SINGER WILSON PICKETT STRIP-SEARCHED

Wilson Pickett Strip-Searched At Canadian Border

THE ARTS REPORT - CBC Radio OTTAWA - Blues legend Wilson Pickett says
he may never set foot in Canada again. Pickett's management group
says the musician is upset after being strip-searched for drugs at
the Ottawa Airport last weekend. Pickett, nicknamed the Wicked
Pickett, was in town to perform at the Bluesfest. He's well-known for
songs like Mustang Sally, In the Midnight Hour, and Funky Broadway.

Festival organizers say musicians are often treated differently than
other travellers at the border. They say the double standards
threaten the entertainment industry in Canada.

Mark Monahan, the executive director of Bluesfest, says this kind of
treatment makes it difficult for him to attract artists to Canada.
"What it means is that musicians don't want to come here. When
someone gets treated like that, it just leaves such a bad taste in
people's mouths. Then the word spreads and it makes it more difficult
for us to attract artists," Monahan says.

Monahan says this incident will not be forgotten.

Canada Customs refused to comment on the specifics of Pickett's case.
But a spokesman maintained that all travellers are treated in the
same manner and are subject to the same rules and regulations.