2012

Georges Hébert

Georges Hébert, an internationally famous guitarist, was born in Moncton, NB in 1944 an was influenced by Chet Atkins, Hank Garland, Harold Bradley, Django Reinhardt, Barney Kesssel and Charlie Byrd. He began his musical career with Moncton's 'Brunswick Playboys' and later was part of Halifax bassed CBC-TV's 'Music Hop' ('Frank's Bandstand'" and 'Sing-a-long Jubliee'.

 

In the mid seventies, he toured with Anne Murray and Ian Tyson, then returned to Halifax to perform on CBC-TV's Marg Osburne, Denny's show, John Allan Cameron Show, Sunshine Hour and Coming Up Country. In 1979, he rejoined The Anne Murray Show until she retired in 2008.

 

Other artists he backed up include: Moe Koffman, Gene MacLellan, Dusty Springfield, Denny Doherty, Bruce Guthro, Vera Lynn, Jonathan Edwards, Doug Mallory, John Gracie, Shirley Eikhard, Terry Kelly, Bryan Adams, Jann Arden, Celine Dion, Jerry Seinfeld, and Rodney Dangerfield.

 

Georges has toured Canada, the United States, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand; played in well known concert venues such as Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall in New York, The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Royal Albert Hall, The London Palladium and Victoria Palace in London, England as well as Centennial Hall in Monte Carlo.

 

He has recorded with Anne Murray, Roger Whittaker, The Mercey Bros., John Allan Cameron, Fred McKenna, Jim Bennett, Clary Croft, Jubilee Singers, Bruce Murray, Dutch Mason, Tom Gallant, Bruce Guthro, Chris Cummings and other and has recorded numerous jingles and demos.

 

He has recorded TV soundtracks for: Anne Murray, Jann Arden, Sarah Brightman, Leahy, Julio Iglesias, Glen Campbell, Dusty Springield, Patty LaBelle, Bruce Cockburn, Valdy, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, Sharon, Lois and Bram, Gene MacLellan, Rita McNeil, The Rankins, Ian Tyson, Shirley Eikhard, and has performed on television shows such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson Show, The Boston Pops, The Merv Griffin and Pat Sajak shows.

 

Between 1991 and 2012 he recorded his own albums: "Up For Grabs", "Salt in the Wind", "Season of Joy", "Somewhere Along the Way" and "Best of Friends". He has produced and recorded over 50 CDs for various artists in his home studio in Bedford, NS and continues to be very active.

 

 

Carson Leighton

Carson Leighton was born into a musical family of nine, two brothers and six sisters, at Black's Harbour, in 1950. He saw his first guitar when sister Arlene, then performing on The Kidd Baker Show, brought one home. He picked up the guitar at age 7 and it has been said 'he never put it down'. Carson began playing local talent shows when 12 and by 14 was playing in his first band.

 

At the age of 22, Carson was introduced to the pedal-steel guitar by Lew Jenkins during a jam session at Louisdale, NS. Although he plays several other instruments including dobro, electric and acoustic guitars, fiddle, banjo and piano...it is the pedal steel he still favours today.

 

Carson played in several bands and with his brother Reid, who plays bass and rhythm guitar; went on the road with Sussex based Dale Norrad and Travellers Revival Ltd., touring the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario and as far as Detroit, Michigan. After that he played with such celebrities as Larry Mattson, Jim and Don Haggart, John Allan Cameron, Marg Osburne, Ivan & Vivian Hicks, Allison Inch, Gary Morris anad the fiddling host of ATV's 'Up Home Tonight', Gordon Stobbe. He has also shared stages with such famous international stars as Dick Curless and Anne Murray.

 

Carson has played on numerous recordings and is still active as a studio musician.  For three years, Carson was the house steel player for the Captial City Jamborees in Fredericton. Since then, he has played on Valley Jamborees hosted by Gary Morris and hosted his own Jamboree as band leader of the East Coast Country Band.

 

He is also a piano tuner/technician and repairs and restores musical instruments.Carson recorded and produced a CD in 2002 called "Steel 'n' Picks". He has shared his musical expertise with many students and has always given freely of his time to any worthy cause.

 

Listen to Carson, you soon realize he doesn't just play music...he feels it in a heart connected directly to his fingers.

 

 

Bonnie Rairdon

Bonnie Rairdon was born on February 7, 1954 in Maxwell N.B., one of twelve children of Mozart and Orsie Ivey, a family deeply rooted in traditional country, gospel and bluegrass music.

 

She began her musical career as a child singing in her community Pentecostal Church. As a pre-teen, she entertained on the Jeannie Wood CHSJ-TV Show - Time For Juniors”. During Bonnie's university years, she appeared on numerous variety shows. She auditioned and was a guest on the weekly Ralph Hall Show in Houlton, Maine.

 

Bonnie's first album release was “Will It Be Worth It All” in 1990, recorded at Kitty Wells Studios, Nashville, Tennessee. Her second, “Praying”, was recorded in 1996 at Traveller Records,Texas. Her third, “A Grand Celebration”, was recorded at Roe Studios, Maine. Bonnie, along with Dr. Dale MacElwain, has recorded two CD projects at Prime Time Recording Studios in Sussex, NB and is currently working on a new album in Nashville.

