Stompin' Tom Connors
Encyclopedia
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC
(born February 9, 1936) is one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singers.
He lives in Wellington County, Ontario
.
, New Brunswick to the teenaged Isabel Connors and her boyfriend Thomas Sullivan. He was a cousin of New Brunswick fiddling sensation, Ned Landry. He spent a short time living with his mother in a low-security women's penitentiary before he was seized by Children's Aid Society
and was later adopted by the Aylward family in Skinners Pond
, Prince Edward Island.
At the age of 15 he left his adoptive family to hitchhike across Canada, a journey that consumed the next 13 years of his life as he travelled between various part-time jobs while writing songs on his guitar. At his last stop in Timmins
, Ontario, which may also have been his big "break", he found himself a nickel short of a beer at the city's Maple Leaf Hotel. The bartender, Gaet Lepine, agreed to give Tom a beer if he would play a few songs. These few songs turned into a 13-month contract to play at the hotel, a weekly spot on the CKGB radio station in Timmins, eight 45-RPM recordings, and the end of the beginning for Tom Connors.
(CBC) consumer affairs program, Marketplace
. For the first few seasons, Connors appeared in the opening credits of the program, before "The Consumer" was replaced as the theme — initially by an instrumental background version and ultimately by another piece of music entirely.
In 1974 Tom had a mini-series running on CBC Television in which he met and exchanged with folks from all across Canada. The series called "Stompin Tom's Canada" was co-produced with the help of CBC and ran for 26 episodes of 30 minutes each.
Typically writing about Canadian lore and history, some of Connors' better-known songs include "Bud the Spud
", "Big Joe Mufferaw
", "The Black Donnellys
", "The Martin Hartwell Story", "Reesor Crossing Tragedy
", "Sudbury Saturday Night
" and "The Hockey Song
" (also called "The Good Old Hockey Game"); the last is frequently played over sound systems at National Hockey League
(NHL) games.
Interestingly, Tom has never lost touch with Gaet Lepine, the bartender he befriended in Timmins. In fact, over the years, the two have co-written many songs together. These songs are featured in Stompin' Tom's 250 Songs songbook.
The song that Tom wrote the fastest was Maritime Waltz; time, 12 minutes.
, July 1, 1967
, that the name Stompin Tom Connors was first used, when Boyd MacDonald, a waiter at the King George Tavern in Peterborough
, Ontario introduced Tom on stage. Based on an enthused audience reaction to it, Tom had it officially registered in Ontario as Stompin' Tom Ltd. the following week. Various stories have circulated about the origin of the foot stomping, but it's generally accepted that he did this to keep a strong tempo for his guitar playing — especially in the noisy bars and beer joints where he frequently performed. After numerous complaints about damaged stage floors, Tom began to carry a piece of plywood
that he stomped even more vigorously than before. The "stompin' " board has since become one of his trademarks. After stomping a hole in the wood, he would pick it up and show it to the audience (accompanied by a joke about the quality of the local lumber) before calling for a new one. It was reported that when asked about his "stompin' board", Tom replied, "it's just a stage I'm going through". Stompin' Tom periodically auctions off his "stompin' boards" for charity with the latest board selling for $15,000.
, Ontario, to protest the lack of support given to Canadian stories by the policies of the Federal government, particularly the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). He also boycotted the Juno Award
s in protest of the qualification guidelines set by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
(CARAS) for possible nominees who were being consistently nominated and awarded outside of their musical genre. He strongly opposed artists who conducted most of their business in the United States being nominated for Junos in Canada. Connors, who referred to these particular artists as "turncoat Canadians", felt that in view of the fact that they had chosen to live and work in the U.S., it was only fair that they competed with Americans for Grammy Awards, and left the Juno competition to those who lived and conducted business in Canada.
His protest caught national attention when he sent back his six Junos accompanied by a letter to the board of directors.
He remained in retirement for 12 years. In 1986, Tim Vesely
and Dave Bidini
of Rheostatics
crashed his 50th birthday party and published an article about it in a Toronto newspaper, initiating a resurgence of public and record label interest in his work which resulted in the release in 1988 of Fiddle and Song, his first new album since 1977.
To this day, Stompin' Tom's performances remain popular, and he remains one of Canada's more prolific recording artists. His songs often pay tribute to Canadian newsmakers or personalities, and can be topical, referring to news events of the day.
farm labourer became a bestseller in 1997. It details his life "Before the Fame", and in 2000 he did his second autobiography "The Connors Tone". Recent years have seen the re-release of 25 of his record albums.
taped a week's worth of shows in Canada in 2004, Connors was one of the guests of honour, leading the Toronto audience in a rendition of "The Hockey Song"; this was one of the few times Connors performed on American television. Another Canadian-taped installment of Late Night featured a segment in which Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visited Quebec
; a parody of Connors' "Canada Day, Up Canada Way" is heard during the segment.
