b'Craig at 16 years old. Craig Russelllived in a lot ofan e eminate little boy who didntthusband Russell, an insurance sales-places but Port Perry was home. in. It was the place he found music,man. Little Craig became the colour-takingpianolessonsfromteacherful centre of the family. He listened to AHollywoodchildwhohap- Gertrude Jackson and singing in choirrecords and sang songs with Norma. pened to be born in Canada, he livedat the United Church. It was the placeHeamusinglygesturedlikeLucille in the Scarborough neighbourhood ofhe returned to time and time againBall, star of one of his favourite TV West Hill when he founded a fan clubwhenhisoutrageouslifetookhimprograms. He dressed as Santa Claus in honour of sensational actress Maetogreathighsanddeeplows,andand handed out gifts on Christmas West. When that expanded to work aswhere he eventually would play oneand hilariously impersonated guests her personal secretary, he lived in herof hisnal shows before his untimelywhocametotheirpopularfamily Santa Monica, California beach housedeath from AIDS in October 1990. parties. right on the shores of the great Paci cWhat brought him here was fam- Whilehisparentsraisedhimin Ocean.ily. The roots run deep. Scarboroughat Craigwenttorst, He lived in a small Toronto apart- The late Bessie Hall brought herlivewithhisgrandmotherather ment when he returned from there,youngfamilytoScugogaftertheQueen Street home for a year when bunkingdownwithhisbestfrienddeath of her husband. It was a quiet,NormaandRusselldivorced.He Margaret Gibson as he pursued hisfamily-orientedplacetoraiseherwent to R.H. Cornish Public School act as a female impressionist underchildren - including long-time busi- andwasthewell-knownprankster the name Craig Russell. That eventu- nessman and former mayor Howardamong his cousins including Bill and ally took him back to California andHall - away from the big city. ThetJulie.a countless series of hotels and suiteswasperfectandtheyrootedthem- Norma would take her son back when he took his act on a road to theselves with the values of family, faithto Toronto where she raised him with stardom he dreamed tond. and community service.help from sisters Melba and Cathryn But it was Port Perry, Ont. that wasCraig was born in 1948 and adopt- Hall but they always came back to Craigsrealhome.Itwastheplaceed at birth by Norma Hall (Howards that was safe for him when he wassecondoldestsister)andher Please turn to page 4 rst FOCUS - DECEMBER 20203'