David Tinkoff, 4 August 1939 - 9 October 2006

Many people, including those who knew him in Ireland, will be sorry to hear that David Tinkoff of Canada died on 9 October in Saint-Vincent Hospital, Ottawa, of an internal haemorrhage. He was immobilised by severe injuries two years ago when he was hit by a car on Bank Street, close to the Ottawa Folklore Centre, where he worked part-time.

Dave grew up in Montreal listening to WWVA, one of the most influential US radio stations for bluegrass, country, and gospel music. He taught himself to play mandolin, and moved to Ottawa in the 1960s, becoming part of the folk and bluegrass scene there. He played in the bands Maple Hill, the Back 40 Band, and many others, and was widely valued for his abilities as a mandolin player and singer - a severe stutter, which hampered his speech throughout his life, had no effect on his singing.

In the early 1970s he spent some time in Dublin, taking part in jam sessions with George Kaye and others in O'Donoghue's on Merrion Row and elsewhere; and in 1999 he returned to Ireland with his good friend Ross Harvey, Canadian bluegrass broadcaster, to attend the Dunmore East and Omagh festivals. He was devoted to bluegrass music, and proud of having been dubbed 'the Coca-Cola Cowboy' by the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. Kitsy Kuykendall of Bluegrass Unlimited, which recently celebrated forty years in publication, says: 'We believe that David was one of our earliest subscribers from Canada and were proud to count him as a subscriber all these years.'

Having faced several challenges in his life, Dave was often in severe and prolonged pain after his accident, and tributes have been paid to his fortitude and good spirit during this period. He had been in better health recently, and was able to enjoy the Ottawa Folk Festival in August.

Thanks to Ross Harvey for information; Ross attended the funeral in Montreal on 13 October, along with others from the Ottawa Valley Bluegrass Association and also members from Townships Bluegrass and the Wheel Club in Montreal. The Ottawa Citizen of 12 October reports that a musical celebration of Dave's life will be performed by several musicians on 21 October at 5.00 p.m. at Saint-Vincent Hospital, 60 Cambridge St. N.

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Enda Donnelly reports:


I was sad to hear about David's untimely death; my bluegrass friend Ivan Kelsall in Manchester, who was in constant contact with him over the years, informed me last week and included the attached picture of David in full flight. In this pic he is playing his new love, a fine Heiden mandolin made by a highly respected craftsman from British Columbia.

I met him in 1999 after he contacted me about coming over to Dunmore East; we were playing that year & he guested with us at one gig at the Ship. He had just got the new mandolin then, and we had some great pickin' testing out the merits of this fine instrument, although it had not yet been fully played in & opened up.

May he rest in peace.

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Ivan Kelsall reports:

Many thanks for publishing the article regarding my dearly missed friend, David Tinkoff.

I met David in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 1992 at the IBMA FanFest there, & we became firm friends. David came over to stay with me for three weeks in 1994 & we attended the Ironbridge Bluegrass Festival. He was a truly nice person in every way. He was honest & gentle, & in spite of a stammer that would stop a train, he made lots of friends.

I was informed by a Canadian friend of David's that he was unable to have his beloved mandolin in hospital with him. That would have been enough to drive his spirits down. He lived for his mandolin playing. He spoke far more eloquently though his playing than he ever could through speech.

David was hit by one car which threw him into the path of yet another car. I don't know to what extent he was injured; one can only assume that it was very severely. I spoke to David several times while he was in hospital, but could never have a decent conversation, for one reason or another. There was always someone around monitoring him.