Southern Jumbo acoustic
that he purchased in 1956 while on his way through Ohio
to Nashville, Tennessee
and Mexico
. He discovered it in a furniture store, hidden in a case on the top of some shelf, and after some haggling, purchased it for $80 (all he had was $90 on him). The guitar was used to audition in 1964 at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, as well as for writing Bud the Spud four years later. Although retired in 1972, it remains in his possession. It has subsequently been refurbished (a birthday gift from his wife, Lena). The serial # inside the guitar reads 2222 in red stamped numbers and the actual age of the guitar is still unknown
in September 2005 and according to Connors' longtime promoter, Rocklands Entertainment CEO Brian Edwards, a copy was presented to the CBC's head of TV variety. He received a reply the next day telling him that a decision would be reached within a few weeks. After 10 weeks another email was then sent to the newly appointed programming VP, and a prompt reply came back saying that the broadcaster was moving away from music and variety programming and that the Connors special didn't fit with its strategy.
Edwards says he received another letter from the CBC that reinforced its lack of interest in the concert special, but saying that Connors would have been a great guest to perform a song on the network's Hockeyville
series or an excellent subject for a Life and Times project.
"As far as I'm concerned, if the CBC, our own public network, will not reconsider their refusal to air a Stompin' Tom special, they can take their wonderful offer of letting me sing a song as a guest on some other program and shove it," said Connors.
in 1993, which was the inspiration for his album titled Dr. Stompin' Tom Connors, eh?, released the same year. In 1996, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
, and four years later was awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University of Toronto
.
In The Greatest Canadian
list, he ranked thirteenth, the highest placing for any artist on the list. Connors was one of four musicians pictured on the second series of the Canadian Recording Artist Series to be issued by Canada Post stamps
on July 2, 2009.
during that country's 1994 genocide reported that he played a recording of Tom's song "The Blue Berets" (about United Nations peacekeeping forces) to keep up his troops' morale while their headquarters was under bombardment.
The Les Claypool Frog Brigade mentions Connors in the song "Long in the Tooth" on the album Purple Onion
, while Corb Lund references him in the song "Long Gone to Saskatchewan".
Tim Hus also wrote a song titled "Man With The Black Hat" about Connors.
singles
were pressed by Quality Records
in Toronto, and distributed (and paid for) primarily by Tom. His first two albums (and two subsequent 45 RPM singles) were released on the Rebel Records bluegrass label, under the name "Tom Connors". These two albums were subsequently re-released on Dominion Records under the Stompin' Tom moniker and had to be totally re-recorded due to a dispute with Rebel Records owner John Irvine.
Most of Connors' well-known albums were released on Dominion Records (1969–70), and after 1971 on the Boot Records label that he co-founded with Jury Krytiuk and Mark Altman. His releases on Dominion (and all subsequent releases) were done under the name "Stompin' Tom Connors". Most of the Rebel and Dominion albums would be reissued (and in some cases, re-recorded) under the Boot label, and would represent the bulk of his recorded material. It was released on 33 RPM record albums, 45 RPM record singles, 8-tracks, and cassette tapes
.
After his retreat from the music business in the late 70's, he started the A-C-T (Assisting Canadian Talent) label in 1986, and released two albums: "Stompin' Tom is Back to Assist Canadian Talent" and his comeback album, "Fiddle and Songs" in 1988. A-C-T also re-released Tom's back catalogue on cassette tapes only.
All of his subsequent releases (and re-releases) have been through Capitol Records
/ EMI
. Most of this work is now available on Compact Disc. In recent years, many of his album releases have included at least one re-recording of one of his earlier songs.
which have been the subject of a song by Connors, who is widely renowned for singing about both well-known and little-known episodes in the country's past.
Notes
Notes
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born February 9, 1936) is one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singers.
He lives in Wellington County, Ontario
Wellington County, Ontario
Wellington County is a county located in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat is Guelph, a city which is politically independent, but Guelph's status as the seat means it houses the county's administrative offices...
.
Early life
He was born Charles Thomas Connors (known as Tommy Messer) in Saint JohnSaint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick to the teenaged Isabel Connors and her boyfriend Thomas Sullivan. He was a cousin of New Brunswick fiddling sensation, Ned Landry. He spent a short time living with his mother in a low-security women's penitentiary before he was seized by Children's Aid Society
Children's Aid Society (Canada)
The Children's Aid Societies of Ontario, Canada, are independent organizations empowered by the Ontario government to perform child protection services. The declared goal is to "promote the best interests, protection and well being of children"...
and was later adopted by the Aylward family in Skinners Pond
Skinners Pond, Prince Edward Island
Skinners Pond is a rural community in Prince County, Prince Edward Island.It is located northwest of the village of Tignish in the township of Lot 1, near the northwestern tip of the province. The primary industries for the area are agriculture and fishing....
