September 14, 2021
From small-town Shelburne, ON and ready to make waves in country music, Jessica Sole has arrived. Her new single, Think Of Us, was released to digital platforms and country radio in mid-August, and is already picking up steam through playlists, streams, and spins. The track has landed on curated playlists at Amazon Music, and made it to Sirius XM CBC Country, cracking the Top 40 on the CBC chart just two weeks after its digital release. With inspirations like Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift, Jessica Sole has dug into her songwriting and sound, carving out her space and building her audience as she goes. Those inspirations shine through in Think Of Us, with early Swift-esque storytelling and charm from beginning to end. On […]
September 14, 2021
// by Larry Delaney // (born: September 19, 1940 – Chatham, Ontario) (#53 in the Ontario Pioneers Series) Sylvia Fricker was born September 19, 1940, in Chatham, Ontario. While still a teenager, she moved to Toronto to pursue her interests in singing and soon crossedpaths with Ian Tyson. Shortly after they met in 1959, they began collaborating vocally and as songwriters, composing songs together and individually. Within the year, they launched the duo Ian & Sylvia, attracting attention to their folk/country music throughout North America, highlighted by what would become a Canadian classic: Four Strong Winds. Sylvia and Ian were married June 26, 1964. They recorded a dozen albums and by the late 1960s, were fronting the country/rock band Great Speckled Bird. During this time, […]
September 14, 2021
Laurie LeBlanc is one of Canada’s rising country music stars, whose distinctive style contains a sizable helping of east coast Acadian flavor. His latest album, When It’s Right It’s Right was produced by multi-CCMA and Juno award winner Jason Barry, and featuring members of Dean Brody’s touring band. The results add up to LeBlanc’s most accomplished record to date, and a long-overdue introduction to English country music audiences. Listeners in LeBlanc’s home province of New Brunswick and throughout the Maritimes and Quebec have long been familiar with his approach to country music, as When It’s Right It’s Right also marks a decade of success for the artist in the francophone music scene. Audiences everywhere are now poised to experience the joy at the heart of […]
September 14, 2021
This section of the newsletter is comprised of news stories, press releases and links to Internet articles that are sent in by our members who believe they will be of general interest to the membership. We include them as a courtesy to our members but do not verify or edit their content. Their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the CMAOntario nor do their contents reflect the views or opinions of the CMAOntario. If you would like to have something included in the newsletter, please send us a short synopsis, a photo or graphic and the hotlink that can be included in the news listing. Submissions can be sent to verle@cmaontario.ca. Please make sure the Subject Line reads “For inclusion in the CMAOntario Newsletter”. […]
September 5, 2021
The Country Music Association of Ontario Announces Winners of the 9th Annual CMAOntario Awards September 5, 2021 (TORONTO) The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) tonight celebrated the talent and achievements of Ontario’s country music industry across 18 categories with a drive-in award show at Ancaster Fairgrounds in Hamilton. Meghan Patrick from Bowmanville, Ontario led with three wins, followed by Aaron Allen from London, Ontario with two wins. Hosted by Jason McCoy and Beverly Mahood, the 9th Annual CMAOntario Awards was a drive-in country music awards show that included live performances by Aaron Allen, Susan Aglukark, Buck Twenty, David Boyd Janes, Owen Barney, Reney Ray, Tim Hicks, Robyn Ottolini, Kelly Prescott, Sacha, Elyse Saunders, The Redhill Valleys, and the CMAOntario Awards house band The Western Swing Authority. THE WINNERS OF THE 9TH ANNUAL CMAONTARIO AWARDS ARE: […]