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Tommy Hunter

 
Artist: Tommy Hunter
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists

Similar Artists:

Sonny James, Porter Wagoner, Marvin Rainwater, Bobby Helms, Stonewall Jackson

Followers:

Byard Ray, William D. Johnson

Worked With:

Sun Ra
  • Born: March 20, 1937, London, Canada
  • Active: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s
  • Genres: Country
  • Instrument: Vocals, Drums, Percussion
  • Representative Albums: "Anniversary Sessions", "Songs of Inspiration, Vol. 1", "Songs of Inspiration, Vol. 2

Biography

Singer/songwriter Tommy Hunter was one of the most enduring, best-loved performers in Canadian country music. He was born and raised in London, Ontario and became interested in country music at age nine. He made his professional debut at age 12 at a theater in Woodstock, Pennsylvania; two years later, he was playing guitar at local dances. At age 16, he left home to play in country clubs all over North America, making his CBC radio debut in 1952. Four years later, he was performing with the Sons of the West. When the band auditioned for a new CBC-TV series, Country Hoedown, in 1956, Hunter became the program's featured singer and stayed on until its cancellation in 1965. In 1958, he also spent eight weeks on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts on CBS while also hosting a daily network radio broadcast, The Tommy Hunter Show. His television show of the same name began in 1962 and ran until 1989, making it the longest-running network country music show in the world. In addition, he debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in 1965. Following the cancellation of The Tommy Hunter Show (which also ran on TNN from 1983 to 1989), he and his band, the Travelin' Men, continued to tour and record.~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide
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Wikipedia: Tommy Hunter
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
For the American baseball pitcher, see Tommy Hunter (baseball).
For the North Carolina fiddler by the same name, see Tommy Hunter (fiddler).
Tommy Hunter
Birth name Thomas James
Born March 10, 1937 (1937-03-10) (age 72)
Origin London, Ontario, Canada
Genres Country
Occupations Singer
Years active 1956 – Present
Website www.tommyhunter.com

Tommy Hunter, CM, O.Ont (born Thomas James Hunter March 10, 1937 in London, Ontario) is a Canadian country music performer, known as "Canada's Country Gentleman".

Contents

Career

In 1956, he began performing as a rhythm guitarist on the CBC television show, Country Hoedown. The Tommy Hunter Show began as a CBC radio program in 1960 and went on to replace Country Hoedown on CBC television in 1965; Hunter's show was picked up by TNN in 1983 and ran on CBC until 1992. The book Cue the Elephant by Knowlton Nash (1996, McClelland & Stewart) featured some disparaging remarks from the show's make-up artist. "He could sell himself terrifically but there was no love lost between Tommy and the crew. Some of the guys loathed him ... Everybody made snide remarks behind Tommy's back ... people might say he was the biggest jerk in the world. But that was not my experience. For me, I saw a very easy down-to-earth manner. But Tommy does generate anti as well as pro feelings from people ... he didn't trust people around him, he became a monster to some."

People who performed on The Tommy Hunter Show early in their careers include:

After his show was cancelled by the CBC, Hunter continued to tour with his band, The Travelling Men. He continues to perform concerts as of January 2009.[1]

Awards and recognition

Tommy Hunter was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1986, Hunter was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He has received three Canadian Juno Awards and one Gemini Award. In 1990, he was given a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame's "Walkway of Stars". A street ("Tommy Hunter Way") was also renamed in his honour in his hometown of London, Ontario, in the late 1990s. He became a member of the Order of Ontario in 1996. In 2005 he was honored with a GMA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is handed out annually by the Gospel Music Association of Canada. (GMA Canada)

References

  1. ^ Saxberg, Lynn (2009-01-27). "Canada's country gentleman a long way from done". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Entertainment/Canada+country+gentleman+long+from+done/1221067/story.html. Retrieved 2009-01-27. 

External links


This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Artist. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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