A former rock star will get a reprieve from the city in clearing his property after warnings he would have to remove his treasured tour bus from the backyard.
Kelly Jay, who played keyboards for the 1970s band Crowbar and co-wrote their smash hit Oh, What a Feeling, says the city had issued a warning that if he does not remove garbage and vehicles from his yard by this week, city crews would do it and charge him.
But after learning about his past ordeals, city officials confirmed Wednesday they would give him a two-month reprieve and connect him to agencies that help Calgarians with hoarding problems.
“I’m overjoyed. I’m an old bugger, and I can’t move this stuff by myself,” said Jay, 73.
“I’m willing to take any kind of help I can get at this point.”
Jay told the Herald his tour bus is filled with sacred rock memorabilia and recordings on cassettes and reels, including music he once recorded with John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
“I have so many memories on that bus. It took us across the country. I travelled in it, I slept in it, I lived in it. It’s full to the gunwales with rock ‘n roll memorabilia.”
Jay admits he has issues with hoarding, particularly after suffering several traumatic losses in his life.
In 2012, Jay’s wife of 15 years, Tami Jean, died of heart problems. Her death came years after his daughter suddenly vanished in the 1990s while working in Tokyo and the mother of his three children was killed in a car accident.
After Jay’s health deteriorated and his hoarding became worse, he agreed to appear on an episode of the reality TV series Hoarding: Buried Alive in 2013.
During the TV episode, Jay toured cameras around his split-level home in Penbrooke Meadows, filled with rows of packed suitcases, vintage signs, and stacks of Tami Jean’s clothing.
His stepdaughter Shawna also appeared, worried about Jay and saying “the more people he loses in his life, the more he wants to hold on to his stuff.”
Although reluctant, Jay accepted the offer of help that came with appearing on the show — sessions with a behavioural therapist and professional organizer assigned to help Jay through the process of cleaning up.
But on Wednesday, Jay told the Herald his session with the psychiatrist was a one-time, meaningless, conversation that didn’t help.
“She just asked me a bunch of useless, mundane questions. And then some other guy came and threw out a bunch of my stuff. And that was it.”
Carissa Vescio, spokeswoman for city bylaw services, said the city hopes to do much more than that, helping with the clean up and connecting Jay to several agencies through the Calgary Community Hoarding Coalition.
“This extension will help us ensure that we can work with our partner agencies and provide the support that Kelly needs,” she said.
“Our priority is public safety and our involvement in the Calgary Community Hoarding Coalition exists to support citizens that may suffer from hoarding challenges by offering them solutions and harm reduction strategies.”
Jay and his Crowbar bandmate Roly Greenway, who co-wrote Oh, What a Feeling for their debut album Bad Manors, had their song inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.
Jay hopes to celebrate his 74th birthday next Tuesday at a big bash with other musicians at the Blues Can in Inglewood.
EVA FERGUSON, CALGARY HERALD
eferguson@calgaryherald.com
