Gene Turgeon is still active in the community.
The retired Sault physician is a member of Not Dead Yet, a recently formed band.
The group includes Turgeon and fellow physicians Bob Maloney and Dave Simard, as well as seasoned musicians Rob Askin, Frank Greco and Fred Pelletier.
Not Dead Yet plays folk, country and Celtic tunes.
“Our band may appear ‘a little long in the tooth’ but we have lots left in the tank. We’ll play a mix of musical genres with some musical shout-outs for front-line warriors and nods to what makes Canada great. A little politics will get in there with humour that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to repeat to your mother,” Turgeon said of an upcoming Not Dead Yet fundraiser performance for SOYA (Save Our Young Adults).
Prior to Not Dead Yet, Turgeon performed as a vocalist and songwriter with The Comedics - a group composed of several local doctors and non-medical supporters - and assisted in raising over $2 million for the Sault’s healthcare sector through the group’s fundraiser shows.
Sault Area Hospital, Canadian Cancer Society, the Alzheimer's Society, the Red Cross, Sault Community Theatre Centre, the Sault Symphony Orchestra and many other groups benefited from fundraiser shows by Turgeon and his fellow Comedics.
The Comedics won the City of Sault Ste. Marie Medal of Merit award in 2009.
The group played music from a variety of genres and performed both covers and original songs, their shows mixed with good-natured humour.
However, after nearly 30 years, The Comedics have disbanded.
“We lasted longer than the Beatles, but we were never going to catch the Rolling Stones,” Turgeon chuckled.
“It just got a bit awkward. We just could not find time for a gig anymore.
"The band had up to 10 people, sometimes 12 with guests performing, and then there's another two or three people involved with sound and lights production. So it became a matter of trying to align 13 schedules, and it worked for a long time but people had other responsibilities and they couldn’t commit.”
Not the type to sit still, Turgeon and other seniors formed Not Dead Yet.
Music has been a part of Turgeon’s life for many years.
“Two of my three siblings made their careers full-time with music, so it's in the genes. Music is something that provides tremendous enjoyment to me, and with the group there’s a chance for camaraderie, meeting with other folks and putting a show together,” Turgeon said.
Born in Quebec City and raised in Toronto, Turgeon studied medicine at the University of Toronto.
He began his medical career as a Sioux Lookout-based doctor flying into 28 remote communities before moving to the Sault in 1975.
He worked emergency shifts for his first 20 years in the Sault.
Turgeon worked as a general practitioner with additional training in dermatology, working exclusively in dermatology for his last 15 years in medicine.
“There was nobody based in the Sault in dermatology at the time. There was a dermatologist in Sudbury and two in Petoskey, Michigan, so if people needed a dermatologist, that’s where they had to go.”
As more dermatologists came on board locally, Turgeon retired from medicine in 2016.
He has authored two books - The Illustrated History Of The Comedics in 2022 and Medicine In Early Sault Ste. Marie Ontario: From Indigenous Healers To Pioneer Physicians in 2023.
“Going into medicine was a chance to help people. I thought about other careers too but medicine was the one that looked like the most direct and easy way to help folks,” Turgeon said.
In retirement, the doctor, singer and author is staying engaged.
“Between music and writing, I want to stay active,” Turgeon said.
He's preparing for Not Dead Yet's first performance, a fundraiser for SOYA (Save Our Young Adults), which will be held at the Moose Lodge Friday, May 2.
Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40 per person and are available at the door or from SOYA, located at 179 Gore St., or by emailing SOYA..
SOYA helps individuals and families who are struggling with mental health challenges, substance use disorders, homelessness and food insecurity.
“We want to raise funds for SOYA because of the great work they do. Their services are so needed,” Turgeon told SooToday.