, Prince Edward Island.
At the age of 15 he left his adoptive family to hitchhike across Canada, a journey that consumed the next 13 years of his life as he travelled between various part-time jobs while writing songs on his guitar. At his last stop in Timmins
Timmins, Ontario
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, Ontario, which may also have been his big "break", he found himself a nickel short of a beer at the city's Maple Leaf Hotel. The bartender, Gaet Lepine, agreed to give Tom a beer if he would play a few songs. These few songs turned into a 13-month contract to play at the hotel, a weekly spot on the CKGB radio station in Timmins, eight 45-RPM recordings, and the end of the beginning for Tom Connors.
Musical career
During the mid-1970s, Connors wrote and recorded "The Consumer", an ode to bill-paying that became the theme song for the popular Canadian Broadcasting CorporationCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC) consumer affairs program, Marketplace
Marketplace (TV series)
Marketplace is a Canadian television series, broadcast on CBC Television. Launched in 1972, the series is a consumer advocacy newsmagazine, which shows investigative reports on issues such as product testing, health and safety, fraudulent business practices and other news issues of interest to...
. For the first few seasons, Connors appeared in the opening credits of the program, before "The Consumer" was replaced as the theme — initially by an instrumental background version and ultimately by another piece of music entirely.
In 1974 Tom had a mini-series running on CBC Television in which he met and exchanged with folks from all across Canada. The series called "Stompin Tom's Canada" was co-produced with the help of CBC and ran for 26 episodes of 30 minutes each.
Typically writing about Canadian lore and history, some of Connors' better-known songs include "Bud the Spud
Bud the Spud (song)
"Bud the Spud" is a song by Stompin' Tom Connors released in 1969 on the album Bud The Spud and Other Favourites. The song is an account of a trucker who hauls potatoes from Prince Edward Island. The song became known through word-of-mouth as well as through radio airplay on CBC Radio...
", "Big Joe Mufferaw
Big Joe Mufferaw
Big Joe Mufferaw was a French Canadian folk hero from the Ottawa Valley, perhaps best known today as the hero of a song by Stompin' Tom Connors. Like Paul Bunyan, he made his living chopping down trees. The name is also sometimes spelled Muffero, Muffera, and Montferrand...
", "The Black Donnellys
Black Donnellys
The Black Donnellys is the common nickname of the Donnelly family who emigrated from County Tipperary, Ireland, to Canada in about 1845–1846, and who participated in a notorious feud in Biddulph Township in Middlesex County, Ontario, which culminated in a massacre in which five family members were...
", "The Martin Hartwell Story", "Reesor Crossing Tragedy
Reesor Siding Strike of 1963
The Reesor Siding Strike of 1963 was one of the defining labour conflicts in Canadian history, resulting in the shooting of 11 union members, three of whom were killed...
", "Sudbury Saturday Night
Sudbury Saturday Night
"Sudbury Saturday Night" is one of the most famous songs by Stompin' Tom Connors, which depicts the hard-drinking, hard-partying social life of hard rock miners in the Northern Ontario mining city of Sudbury....
" and "The Hockey Song
The Hockey Song
"The Hockey Song" is a song written and originally performed by Canadian folksinger Stompin' Tom Connors.The song first appeared on Connors' 1973 album, Stompin' Tom and the Hockey Song. However, the song did not reach its tremendous popularity until 1997. It was at this time that the song was...
" (also called "The Good Old Hockey Game"); the last is frequently played over sound systems at National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) games.
Interestingly, Tom has never lost touch with Gaet Lepine, the bartender he befriended in Timmins. In fact, over the years, the two have co-written many songs together. These songs are featured in Stompin' Tom's 250 Songs songbook.
The song that Tom wrote the fastest was Maritime Waltz; time, 12 minutes.
Nickname
Connors' habit of stomping the heel of his left boot to keep rhythm earned him the nickname "that stompin' guy", or "Stomper". It wasn't until Canada's 100th birthdayCanadian Centennial
The Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
, July 1, 1967
Canada Day
Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
, that the name Stompin Tom Connors was first used, when Boyd MacDonald, a waiter at the King George Tavern in Peterborough
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, Ontario introduced Tom on stage. Based on an enthused audience reaction to it, Tom had it officially registered in Ontario as Stompin' Tom Ltd. the following week. Various stories have circulated about the origin of the foot stomping, but it's generally accepted that he did this to keep a strong tempo for his guitar playing — especially in the noisy bars and beer joints where he frequently performed. After numerous complaints about damaged stage floors, Tom began to carry a piece of plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
that he stomped even more vigorously than before. The "stompin' " board has since become one of his trademarks. After stomping a hole in the wood, he would pick it up and show it to the audience (accompanied by a joke about the quality of the local lumber) before calling for a new one. It was reported that when asked about his "stompin' board", Tom replied, "it's just a stage I'm going through". Stompin' Tom periodically auctions off his "stompin' boards" for charity with the latest board selling for $15,000.
