Courtesy of mapleleafs.com

Writer: Chris Lomon
Editor: Wendy McCreary

 Johnny Bower, bigger than the Beatles? Well, at least that's the story the Hall of Famer is sticking with.

 Some 37 years after Bower, one of the most talented and respected men to ever tend the twine in the NHL, recorded two Christmas songs, the colourful and charismatic backstopper still chuckles at how the whole thing came about and the end result.

 It was during the 1965-66 season, when Chris Young, a songwriter, came to Maple Leaf Gardens, seeking the assistance of a member of the Original Six club in recording two songs he had penned. And while hockey players have long been respected for their generous ways, it was a decidedly different reaction on this particular occasion.

 "When Chris came into the room and asked if anyone would be interested in helping out, most of the guys dashed to the showers," recalled Bower, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1976. "I've never seen so many players make a such a quick exit in my life."

 As Bower remembers, it came down to a numbers game, more specifically, he was the only one who hadn't bolted to the safe confines of the back room. Pleading, coupled with the fact proceeds from the record sales would go to charity, convinced the amiable goaltender to finally relent.

 And though he agreed to lend his time and vocal 'talents' to the project, he was far from certain he was the right man for the job.

 "I'm certainly not a professional when it comes to singing. In fact, I think the only time I had ever sung was in the shower. But I really couldn't say no."

Courtesy of gocontinental.com Listen to Johnny Bower - "Honky" "Banjo Mule" Copyright permission required by Chris Young

In spite of the arm-twisting, Bower, who has always had a soft spot for worthwhile causes, figured that at the very least, he could have a little fun with it and do something most netminders don't do on a regular basis out on the ice - provide a big assist.

Bower, accompanied by a chorus of kids, including his own son, Johnny Jr., collectively known as Johnny Bower & Little John with The Rinky-Dinks, gathered around the microphone at a CBC studio in Toronto, to record Honky the Christmas Goose and Banjo the Mule.

After a few renditions of the catchy tunes and posing for a picture for the album, Bower, goaltender and now crooner, didn't know what to expect in terms of the public's reaction to the final product. When it came to the reception of his teammates, though, the man known as the China Wall during his playing days knew exactly what to expect.

"They got on me right away," said Bower, with a laugh. "As soon as they caught wind of it, they teased me on an almost daily basis. The guys definitely had some fun with it."

But, ironically enough, it was Bower himself who would enjoy the last laugh. While the record sales didn't rival those of any "Fab Four" releases, Honky the Christmas Goose did enjoy a significant amount of airplay, making it on to the Canadian music charts, peaking at No. 29.

Even to this day, the album is a highly sought-after memorabilia item, a hard-to-find, unique collectible. For the man behind the microphone, it is a fond reminder of something he had never anticipated being part of.

"I'm happy with the way it turned out. In the end, we all had a lot of fun with it."

Does that mean Bower is willing to come out of retirement to wow the Air Canada Centre faithful with a rendition of the national anthem?

"Absolutely not," said the lifetime winner of 250 regular season NHL games. "I think that's it for me when it comes to singing. I don't think it would go over as well these days."

Courtesy of neutralzonehockey.com

Yet Bower still remains front-and-centre with the Maple Leafs organization, donning a Santa Claus suit at the team's annual Christmas party, something he's done for several years. Not surprisingly, Bower prefers the anonymity behind a beard rather than the spotlight that came with his singing debut.

Nearly 40 years after the release of "Honky" and "Banjo," there is a solitary reminder of that brief, albeit famous moment in Bower's life hanging on a wall at his Mississauga home, a framed copy of the album itself.

"I never would have guessed that it would do as well as it did, but I'm certainly not complaining."

Bigger than the Beatles? Perhaps not. But Bower can at least brag of one particular achievement. On December 27, 1965, Honky the Christmas Goose was only 27 and 28 spots behind the two top singles on that date: We Can Work it Out (No.1) and Day Tripper (No.2), two legendary hits by four famed lads from Liverpool.

Not bad for a puck-stopping NHL star, someone who never wanted to sing in the first place.