 

Bonnie has performed in Ireland at St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Appalachian Jubilee in Pennsylvania, Imperial Theatre and Atlantic National Exhibition in Saint John, the Playhouse in Fredericton, Waldo Theatre in Maine, Rusty Roger’s ‘Tribute to the American Cowboys’ in Massachusetts and at the Hank Snow Tributes in NS with members of Hank’s Rainbow Ranch Boys. She is known from Europe to Australia and beyond.

 

She is the co-writer of three award winning songs: “Diamond and a Rose”, “Grand Celebration” and “Walk With My Lord”. Her songs have received airplay in Europe including Germany, Ireland, France and Belgium.

 

In May 2012, Bonnie was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame. She has won several Maine music awards: in 2009, the Pine Tree State Country Music's Female Entertainer, Female Vocalist, Bluegrass Artist and Gospel Artist of the Year; both Rusty Rogers and Dick Curless Awards from the Maine Country Music Association and an honorary degree from Alderson Broddus College University of Hard Knocks, West Virginia.

 

Bonnie has performed with many international stars, such as: Dick Curless, Doc and Chickie Williams, Allan “Mac” McHale, Gene and Flo HooperAnd Yodelin' Slim Clark. She often performs and MCs local music events and charities up and down the St. John River Valley, often as a duo with Dr. Dale MacElwain.

 

 

George LeBlanc

George LeBlanc was born at Memramcook Lake, NB in 1943. He moved to Moncton in 1958, for a stay of 19 years. In 1977 he moved to Dieppe. At an early age he earned enough money doing chores to buy his first instrument, an accordion, and taught himself to play it. In the next few years he learned to play mandolin, guitar, violin and piano. At the age of 17, he formed his own band and organized a road show to travel throughout NB and NS performing concerts and started recording them in the 1980's on VHS cassettes to sell.

 

In 1976, he began the television program, George's Country Jamboree, which was viewed across NB on the Cable 5 TV network. These shows were taped at various locations: Memramcook, Woodstock, Bathurst, Newcastle, Lameque, Tatamagouche and so on; a different venue each week for 17 years. His goal in doing that was always to promote amateur musicians, many of whom became very successful locally and even nationally.

 

George also had a vast collection of vinyl records and compact disks. His passion for promoting local artists and country music led him to renew his George's Country Jamboree on the air waves. For 12 years, he had shows on various radio stations including CJSE Shediac, CKUM Universite de Moncton and CHMA Mount Allison University, Sackville but failing health terminated those endeavours.

 

Because of his love of the accordion, George organized the first “George LeBlanc Accordion Festival” in the Maritimes, held in Memramcook in 2007. It was such a success that it was moved by invitation to Moncton, to be sponsored and promoted by the City itself. That year it attracted 123 accordion players from across Canada and was made an annual three day Hub City event.

 

In 2009, while George was battling cancer, he arranged for some devoted friends to take over his festival so as to ensure it would remain a Moncton attraction for years to come. During his 48 years in music, before his death in 2010, George received many awards and certifications for his devotion in promoting amateur and professional artists.

 

 

Ronald M. Goodwin (Ron Goodwin)

Ron was born in West Sackville, New Brunswick in 1939. He received his schooling in the Sackville area and started playing music very early in life.

 

As a teenager he helped form the country band, Golden Valley Boys, along with Ivan Hicks, Del Wheaton and Bert Williams Estabrooks. This band played to sellout crowds throughout the Maritime provinces, and performed on many radio stations including, CFCY (Charlottetown, PEI), CJRW (Summerside, PEI), CKDH (Amherst, NS) and CHSJ (Saint John, NB).

 

Ron made his first 45rpm recording in June, 1958, on the Rodeo label with two songs he had composed, “Hank Williams Speaking from Heaven” and “Get on That Train”. This recording was on many Maritime radio country hit parades for many weeks. Two LP recordings featuring Ron and the Golden Valley Boys were titled, “Maritime Jamboree” on the RCA Camden label and “Ron Goodwin Country” on the Maritime label.

 

In 1960, Ron joined the popular Moncton group “The Bunkhouse Boys”, performing on stage and TV and in January and November of 1963, he appeared on the very popular nationwide TV show, “Don Messer’s Jubilee”.

 

In 1965, Ron moved to the United States where he continued to perform his music throughout Maryland, Washington, Virginia and Pennsylvania. He played in a number of bands in the US including, “The Country Ramblers” and The Country Casuals” and as well did some recordings.

 

During the summer months he would return to New Brunswick to visit family and friends and to do some performing including Jonathan’s Jamboree in Moncton and various exhibitions in Nova Scotia.

 

Ron unselfishly donated both his time and musical talents to charity. In 1981, he performed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts for the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy. He was a member and strong supporter of the Country Entertainers Musician Benevolent Association, a group of entertainers who play and help raise funds for musicians who are sick and disabled. He also devoted time to entertain seniors and shut-ins.

 

Sadly, Ron passed away in April of 2010.