It’s Bieber Friday here at themagazine.ca, which can only mean one thing: exclusive content on JB before he was famous. For today, we got the chance to interview his old friend, babysitter, and music mentor, Nathan McKay of Stratford, ON! Here’s what he had to say about Justin’s early life, spirituality, busking, and more!
First off, tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
My name is Nathan McKay. I am from Stratford. I am a concert promoter and community developer. I work for the Stratford Blues and Rib Festival and Stratford Tourism’s Culinary Arts and Music Festival called Savour Stratford. I have been promoting concerts for 11 years. I work with every thing from punk to jazz to folk to pop to indie rock artists. I also write for an entertainment magazine about Stratford area arts called www.startstratford.com. I have a history of working with youth, writing, and documenting life through video and still shots. These are my major passions.
What was your relationship with Justin Bieber like as he was growing up? How did you know him?
When I was 16 his mother, Patti [Mallette, Justin’s mom] led me to a relationship with God, Jesus. I started going to church with her. Justin was 2 years old then. Patti and I knew each other when we were kids too because we had the same babysitter and she was my public school crossing guard when she was in grade 6 and I in 1, however years past and we became friends again in a less superficial sense when I was 16 and she was 21. I saw Justin on a weekly basis from age 2 to 11 from hanging out with him and Patti and going to church together. I encouraged Justin to show off his music and dance talents to me. I watched TV with him (especially American Idol and Smallville), talked, and played sports outside with him. I had no siblings. He was like a little brother or something. We were neighbors for several years as well.
Is it true you used to baby sit him? What was he like back then?
I baby sat him on a few occasions. He was curious, hyper, witty, an excellent imitator. What he saw he could soon pull off and or perform. He asked lots of questions. He was athletic.
Do you have any funny babysitting stories?
I do. Justin was 8. I was asked to baby-sit. Our friend Sherry was at a busking festival in Kitchener/Waterloo. She said she would come back into town at some point to pick Justin and I up and take us there to see the good buskers. She did not come back into town. Justin and I were so set on busking and watching buskers we were a little disappointed this opportunity didn’t come to be. So at 10pm, (his bed time was 10pm) we went up town so he could busk. I wanted to take him out side a club called Tapuz. This club had bands play inside and you could see the drummer through the window from the sidewalk outside the venue. Already an accomplished drummer at 8, I wanted Justin to be inspired by more advanced drummer and busk on the bench outside. We did that for about two hours when the club manager came outside with a portable phone and said “Nathan, Patti is on the phone.” Patti knew I went to this music club a lot and deductive reasoned I might be there with Justin. Patti explained she had returned home and noticed neither Justin or I were at their home, and that she was upset why I had taken Justin out at midnight uptown when his bedtime was 10pm. I told her”Don’t worry, we are just uptown busking, he just made $26 in the last 45min.” Patti went from upset with me to excited, “He did!!!!” They were quite poor at the time and any money coming in was a big help. As a kid I always hated going to bed early, so as baby sitter I thought I’d be the
cool babysitter and let Justin stay up late, even though Patti didn’t like it…this was one night where it proved to be advantageous to do so. I believe this was the first time Justin got paid to perform. This was the beginning of a 4 year busking career for Justin that played as a good rehearsal for being a professional entertainer today.
Beyond that, how were you involved in his musical development, busking, etc…?
Mostly his mom and grandparents took him out busking after that one incident that I did when he was 8. In particular, they would watch him while he busked in front of the Avon Theatre in Stratford. Justin would often play for groups of 40-a few hundred students that were here for theatre plays who were about to go in the theatre and would wait til the last moment when announcers said take your seats the play is about to start in order to watch every last note they could get from Justin. Justin made so much money there he afforded his own Play Station back then. He made enough to take his mom and him on a vacation. My friend Leighton and I organized a fundraiser for Justin to get his first adult sized drum kit at 8. I would support him by doing 4 concerts where I featured him on the bill. His first concert was opening for Peter Nevland and Paul Finley. I went to talent shows and Stratford Idol to support him.
What do you think when you look at him now and see the huge success he’s become?
I think this is a natural extension of what he was born for. He had good genes in his artsy, musical athletic parents, but I believe it was destined over him. God gave him the talents, and they were encouraged and nurtured through the prayers of many people who saw those talents at such a young age. I remember when Justin was 13, months before he inked his record deal, someone prayed favour over Justin saying, “You are going to be as big as Justin Timberlake one day,” and I thought wow, that is a big prayer…but it is awesome to see it come to pass now. These people were capturing the essence of God’s heart for Justin, to be successful and have a platform to inspire kids to know and experience God and the passions God has for them to indulge in.
What do you say to people who say they don’t care for him and his music?
I say watch the movie, it is a pretty good representation of who Justin is. The movie is not as spiritually deep as Justin’s life is. There is a greater depth that I know backstage and from his family…but the movie is really close to showing how Justin’s life really is. I say he is alot more than just a pop artist. He plays 5 instruments. He writes songs all the time on his own outside of his major label recorded material. He has his own computer with hundreds of songs and ideas on it that he works on. I saw him write some of his first piano songs when he was 6. He loves rock, country, and hip hop, and has played jazz fusion before. This is only the beginning of his musical diversity. You haven’t seen everything he can do yet. For those that ever thought he was bratty or a tease as a kid at school in the past or now I explain it is just part of his sense of humour. He is quite funny. Do you think Jim Carey would be where he was today if he didn’t do impressions for his classmates and sometimes interrupt his class and teacher at school? Justin is very active in pranks, witty comments, and slapstick nonsense humour. Justin has always craved to be the centre of attention. He is a very confident funny talented teenager, and he wouldn’t be able be on a stage in front of over 20 000 people at a time and be the entertainer he is today if he didn’t have these skills and prerequisites in his personality.
What’s the typical reaction you get from people after you tell them that you used to baby sit a superstar?
Disbelief or a loud “What really?” or a shrill scream. One of the three.
Thank you, Nathan McKay!
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