Image – Country Music Association of Ontario

December 23, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers(December):

ONTARIO’S COUNTRY PIONEERS: EARL HEYWOOD (#89 in the Ontario’s Pioneers series) by Larry Delaney The late Earl Heywood (1917-2006) was dubbed “Canada’s No. 1 Singing Cowboy”. He is remembered as a true “pioneer” in Canadian Country music – a songwriter and recording artist and a radio and television personality with the CKNX Barn Dance in Wingham, Ontario. Earl Carlyle Heywood was born March 12, 1917 on a farm near Exeter, Ontario. He joined CKNX in 1942 and remained with that station (and its later TV and radio affiliates) as a singer and an announcer for more than 40 years; performing for almost 20 years on the weekly CKNX Barn Dance, and serving during 1946-1953 as host of the “Serenade Ranch” program. During the […]

December 4, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers(November):

ONTARIO’S COUNTRY PIONEERS: THE POST FAMILY (#88 in the Ontario’s Pioneers series) by Larry Delaney They were billed as “The Singing Post Family”; an accurate description for the foursome based out of Carrying Place, a small community off the eastern shores of Lake Ontario, near Belleville. The “Family” consisted of patriarch Norm Post, his daughters Joanne and Debra (Debbie), and son Kenny… all of whom thrived in the family package show, performing Country and Gospel music and later, pursuing separate musical careers. The late Norm Post (1932-2019) was a gifted musician, singer and songwriter. Many of his songs graced their series of albums released during the 1970s, including such notable tunes as “My Prince Edward County Home”, “That Tragic Day”, “Just Me And […]

October 9, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers(October):

ONTARIO’S COUNTRY PIONEERS: ROY PENNEY (#87 in the Ontario’s Country Pioneers series) by Larry Delaney Guitar picker extraordinaire, ROY PENNEY was born in Corner Brook, NL. He met with the legendary Dick Nolan and the pair made their way to Toronto during the mid 1960s, where they teamed-up with fellow Maritimers Johnny Burke and Bunty Petrie to form “The Blue Valley Boys”. The act became a popular country club fixture in Toronto, with their music captured on the album, “On Stage At The Drake”. During the 1970s, the group moved on to become the house band at the famous Horseshoe Tavern, where they backed all the hot touring acts of the time. Many mainline acts from Nashville left their tour bands at home, thanks […]

August 26, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers(September): Prairie Oyster

// by Larry Delaney // (#86 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) PRAIRIE OYSTER was one of Canadian Country music’s most popular groups during the 1990s, scoring a number of nationally charted hit singles, best-selling albums, and a barrel full of awards. The band had its early roots in Ontario with original members Russell DeCarle, Keith Glass and steel guitarist Dennis Delorme coming from various Country and Bluegrass bands, most notably, The King City Slickers. Russell DeCarle performed in house bands on the TV show, “Sounds Good Country” (co-hosted by Carroll Baker and Tim Daniels), as well as the “George Hamilton IV” TV Show. Keith Glass spent early years as the lead guitar player for Sneezy Waters in his stage show, “Hank Williams: The […]

July 19, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers: Family Brown

// by Larry Delaney // (#85 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) Family Brown, an Ottawa Valley-based group, achieved a level of success that has gone unmatched in the Canadian Country music industry. Their trophy shelf is filled with Juno Awards, “Big Country” and Canadian Country Music awards and CMAOntario’s prestigious Impact Award, among many other accolades. During the 1980s, they were named CCMA’s Group Of The Year on seven occasions. The Family Brown act was assembled in 1968 by Joe Brown. He had performed for years; first, as a member of the Nova Scotia-based “Hillbilly Jewels” and later, heading-up the Ottawa Valley group, “The Happy Wanderers”. As several of his talented children showed special interest in music, he formed the act with son Barry […]

May 12, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers: Cyril Rawson

// by Larry Delaney // (#84 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) The Canadian Country music landscape is filled with gifted, creative songwriters. Right at the top of that list is Ontario-bred songwriter, CYRIL RAWSON – the man has 1,155 working titles filed in the BMI Song Registry, and likely tons more sitting in his guitar case waiting to be finished. Music has surrounded Cyril Rawson throughout his years. He was born in Newcastle-On-Tyne, England, and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, where his family operated Rawson Music Stores in town and in nearby Lindsay. Cyril was given the opportunity to be part of that lifestyle, but chose to devote his talents to the songwriting sector of the music industry… There wasn’t much of a learning […]

April 10, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers: Con Archer

// by Larry Delaney // (#83 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) Singer/songwriter CON ARCHER was born Conrad William Archer, November 8, 1941, in Bourlamaque, (Val D’Or), Quebec. He later moved to Orillia, Ontario where he first worked as a barber, and then pursued a singing career, initially performing with the local group, The Fairlanes, singing Country and Gospel music. By the early 1970s, Con Archer headed up his own group, “The Sundowners”, and began his recording career, which would see him release seven albums and a series of nationally-charted hit singles. A debut album, “The Many Moods Of Con Archer”, was released on the Dominion Records label in 1970. The album was produced by Jury Krytiuk and recorded in Nashville studios. The […]

March 6, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers: Dan Paul Rogers

// by Larry Delaney // (#82 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) DAN ROGERS was born June 18, 1957, in Trenton, Ontario and has lived in the Ottawa Valley town of Renfrew for most of his life, where he has since become a fixture on the Country Music scene, now affectionately known as DAN PAUL ROGERS. In his teen years, Dan Rogers performed with the Gospel Music group Shilo, and then as a member of the Traditional country band, The Countrymen, which led to forming his own band, Home Coming. Rogers was “discovered” in 1984, during an Ottawa Valley Talent Contest. One of the judges for the event was multi-award-winning producer/musician Randall Prescott and he recognized the special vocal and songwriting talents that Dan […]

February 2, 2024

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers: Terry Sumsion (1947-2011)

// by Larry Delaney // (#81 in the Ontario Country Music Pioneers Series) Country singer/songwriter/entertainer TERRY SUMSION was born February 7, 1947, in the Southwest Ontario town of Burford. He spent much of his early years driving trucks and buses, but that lifestyle changed dramatically in the late 1970s when he won the Male Vocalist category in the Canadian Open Singing Contest held in Simcoe, Ontario. In fact, he won the prestigious honour in three consecutive years, as well as the 1981 BX-93 (London) Country Roads Contest. By the early 1980s, after paying some early career dues as a member of the band Maple Creek, Terry was working club dates and festival events with his own back-up band, Stagecoach. He also launched his recording career […]