Bobbi Goddard brings a bit of Mexico to Kindersley

By Joan Janzen

Bobbi Goddard is excited about returning to her old stomping grounds in Kindersley, where she spent summers and holidays hanging out with cousins, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. “My mom (Marie Goddard) always said - whatever you wanted to be when you’re six years old is what you should do for a living,” Bobbi recalled. “And my gramma, June Scribner, always said she thought I could be a country music superstar.”

Her gramma would have been thrilled to hear that Bobbi and The Others will be performing at the Red Lion during the Oldtimers ball tournament on July 15 and 16. Although Bobbi and her band have only been together for a year and a half, they quickly became successful.

Bobbi’s journey has taken her to many places. She was born in Kindersley and grew up in NWT, Medicine Hat and Calgary. She worked in theatre, spending a lot of energy on becoming an actor. She was frequently asked to sing and perform in musicals as an actor.

She was also a world traveller and often returned to one of her favourite places, Mexico, between theatre contracts. “I went to Mexico in February 2020, and stayed for two and a half years,” she said. She acquired her temporary residency and taught English online while living in Puerto Vallarta. A year later, someone heard her sing and said, “This girl needs a band,” and within a short time, he found “the Other” band members.

“I discovered there’s not much country music in Mexico, and people were keen for it,” Bobbi said. “I missed acting, so I went to a big theatre in Puerto Vallarta that does tribute shows. I approached the owner and said I think you should hire me to do a tribute to country music.”

After hearing Bobbi and her band sing a couple of songs, the owner said, “I don’t know if people like country music, but I think you’re hilarious, so you can have a show.”

Bobbi’s banter with the audience and spontaneous humour combine to engage her audience in a personal way. “I like to make jokes and make everyone feel like they’re my friend,” Bobbi said. Her favourite funny line is, “I moved to Mexico to become a country singer.”

Now Bobbi’s band performs all the country songs she listened to as a kid. “Being a cover band is all about interpretation. We’ll play what people want, but it has to be our interpretation so that we can enjoy ourselves,” she said. Bobbi discovered she has the ability to please people who aren’t fans of country music.

When Canadians began asking to hear her band perform, Bobbi made a few phone calls, sent some emails, and called Marianne at the Red Lion about performing in Kindersley. Now Bobbi and The Others are in Canada performing in a number of different provinces; it’s an incredible adventure for the band.

“None of them have ever been to Canada before,” Bobbi said. “My bass player had never been on a plane. I tried to warn them it’s summer, but it’s going to be cold.”

The band members speak a bit of English, and “we always speak Spanish as a band,” Bobbi explained. She is looking forward to introducing her Mexican family to her family and friends in Kindersley, where they’ll play both country and rock and some classic tribute songs.

“This is our introduction to Canada. If people like us, they can hire us for gigs next year,” she concluded. In the meantime, they’ll have fun bringing a bit of Puerto Vallarta to Canada.

Bobbi and The Others will be playing at the Red Lion Inn this weekend.