Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers (September):

ONTARIO’S COUNTRY PIONEERS: SHARON LOWNESS

(#98 in the Ontario’s Pioneers series)

by Larry Delaney

Sharon Lowness (Lohnes) was born in Halifax, NS, where her early years as an entertainer included heading up the group “Sharon Lowness & The Teddy Bears”. By the late 1960s, she relocated to Toronto and continued to pursue her music with the group, soon signing with the famed Boot Records label to launch her recording career.

Early on, Sharon Lowness was provided with the opportunity to be part of the 1973 feature film, “Across This Land” – a project headlined by Stompin’ Tom Connors. The soundtrack for the film was recorded at the famed Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and featured Sharon’s performance of her hit song, “God Made Me A Woman”.

Sharon recorded two albums for Boot Records, with both of them yielding four nationally charted hit singles. Her “Broomstick Cowboy” album, released in 1972, delivered the Top 20 hits, “Flying East” and “You Do It Again”. The album was recorded at RCA Studios in Nashville and featured the “A-Team” of musicians, including Harold Bradley, Lloyd Green, Charlie McCoy, Buddy Harman and Jimmy Capps, with The Jordanaires providing background vocals. The project included a version of Roy Payne’s composition, “Good Morning World”. The song “Flyin’ East” was an adaptation of the Cindy Walker-penned song “Flying South”, first charted by Hank Locklin and later covered by Hank Snow.

A second album, “New Moon Over My Shoulder”, was produced in 1978 by Canadian Hall Of Famer Ray Griff. This album served up four more charted singles, including the Ray Griff tune, “Hang Up Your Rhinestone Suit”; a song that was also covered by Nashville artist Jeannie C. Riley (of “Harper Valley PTA” fame).

Sharon Lowness also showed her own talents as a songwriter on this album, penning her song “He’s My Morning Sunshine” – the single release of the song was issued on Snocan Records.

The series of chart hits from these album successes provided Sharon the chance to guest on several TV shows, including “Countrytime” (hosted by Myrna Lorrie), Ronnie Prophet’s “Goodtime Country” show, The Family Brown TV show, The Ray Griff Show, and Jimmy Phair’s “Sun Parlor” TV show.

In 1979, Sharon Lowness was nominated for Outstanding Female Country Performance in the RPM “Big Country” awards.

Sharon Lowness’ career was interrupted when her husband, Lloyd Reese, owner of a successful auto dealership in Sarnia, Ontario, suffered a broken neck in a diving accident. Sharon took time away from her music to care for him and their young son.  Sharon herself was subsequently seriously injured in a vehicle accident… again, putting her music career on the back burner.

In recent years, Sharon Lowness has made special guest appearances at fund-raising and music reunion events in and around her hometown of Sarnia.

Sharon Lowness is featured as the “6 of Hearts” in the “Canadian Country Music Stars” deck of souvenir playing cards.

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