Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers:
Slim Gordon

Country pioneer (the late) SLIM GORDON (1926-2010) was born Murray Gordon Lewis, December 30, 1926, in Yarmouth, NS.

As a pre-teen, he hosted his own Children’s radio show, and at 15 years of age, he formed his own band, moved to Boston, Mass., where he lived with his uncle, who helped support him with a guitar, some western duds, and brought him around to perform at local clubs and a spot on the Boston Barn Dance.

After working the road with an all-girl band and a comedian, he began looking for better things and in 1948 moved to Hamilton, Ontario, where he worked during the day for Imperial Mills and during the evening hours hosted a radio show on CKPC in Brantford. He formed a new band, “Slim Gordon & The Rocky Mountaineers”, and played the Southwest Ontario club circuit.

A broken marriage in the early ’60s left Slim with some time on his hands, and he filled that void by touring with mainline acts George Jones, Hank Snow, Jack Kingston, Earl Heywood and others. After more time on the road, he settled again in Oshawa, hosting a radio show (CKLB) and Saturday night shows at The Red Barn venue, where he starred on stage with his daughter Shirley Gordon, and the Maniwaki, QC-bred brother/sister duo of “Lonnie & Lottie” (O’Reilly), and featuring many special guests.

(Slim  Gordon with daughter Shirley (L) and brother/sister duo “Lonnie & Lottie” (O’Reilly)

Slim Gordon continued to tour throughout Ontario with yet another new band, “Slim Gordon & The Country Jewels”, which included Claudette Lefebvre and Bill O’Boie (Paradosky), both of whom would later be inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame. The group often performed on the famed “Main Street Jamboree’ in Hamilton. At a stop in the northern town of Hearst, they crossed paths with Smiley Bates, a gifted songwriter and guitar and banjo player, who was soon added to the touring act.

In the early 1970s, Slim was hired for a 17-week tour in Vietnam, where he sang for troops and locals while backed by Japanese and other foreign groups….all the while longing to get back home and get a “real job,”…which he did. He took a woodworking course and worked as an insurance salesman. The woodworking proved more satisfying as he was able to build his own house.

In September 1962, Slim Gordon was invited to Nashville, where he was presented with a special award …“Mr. DJ- USA”,  one of the rare occasions for a Canadian to be so honoured.. His visit to Nashville included the opportunity to perform as a special guest on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

On April 13, 2008, Slim Gordon was presented with a special “Pioneer Award” by the Barn Dance Historical Society at ceremonies staged in Kirkton, Ontario.

During his long tenure in Country music, Slim Gordon was also a well-covered songwriter. His songs “Pistol Packin’ Preacher” and “Waste Of Good Corn Licker” were both recorded by Mac Wiseman. Canadian artists recording his songs included Jack Kingston, The Boutilier Brothers, Dixie Bill Hilton and Orval Prophet. He is credited with 28 song titles on the BMI Data Registry.

Slim Gordon (Murray Gordon Lewis) passed away on November 8, 2010, in Zurich, Ontario. He was 84.