June 12, 2023
// by Larry Delaney // (#75 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) FRED DIXON was born August 8, 1943 in Perth, Ontario, He was a long-time favourite on the Ottawa Valley country music scene. Fred (sometimes billed as Freddy) Dixon was a gifted songwriter with many of his songs relating to Canadiana and specifically Ottawa Valley folklore. His song “Last Fatal Duel” was recorded by Stompin’ Tom Connors and was featured on the Connors album and movie soundtrack of “Across This Land”. The film featured performances at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto by Stompin’ Tom Connors, with special guests Sharon Lowness, Chris Scott, Kent Brockwell, Bobby Lalonde and Joey Tardif. Fred Dixon worked the Ottawa Valley country music club and festival circuit for four […]
January 11, 2021
// by Larry Delaney // (#45 in the Ontario Pioneers Series) Seven albums, 20 charted singles, including three #1 hits and eight Top 10 hits to their credit… but still, Canadian Zephyr remain as one of Canadian country music’s all-time “mystery” acts. A product of the pre-CD, pre-video era of Canadian country music, Canadian Zephyr were the perfect example of being “ahead of their time.” The early origins of the band go back to the late 1960s as a foursome called The Four Jacks, featuring the talents of John Hayman, Bill Meens, Marty Steiger and Chris Plewes. In 1971, after Steiger and Plewes left the act, Hayman and Meens were joined by bassist/vocalist Garth Bourne, billing themselves as CANADIAN ZEPHYR, with a home base in […]
December 11, 2020
Born: April 4, 1940 – Riceville, Ontario // by Larry Delaney // (#44 in the Ontario Pioneers Series) Hugh Scott is the epitome of the “hometown hero”… a singer, songwriter and performer who had the pure talent to become a huge star at the national level, but chose to stay close to home to pursue his music career. Born April 4, 1940, in the Eastern Ontario town of Riceville, Hugh Scott was raised in Ottawa and began playing the fiddle at age 5. By his mid-teens, he was playing in his first professional band, Smokey Rand & The Drifters, working shows at the popular Chamberland Hotel in nearby Aylmer, Quebec. Later, while heading-up his own group, The Meteors, Hugh generated a huge fan following with […]
November 3, 2020
Born: January 16, 1961 – London, Ontario // by Larry Delaney // (#43 in the Ontario Pioneers Series) Marie Bottrell has been writing songs and singing since her pre-teen years. After performing in her family group (Whitestone Bridge) and singing at dances and Legion Halls in her hometown of London, Ontario, Marie was signed to The Mercey Brothers’ MBS Records label in 1978. She pursued a solo career, releasing two albums on MBS and an additional three albums after being signed to RCA Records. Many of the songs on these albums were original songs written by Bottrell. Her debut “Just Reach Out And Touch Me” album featured four songs, which she composed, including the title track, which became the first of her twenty nationally-charted hit […]