Intro
This book is an attempt to piece together a clear portrait of how the renowned 1980s rock band Marlene McKinnon & The Six rose to fame– as well as what led to their abrupt and infamous split while on tour in Chicago on July 12, 1989.
Over the course of the last eight years, I have conducted individual interviews of current and former members of the band, as well as family, friends, and industry elite who surrounded them at the time. The following oral history is compiled and edited from those conversations, as well as relevant emails, transcripts, and lyrics. (The complete lyrics to their album October can be found at the back of the book.)
While I have aimed for a comprehensive approach, I must acknowledge that this proved impossible. Some potential interviewees were difficult to track down, some were more forthcoming than others and some, unfortunately, have passed on.
This book serves as the first and only time members of the band have commented on their history together. However, it should also be noted that, on matters both big and small, sometimes accounts of the same event differ.
The truth often lies, unclaimed, in the middle.