philharmonic-level performance), Keith Hunter and other talented musicians.
In 1973, Greg followed his high school sweetheart to Sydney, Australia, where he lived for three years, taking drama at the University of Sydney, performing in the COSMIC ENSEMBLE and touring with Jeannie Lewis.
After he returned to Canada, Greg auditioned with the Theatre Calgary Singers, winning the part of Curly in OKLAHOMA and performing in several other musicals, such as JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS.
In the late '70s, Greg moved to Los Angeles, where his sister was living. During his stay, he worked and performed at a diner/cabaret in the San Fernando Valley called Poppy's Star. All of the servers were up-and-comers who entertained the customers with musical number and skits. As usual, Greg was very popular with his fellow performers and the restaurant's clientele, but when his visa ran out, he returned home to Canada.
In 1979, he attended the Performing Arts program at the Banff School of Fine Arts (now known as the Banff Centre). The main production was CAROUSEL and he also workshopped NEIGHBOURS, a David Warrack production. He returned to the Centre in the summer of 1980 to receive The Marnie Warrack Memorial Scholarship (in memory of David's mother). Greg was the first recipient of the award, which continues to be presented annually by the Banff Centre.
In the fall of 1979, Greg moved to Toronto and in 1980 he met the love of his life, Irene Drazumerich. They were married in 1982.
Also in 1982, he won an audition for the Charlottetown Festival, where he appeared in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: THE MUSICAL and SINGIN' & DANCIN' TONIGHT, contributing an original song to the latter. Greg returned to P.E.I. for two more years, adding JOHNNY BELINDA and several other productions to his repertoire. FUN FACT: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES: THE MUSICAL debuted in 1965 and holds the Guinness World Record for longest-running annual musical, being performed every summer since except for 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic.
Greg's biggest part was that of the "rock-and-roll" cat, Rum Tum Tugger in CATS (1985 to 1987 at the Elgin Theatre), where he was a huge hit.
He also earned wide recognition for his recurring role as host "MacKay" in the POLKA DOT DOOR — a Canadian children's television series which was produced by the Ontario Education Communications Authority.
Throughout all his years in musical theatre, Greg continued to write songs, hoping to someday produce his own full-length show. His dream finally came true on February 18, 1989, when he performed his completely original one-man showcase, HEROES, at the Factory Theatre in Toronto. Tragically, only three weeks before the show, Greg had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, and the well-received HEROES would be his last production.
Less than two months later, on April 10, 1989, his family and friends were stunned when Greg lost his short battle with glioblastoma. He faced his death the same way he lived...with grace and courage.
Greg's last wish was that his music would be remembered, and his mother, Ruth, was determined to make that happen. She enlisted the help of Greg's old friend, Keith Hunter, who produced an enhanced master from Greg's original recordings at Keith's Breakthrough Studios in Kelowna, B.C. (We owe him a big debt of gratitude; it was no easy task, as many of the originals were recorded in Greg's home and needed a lot of work!)
The resulting album, entitled FUNNY DAY SATURDAY was released in September, 1999, in honour of a beloved husband, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, friend and castmate. "Good on ya, Greg...we promise we'll never forget!"