A popular northern Saskatchewan country-rock band is dealing with a double tragedy this fall.
In early September, Ken Pederson Jr., the 45-year-old lead singer of New Horizon passed away.
And, just last week, the band’s 28-year-old guitarist Josh McCallum also passed.
Sheryl Kimbley’s husband Grant is also in New Horizon.
Kimbley said the loss of the two band members leaves a big void in the local music community.
“We weren’t even at the beginning of processing that pain (Pederson’s death) and all of a sudden, a couple of months later, we lose our little Josh,” she said. “Like I said, there is no way to process that pain.”
Kimbley said not only were Pederson and McCallum in the same band, they were also best friends.
She said the older Pederson was a big mentor to a lot of northern musicians and the younger McCallum was well on his way to becoming a great guitarist.
“After picking up the guitar he (McCallum) quickly became one of the most incredible guitar players that I have been blessed to know. Meteoric rising to having young people all over the north and beyond looking up to him and wanting to be just like him.”
Wake services for McCallum were held this week and last in Warman, Prince Albert and his home community of Pinehouse Lake.
The funeral was held in Pinehouse on Tuesday.
MBC Radio will host a special tribute show to Josh McCallum and New Horizon’s music on Friday, Dec. 11 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
(PHOTOS: Top, Josh McCallum far left inset and Ken Pederson Jr., middle, in New Horizon. Middle, Ken Pederson Jr. and bottom, Josh McCallum. Photos courtesy Ken Pederson Jr. and Josh McCallum Facebook pages.)