Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Hay River (Jan 07/02) - Northerners lost one of their top entertainers when Hay River's Kole Crook died in a plane crash Dec. 31.

Kole Crook "didn't always play by the rules," his uncle Darm Crook recalls, noting a fiddling competition in which Crook veered off a strict format for the sake of entertainment. - NNSL file photo

The fiddler was on his way to a New Year's Eve performance in Norman Wells, in a small plane with two other passengers and a pilot who also died. Crook had just finished fiddling up a storm in Fort Good Hope.

Crook, 27, carved out his own niche in the fiddling world.

His on-stage goal was making sure audiences had the best time, said his uncle Darm Crook.

"That meant he didn't always play by the rules," Darm said, recalling a fiddling competition in which Crook veered off a strict format for the sake of entertainment.

Pianist Helen Edgar, who worked closely with Crook over the years, once said "He's just so full of energy, he can captivate an audience."

Crook learned much of what he knew about fiddling from Richard Lafferty, and picked up the rest practising by ear, Darm said.

About four years ago Crook felt burnt-out, and put down his fiddle for a year.

"He just needed a rest," his uncle said.

Before that he travelled in the Atlantic provinces, to learn more music and meet other fiddlers.

Darm said "the way Kole looked at everything, when you do something you always learn something."

The east coast is where he began working with pianist Edgar, who convinced him to pick up the fiddle again a year after he had quit.

When he wasn't fiddling, Crook "was a good bushman," Darm said. For the past couple springs he worked at a fly-in fishing camp northeast of Fort Smith. Most recently he started working winters in gas fields around Fort Liard.

About nine months ago Crook moved to Wrigley where his girlfriend lives, Darm said.

Crook is survived by his parents Clell Sr. and Abbey, older brother and sister Clell Junior and Michelle; younger brother Lance; sisters Dianna, Ellison and Bailey.

The small plane Crook was in had been due at Norman Wells by 3:15 p.m. New Year's Eve, but it crashed onto a steep ridge 50 kilometres south of Fort Good Hope.