When Bill Brock graduated from Collingwood Collegiate Institute in 1971, he had one goal in mind - to make music for a living.

Brock played in the CCI band and participated in variety nights at the school.

"I wasn't a great student," he said.

He said he was surrounded by family at CCI as cousins from both his mother and father's side were at the school.

Brock said his Uncle Ernie Brock took a job a caretaker.

"He'd always keep an eye on you," Brock recalled. "He didn't like it when your hair was getting too long."

After graduating, Brock and members of the Cootch Blues Band - including James Smith, Jim Weatherhead and Dave Brown, moved to Toronto in hopes of making it big as musicians.

The band was a regular at local Collingwood venues including the Dorchester Hotel and event played at CCI a number of times.

Brock, the band's drummer, said the group developed a following and played at venues across the city including the Paramount and El Mocambo.

The band broke up several years later and Brock later became part of a group called Boys Brigade in the late 1970s and Brock described the band's sound as "new romantic rock."

The band included Malcolm Burn (singer/keyboard), Tony Lester (guitar), Wayne Lorenz (bass), David Porter and Jeff Packer (percussion).

The band's big break was in 1981 when they were featured on a compilation album produced by Q107.

The group then signed a five-album deal with Capital Records based out of Los Angeles and released their first and only album, which was self-titled and included the single Passion of Love, and the top-40 hit Melody.

The producer on the album was Geddy Lee, the lead singer of Rush. Brock said working with Lee was an experience, but said it was difficult as the singer was on the road and it took six months to record the album.

The album featured a pair of hit singles including

Brock said some of his fondest memories were when the band opened for Stray Cats in the early 1980s.

He said during one leg of the tour they were traveling from Boulder, Colorado to Kansas City and ran into a series of tornadoes.

"We were being followed in all directions by tornadoes," he said. "They were everywhere."

He said some of the best parts of the tour were meeting some music legends

During the tour, they played at Opryland in Nashville and met Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins and while in New York they were invited to meet Stevie Wonder at Radio City Music Hall.

"Just being in the same room with the guy was incredible," Brock recalls.

One of his fondest memories was meeting comedian Joan Rivers in Houston. He said Rivers was playing the auditorium next door and heard the band during their soundcheck.

"I ran up and said 'can we talk?'" Brock said in Rivers trademark voice.

The band recorded a second album, but it was never released. They broke up in 1985 due to a variety of issues.

After the band broke up, Brock had a variety of jobs from working in the wholesale industry, managing a nightclub and owning his own recording studio.

In 1999, Brock moved back to Collingwood with his wife Marion Lewis.

"We decided the city is crumbling, so let's get out while we can," he said.

Brock still dabbles in music and does voiceover work and also works at Bellbrae Animal Hospital.

He said he has played in a number of bands since moving back to Collingwood, but says it's tough to find the right mix of people.

"You have to conduct yourself in a business like manner," he said. "It's hard to find a band where you can get everyone as committed as I am."

He said looking back on his career in music, Brock has no regrets.

"It was fantastic," he said. "It was what I always wanted to do and I wouldn't trade it for anything."