Born: January 16, 1937 – Jacquet River, NB Home – Ottawa, Ontario (by Larry Delaney)   Ted Daigle has enjoyed a career as a recording artist and performer, as well as being one of Canadian country music’s premier radio DJs and radio station managers. Ted Daigle launched his radio career in 1956 as a DJ at CKBC in Bathurst, NB, where he hosted the station’s Hillbilly Hayride Show, while he also emceed shows headlined by major touring acts of the day. He continued to hone his craft in radio, moving on to stations in Thunder Bay, Ontario (CJLX) where he was mentored by radio Hall of Famer Johnny Murphy; and CFGM in Toronto. In the late 1960s, Ted moved to CKOY in Ottawa, and in […]

Born: April 23, 1944 – Kingston, Ontario (by Larry Delaney) Don Cochrane first performed his music at high school dances and family gatherings. He later joined the Kingston-based group, The Fred Paquin Orchestra; and after meeting fellow songwriter Doug Ballard, formed the Murney Tower Singers, and eventually headed up his own country band, The Gamblers. A debut single, Don’t Count On Me, backed with Water To Wine, was released on the Canuck Records label, attracting local radio airplay. In 1971, Don became a member of the nationally-touring band, Ralph Carlson & Country Mile. By the mid-1970’s, Don Cochrane ventured out as a solo recording / performing artist, supported by his back-up band, Sweet Clover. Don toured extensively with his band and made appearances on many […]

Born: March 17, 1960 – Sudbury, Ontario (by Larry Delaney) As a 16-year-old in her hometown of Sudbury, Ontario, Anita Perras made her recording debut featured on the Cheyenne Records LP Irwin Prescott & Friends, performing the songs Please Mr. Star and For The First Time. During her formative music career years, Anita often crossed paths and shared stages with another rising Canadian artist: Shania Twain. In the late 70’s, Anita met and married songwriter Tim Taylor (of Bowmanville, Ontario) and they teamed up to form the duo Tim Taylor & Anita Perras (the act was also frequently billed as Anita Perras & Tim Taylor). The duo released three albums on the Snocan, Tailspin and Savannah labels, and charted a number of hit singles, including […]

Born: April 26, 1938 – Peterborough, Ontario Died: September 2, 1987 – Peterborough, Ontario (by Larry Delaney) Jack Bailey began writing songs and entering talent contests in his hometown of Peterborough at 12 years of age. During his late teen years, he was already making guest appearances on the Canadian TV shows Holiday Ranch, Country Hoedown, Pick The Stars, Carl Smith’s Country Music Hall, and years later, The Ray Griff Show. Jack Bailey entered the recording field in 1959 on Rodeo Records with Pop and Rockabilly-flavoured sessions produced in Halifax, and released under the billing, Jack Bailey & The Naturals. He would follow up those debut releases with several more singles recorded in Toronto on Chateau Records. Many of these early career singles were also released in […]

(aka Henry “Hank” Lariviere) (Born – Jan. 23, 1917 – Hawkesbury, ON) (Died – May 7, 1996 – London, ON) (by Larry Delaney) The early years of Canadian country music were largely dominated by national heroes Wilf Carter and Hank Snow… but, flying under the radar at that time was the equally talented Hank Lariviere, who was influenced heavily by the songs and recordings of Carter and Snow as well as Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. Henry Lariviere was born January 23, 1917, in Hawkesbury, Ontario, with the family relocating to Ottawa when he was still a youngster. By his pre-teen years, Henry was playing guitar and singing the songs made famous by his idols. At the outbreak of WW II, Henry found himself in […]

Born: March 4, 1928 – Toronto, Ontario Died: February 3, 2005 – Nashville, Tennessee (by Larry Delaney)   Frank Jones’ contributions to the world of country music are massive, and unmatched for a Canadian-born individual. His credits cover everything from being a performer and recording artist to concert promoter, radio personality, major artist record producer, A&R Director for various major labels, and even Chairman of the Board of the Country Music Foundation in Nashville. Toronto-born Frank Jones entered the entertainment world while in his late teens, performing in Fiddler’s Fling, a Barn Dance Show in Ottawa. He then moved into promoting Wilf Carter’s national tours across Canada, and then entering the radio world, working at stations in Chatham, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. Then Frank joined […]

Born: James R. Jordan – Stayner, Ontario Died: January 28, 1991 – Niagara Falls, Ontario (by Larry Delaney) Jerry Warren was one of Cancountry’s top vocal talents of the 1970’s, with many calling his vocal work equal to that of Nashville’s top country stars of the day. Jerry Warren proved the point by scoring a series of Top 40 hits on the RPM Country Charts during the first half of the 70’s, including a #1 hit in 1975 with his truckin’ song, “Big Red Jimmy.” Jerry Warren was born James R. Jordan in small-town Stayner, Ontario. His love for music was nurtured in the family home and by the early 1960’s, he formed his first band, Tremble, working out of Hamilton, Ontario, and playing the […]

(aka Donna Anderson) Born: (1951) Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (by Larry Delaney) Donna Ramsay was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; the daughter of Canadian Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Don Ramsay. Thanks to her father, she began singing as a young child and meeting many of the top stars of country music while on their Canadian tours. As a teenager, she was already making guest appearances on various TV shows including: The Gary Buck Show taped at studios in Kitchener, Ontario. Canadian recording star / producer Gary Buck recognized the potential in the young singer and brought her into the recording studio to record her debut album Cool Green Waters, released on Capitol Records in 1969. The album yielded three charted singles, including the […]

(by Larry Delaney) Al Brisco’s tasty steel guitar work has been featured on countless albums recorded by many of Canada’s top country recording acts. You can hear his stylish “steelin’” on albums by such notables as Ian Tyson, Tommy Hunter, George Hamilton IV, The Good Brothers, The Cooper Brothers, Gary Buck, Smiley Bates, Gordie Tapp, Sylvia Tyson, Wayne Rostad, Joe Firth, Artie MacLaren, Johnny Burke… and the list goes on and on; with not the least being his steel guitar contribution to the Dick Damron classic, “Countryfied.” Perhaps one of Al Brisco’s more illustrious appearances on a recording goes back to 1972, when he was called upon to add his steel work on the Pure Prairie League album “Bustin’ Out”, recorded at RCA Studios in […]