Stompin’ Tom Connors died at the age of 77 on Wednesday. Here are a few quick facts about the country-folk musician who became a Canadian cultural icon.
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BORN: Feb. 9, 1936
DIED: March 6, 2013
EARLY LIFE: Born to an unwed teen mother in Saint John, N.B., Connors’ was placed in the care of Children’s Aid at age eight and adopted a year later by a family in Skinner’s Pond, P.E.I. He ran away four years later to hitchhike across the country and bought his first guitar at age 14.
FIRST GIG: After reportedly finding himself a nickel short of a beer in Timmins, Ont., at age 28, a hotel bartender agreed to give him a drink if he’d play a few songs. Those tunes landed him a 14 month contract and launched his musical career.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: An appointment to the Order of Canada in 1996, his own postage stamp and 61 recorded albums, 10 of which have yet to be released to the public according to his promoter.
CONTROVERSY: In 1978, Connors returned a handful of his Juno Awards, complaining that some artists were being awarded in categories outside their genre while other winners conducted most of their work outside of the country. He then went into a 10-year self-imposed exile from the spotlight and later declined induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.
FAMOUS SONGS: “The Hockey Song” – In 1992 this song was played during an Ottawa Senators hockey game, and quickly became an anthem for NHL games, “Confederation Bridge” about the building of the PEI-mainland link, “The Blue Berets” about UN peacekeeper assignments and “Believe in Your Country” about Canada’s 125th anniversary.
PARTING QUOTE: In a letter to fans penned days before his death, Connors wrote: “It was a long hard bumpy road, but this great country kept me inspired with its beauty, character, and spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.”
PUBLIC MEMORIAL: A celebration of Connor’s life featuring speakers and music will be held next Wednesday in Peterborough, Ont.
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On the Net: http://www.stompintom.com/
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