Folk musician Ron Hynes to be inducted to Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

Acclaimed folk musician Ron Hynes will be inducted posthumously into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Hynes, known as the “man of a thousand songs,” will be celebrated with a ceremony during the East Coast Music Awards on April 30 in St. John’s, N.L.

READ MORE: Canadian folk musician, ‘Sonny’s Dream’ singer Ron Hynes dead at 64

A news release describes Hynes, who died in 2015 at age 64, as the “godfather of Newfoundland culture” and as “one of the greatest storytellers in Canada.”

Hynes led a successful solo music career and performed lead vocals for the music and comedy group The Wonderful Grand Band, influencing a next generation of musicians from his home province.

READ MORE: Family, friends hope death of Ron Hynes draws attention to drug addiction

He is famous for his 1976 composition “Sonny’s Dream” and others, including “Back Home on the Island,” “St. John’s Waltz” and “Atlantic Blue.”

Hynes will be recognized at the National Music Centre in Calgary, home to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, after the induction presentation in April.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2020.