Roy Payne – I wouldn’t Take A Million Dollars For A Single Maple Leaf

Video By James R. Yetman: newfoundlandtreasures.com Roy Absalom Payne was born in Trout River, NL. He was raised by grandparents, served 12 years in the Canadian army, and was a truck driver amongst other odd jobs before making music his full-time vocation. All the while, Roy would write songs about his life experiences. I Wouldn’t Take A Million Dollars For A Single Maple Leaf was written as he stepped off the plane from his last army trip to Egypt. Marriage breakdown, booze, and drug excesses were all great inspirations for Roy Payne’s thirst in songwriting. While his recording career speaks for itself it’s the lifestyle that surrounded it that probably says more. Roy Payne was a staple at the famed Horseshoe Club in Toronto, but the hard living and the rat race took its toll. He survived the loss of a lung which was a wake-up call. “I was getting on in life. The smog in Toronto was tough to deal with. I was using three puffers at a time to breath. I needed some clean air.” Roy moved up north and hasn’t looked back since. “It’s the best place for me this side of the Rock. I love it here. I can breathe. Down to one puffer every two weeks or so. I fish. I pedal a bike 15k every day. I write songs. What more could a man my age ask for?”