Newsletter
October 31, 2019
Hamilton, ON, native Mackenzie Leigh Meyer is motivated to succeed in Canadian country music – propelled by hard work, talent and a desire to do more. Mackenzie’s debut EP was released in mid-2018 and the title Dive Bar Diva has become somewhat of an identifier for the Ontario artist; so much so that it is her handle on both Twitter and Instagram. The four-song EP was a great introduction to country fans, and she hasn’t slowed down a bit since the release. A quick look at Meyer’s tour schedule and social media posts show that she is always working. She’s either on stage, writing, or working on new music to release in the (hopefully near) future. She’s a busy woman. In 2019, Mackenzie had some […]
October 31, 2019
Born: Feb 27, 1937 – Toronto, ON Home: Cambridge, ON (by Larry Delaney) Ross Allen was once described as a “music making machine”; an accurate statement, considering his career accomplishments as a singer, songwriter, entertainer, recording artist, producer, music publisher and record label founder/executive. Born in Toronto, Ross James Allen first worked the local cafe and cabaret music scene in a duo act for some ten years with musician Bill Gibbs. Their album “A Few Selections Of ???” lived up to its title by covering a variety of material – country, folk and pop; all recorded live from The Rivalda Club in Toronto. The duo worked dance halls throughout Southwest Ontario and Ross would eventually lean more towards the “country” side of things, including […]
October 31, 2019
Dave caught up recently to chat with Danielle Todd about her current single “Back Burner” which is the follow up to her debut single at country radio called “Crazy”. Dave Woods is a monthly columnist for the CMAOntario Newsletter and has been hosting the popular online radio show In The Country with Dave Woods since 2009! To hear episodes, please visit www.inthecountryinterviews.com, www.soundcloud.com/dave-woods-3 and iTunes.
October 31, 2019
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”. […]
October 4, 2019
JASON MCCOY RETURNS AS HOST October 4, 2019 (TORONTO) The Country Music Association of Ontario is thrilled to announce that tickets for the 2020 CMAOntario Awards will be on-sale to the general public on Friday, October 11th at 11:00am. The 8th annual celebration will commemorate another year of accomplishments by the Ontario country music industry live at Centennial Hall in London on Sunday, May 31, 2020 starting at 7:00pm. Tickets for the CMAOntario Awards will be available for purchase online at www.centennialhall.london.ca or by phone at 1.888.999.8980. Early bird pricing will be in effect with prices ranging from $69.00 (plus taxes and service fees) for regular reserved seating to $225.00 (plus taxes and service fees) for fan VIP packages. Full ticket pricing goes into effect […]
September 25, 2019
Robyn Ottolini has been writing, playing, and sharing her music for audiences at festivals, songwriters circles, open mics, and more. And she’s just getting started. With her six-song EP, Classic (released in February 2019), Robyn introduced more of her music to fans across Canada and beyond. She’s seen Him Problem cross the 100,000 stream mark on Spotify and has some amazing merch to go with the song. She filmed a great summer-time music video for Where We’re At with director Tim Deegan. And if we were to make a guess, we’d say there’s a lot more coming from the Uxbridge, Ontario country music singer-songwriter. With a peer group and support system that includes fellow artists like Leah Daniels, Julien Kelland, Ben Hudson, Kris Barclay, and […]
September 25, 2019
Born: December 5, 1940 – St. John’s, Newfoundland Home: The Ottawa Valley (by Larry Delaney) Neville Wells is one of Canada’s most accomplished country music artists, and he has achieved his career status with relatively little fanfare. While carving out a career as a recording artist, songwriter, performer… he later provided the Canadian country music industry and fans with a monthly newspaper that would become “The voice of country music in Canada”. Born in 1940 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the Wells family moved to Ompah, Ontario, a small town in the Ottawa Valley, when he was a youngster. He soon developed a keen interest in music and as a teenager, performed in local dance halls and special events, influenced initially by the music of […]
September 25, 2019
London, Ontario’s Aaron Allen is here to chat about his music career and new single “Good Tattoo”. In the New Music Spotlight, I play Elyse Saunders’ single “Feel You Leaving”. The Flashback Interview features Meghan Patrick and the story behind the music video for “Country Music Made Me Do It”. Dave Woods is a monthly columnist for the CMAOntario Newsletter and has been hosting the popular online radio show In The Country with Dave Woods since 2009! To hear episodes, please visit www.inthecountryinterviews.com, www.soundcloud.com/dave-woods-3 and iTunes.