Carson Ruhland will be remembered for his originality, his music, and for being himself.
“If there is laughter on a slow leaking ship, ain’t no excuses for waiting for never, and blaming the weather.” – Carsick Billy
Carson William Ruhland was a brilliant musician who touched many lives in Oliver and throughout parts of the world where he travelled.
Carsick Billy, as he was affectionately known, died much too young at age 23, in a single vehicle accident between Peachland and West Kelowna
Not much is known about his accident at this time (before the official police report is released), but plenty is known about his life and the legacy he left behind.
Carson was always a friend of nature, and was surely there in spirit at the gathering on the shore of Tuc-el-nuit Lake where family and friends recently reminisced about his life.
We hit the rewind button to go back in time to when Carson was a lad. Words like “rambunctious” and “fearless” immediately came to mind.
He was like a real monkey. He loved to climb trees, and even take the occasional nap in one.
Older sister Marisa Ruhland will never forget the time he made a fort and slept underneath the stairs.
“He was always building and creating things,” said friend and band-mate Mike Szalay.
Even as a boy, Carson never asked others how to do something, he would find his own way of doing it, learning as he went along.
Whether it was sports, his art or learning an instrument, he usually ended up doing whatever it was with authentic success.
He once built a light saber to imitate his favourite Star Wars characters, and constructed a replica Stanley Cup out of margarine containers and duct tape. He even made a longboard from his dresser.
Carson and his childhood friend, Taylor Doll, would strap fishing poles to their bikes and fish down at Tuc-el-nuit Lake. One summer when they weren’t catching much, rather than asking their parents to buy a boat, they decided to build one out of plywood. Even as the boat began to sink after the first or second cast, they just laughed and took joy in the experience of building something together.
Fast forward to Carson’s teen years, a time when he grew quieter, sometimes hardly speaking at all. Unlike many people, he was very comfortable with silence, his brother Sid recalled.
“He didn’t follow trends,” Szalay pointed out, noting that Carson did his own thing.
Ironically, at one point he was failing art class because he was too busy sketching, carving and painting at home. Much of his sketching was hidden away from curious eyes.
He never got too concerned about proving himself to others through his grades because he preferred to focus his energy on the feelings exuded from his creations.
For example, Carson’s younger sister, Celina, described a jewelry hanger on her wall that he made for her out of old piano keys.
He also had a passion for woodworking, and often helped special needs students with their projects.
High school teacher Maurizio Basso said Carson was a well-liked and respected student at Southern Okanagan Secondary School.
“He was extremely gifted academically, artistically and technically, especially with woodwork.”
Basso noted that Carson was a true pleasure to teach because he always put his best foot forward in everything he did. He was so creative, especially with video, and a lot of his projects were informative and fun to watch.
Basso said Carson was well known for his interesting hairdos and fashion sense.
He pointed out that Carson was the type of student that teachers never forget.
The young man’s true talent was music; he definitely had an “ear” for it. He was basically self-taught, but a lot of it rubbed off from his beloved father Jim, a dedicated musician.
His friends recall Carson locking himself in his room one winter in Montreal and mastering the piano. He also played the banjo, harmonica, drums, trombone, didgeridoo and guitar. In fact, he built two guitars, one out of kitchen utensils.
He loved tinkering with household items and recording the sounds they made.
Carson was in his element while playing in several bands, including Great White North and The Nobodies. All band-mates, including Sean Petersen and standup bassist Lee Holland, explain what a privilege it was to play with such a “mind-blowing” musician.
Carsick Billy was his solo act that truly defined the man behind the music.
Longtime friend and band-mate Jared Yackel recalled busking at the Penticton Farmer’s Market, where they sold out all of their CDs. People would always come up and thank them, and children were drawn to Carson like a magnet.
He left quite an impression on Chase Alaric from Oliver, who loved playing the piano with him at the Firehall Brewery.
Yackel said he was moved by one random band in Kamloops who dedicated a song to Carson out of their love for his music.
But Carson was no one-trick pony. He was a learned sailor and had one of the greenest thumbs in Oliver.
He wanted to be a farmer because he loved nature. In fact, he gained some knowledge by working on a farm in Italy, living with an Italian couple.
If Carson had a farm, he would have set it up to water itself, Sid explained.
Longtime friend and band-mate Polo Veintimilla added: “Carson stood for so many things, but what comes to mind are two words – organic and original. From his food and his beer to his music. He enjoyed the organic things. Music made with real instruments and minimal production, and food grown organically.”
Healthy food, craft beer and fresh cigars made Carsick Billy very content. But as Sid pointed out, “he didn’t like bullshit.”
The only time one friend had seen him cry is when all of the willow trees were cut down on Meadows Drive (to make way for a housing plan that still hasn’t materialized).
Veintimilla recalled telling Carson one day that he needed to buy some new shoes because the pair he was wearing was covered in duct tape.
Sister-in-law Marie-Eve Ruhland said Carson was such a loving uncle to his nephews Leo and Noah. Carson taught Leo how to bang on the piano and smell flowers.
Marisa piped up, saying their mother washed all of Carson’s clothes in one load.
Everyone agreed that Carsick Billy preferred the simple life without the material trappings that society says we must have.
“I looked up to him, because while so many of us complain about our petty problems, he was always content. Even as a kid he didn’t complain. I strive to have the kind of positive outlook on life that he did,” Marisa said, noting her brother truly did live every day to the fullest.
Since Carson’s passing, Veintimilla has cut back on his cell phone use and has started listening to more music.
Marisa was touched by an act of kindness that Carson showed his neighbours when he lived in Penticton. They were strangers, but he knocked on their door and invited them over for dinner.
His funeral attracted over 600 people, many of whom did not wear shoes because they wanted to “feel the earth” like Carson did.
He was loved by so many because he loved all things that live . . . people, animals, the earth. And now we must carry on his message: to be kind to others and to the land that gives to us every day.
Thank you for being you, Carsick Billy.
Carson’s music truly defined who he really was as a man, who loved all things living.
By Lyonel Doherty
