Died On This Date (April 16, 2013) Rita MacNeil / Canadian Country & Folk Great
themusicsover Rita MacNeil
May 28, 1944 – April 16, 2013
Rita MacNeil was a popular Canadian folk and country singer who had the honor of outselling both Garth Brooks and Clint Black in Canada during 1990, at the height of their careers. Born and raised on the eastern tip of Nova Scotia, the incredibly shy MacNeil was 27 when she first performed on stage – relatively late by pop music standards. The year was 1971, and within just a few years, she recorded her first album and was becoming a popular draw along the Canadian folk festival circuit. Based on her growing popularity and work on behalf of women’s rights, MacNeil was secretly spied upon by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service on the unwarranted suspicion that she had communist ties. Her first single of note was 1986’s “Flying On Your Own” which reached #42 on the Canadian charts and was covered by Anne Murray the following year. MacNeil went on to have numerous hits throughout the ’80s and ’90s, both in Canada and the UK. In all, she released 24 albums which sold in the millions. During the mid ’90s, MacNeil hosted her own CBC variety show, Rita And Friends. Over the course of her career, she was recognized with a Juno, five honorary doctorates, and was a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia. On April 16, 2013, Rita MacNeil died unexpectedly from complications of a surgery. She was 68.
What You Should Own
Larry Robinson was a beloved San Diego-area singer-songwriter who, over the course of his career, released six albums, three of which as a member of the Dorados during the ’90s. Americana in vein, Robinson’s songs spoke of a California that unfortunately, many are too young to have known. During the ’60s, he played in the band, Things To Come who once shared the Whiskey A Go-Go stage with the Byrds. On March 22, 3013, 64-year-old Larry Robinson was bound and severely beaten during a robbery of Pete’s Music Store where he worked part-time in Temecula, California. He died of his injuries the next day . His assailant or assailants remained unidentified in the weeks following his death.
Stompin’ Tom Connors was a Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter who reportedly penned over 300 songs and released some 50 albums totaling over 4 million copies sold. At the age of 15, Connors left home to hitchhike across Canada, writing songs on his guitar along the way. During his last stop, he was short on cash to buy himself a beer, so the hotel’s barkeep said he’d give him the beer if he’d sing a few songs. That turned into a 13-week run at the hotel, a weekly spot on the local radio station, and several recordings. Throughout his career, Connors wrote and recorded numerous popular songs. His “The Consumer” was used as the theme song for a popular CBC program, while his “The Hockey Song” became an arena favorite throughout the NHL. In 1978, Connors retired to his farm in protest over policies of the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission. He reactivated his career in 1988 and continued to perform and record up until his final years. Connors is ranked # 13 on The Greatest Canadian list and was pictured on a 2009 Canadian postage stamp. Stompin’ Tom Connors was 77 when he died of natural causes on March 6, 2013.
Sammy Johns was a folk and country-rock singer-songwriter who scored a major ’70s pop hit with 1975’s “Chevy Van.” Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Johns was just nine when he picked up the guitar. By the time he was a teenager, he was fronting his own band, the Devilles. After a few records with the Devilles, Johns moved to Atlanta and signed a solo deal with General Records who released his self-titled debut in 1973. The album’s “Chevy Van” took about a year or so to catch on, but when it did, it became one of the biggest singles of the ’70s. Reaching #5 on the Billboard pop charts, the record sold more than 1 million copies in the US alone. It was later covered by Eric Church, Sammy Kershaw, and 
Mike Auldridge was a much respected master of the resophonic guitar, or as it is more commonly known, the dobro. Born in Washington, DC, Auldridge began playing the guitar at the age of 13. He eventually transitioned to the dobro, but didn’t began playing music full-time until he was around 40, when the Washington Star-News closed its doors. He had had been earning his living as a graphic artist for the paper. In 1971, Auldridge co-founded the Seldom Scene with a handful of musicians he jammed with each week. The band, much to the chagrin of traditionalists, married bluegrass with jazz, folk, and rock. By doing so, they were pioneers of progressive bluegrass, or what they called “acid grass,” which has been popularized by such jam bands as String Cheese Incident. As an in-demand session player, Auldridge played on records by 