Donnie Tucker was an accordion player who busked in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, for almost 30 years, beginning in the mid-1990s. I photographed him dozens of times, always trying to capture his style in an interesting composition. We both had fun with it. Often, I would stop for a chat, and he would tell me about his troubles with women or his dog, Zoey. He loved dogs, and many people walking theirs downtown would stop to say hi. Some even told me their dogs looked forward to seeing him! Donnie busked year-round, even through our rough Newfoundland winters.

Donnie passed away in November 2022. In early 2023, I tried to get him recognized by MusicNL (the Newfoundland government agency that promotes music in the province) after his death. Despite their rhetoric about diversity and inclusion, my request was rejected. RIP Donnie!

Below is a short video of Donnie taken a couple of months before his death!

Some good news about Zoey. The beautiful Candice Walsh was looking for a dog, and found Zoey at the dog pound. I’m glad to say they have become one happy family.