Retirement and nationalistic protest
As the 1970s progressed, he retired to his farm in Norval, near GeorgetownGeorgetown, Ontario
Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto making it part of the Greater Toronto Area...
, Ontario, to protest the lack of support given to Canadian stories by the policies of the Federal government, particularly the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). He also boycotted the Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
s in protest of the qualification guidelines set by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences is the organization responsible for conducting the Juno Awards, Canada's primary national musical honours...
(CARAS) for possible nominees who were being consistently nominated and awarded outside of their musical genre. He strongly opposed artists who conducted most of their business in the United States being nominated for Junos in Canada. Connors, who referred to these particular artists as "turncoat Canadians", felt that in view of the fact that they had chosen to live and work in the U.S., it was only fair that they competed with Americans for Grammy Awards, and left the Juno competition to those who lived and conducted business in Canada.
His protest caught national attention when he sent back his six Junos accompanied by a letter to the board of directors.
"Gentlemen:I am returning herewith the six Juno awards that I once felt honoured to have received and which, I am no longer proud to have in my possession. As far as I am concerned you can give them to the border jumpers who didn't receive an award this year and maybe you can have them presented by Charley PrideCharley PrideCharley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
. I feel that the Junos should be for people who are living in Canada, whose main base of business operations is in Canada, who are working toward the recognition of Canadian talent in this country and who are trying to further the export of such talent from this country to the world with a view to proudly showing off what this country can contribute to the world market.
Until the academy appears to comply more closely with aspirations of this kind, I will no longer stand for any nominations, nor will I accept any award given.
Yours very truly,
Stompin' Tom Connors
He remained in retirement for 12 years. In 1986, Tim Vesely
Tim Vesely
Tim Vesely is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is best known as the bassist for the indie rock band Rheostatics, in which he shared lead vocal duties with bandmates Dave Bidini and Martin Tielli...
and Dave Bidini
Dave Bidini
Dave Bidini is a Canadian musician, journalist and author originating from Etobicoke, Ontario. He is a founding member of the acclaimed rock band Rheostatics, and has published several books about music and sports. He currently performs with his band, aptly named BidiniBand. The group's first...
of Rheostatics
Rheostatics
Rheostatics was a Genie Award-winning Canadian indie rock band, active from 1980 to 2007.Although they had only one Top 40 hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands, a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been...
crashed his 50th birthday party and published an article about it in a Toronto newspaper, initiating a resurgence of public and record label interest in his work which resulted in the release in 1988 of Fiddle and Song, his first new album since 1977.
To this day, Stompin' Tom's performances remain popular, and he remains one of Canada's more prolific recording artists. His songs often pay tribute to Canadian newsmakers or personalities, and can be topical, referring to news events of the day.
Autobiography
An autobiography detailing his childhood years in an orphanage, and as an indenturedIndentured servant
Indentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture. Usually the father made the arrangements and signed...
farm labourer became a bestseller in 1997. It details his life "Before the Fame", and in 2000 he did his second autobiography "The Connors Tone". Recent years have seen the re-release of 25 of his record albums.
Guest of honour on "Late Night"
Connors' music is rarely heard outside Canada, with the possible exception of his anthemic "The Hockey Song" which has been recorded by many artists. It has been suggested that Connors refuses to allow foreign release of his material, although a more likely reason is that the very Canadian-specific subject matter of many of his folk songs has resulted in limited demand in foreign markets. When Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
taped a week's worth of shows in Canada in 2004, Connors was one of the guests of honour, leading the Toronto audience in a rendition of "The Hockey Song"; this was one of the few times Connors performed on American television. Another Canadian-taped installment of Late Night featured a segment in which Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visited Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
; a parody of Connors' "Canada Day, Up Canada Way" is heard during the segment.
Favourite guitar
Tom's favourite guitar was a GibsonGibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
Southern Jumbo acoustic
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
that he purchased in 1956 while on his way through Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He discovered it in a furniture store, hidden in a case on the top of some shelf, and after some haggling, purchased it for $80 (all he had was $90 on him). The guitar was used to audition in 1964 at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, as well as for writing Bud the Spud four years later. Although retired in 1972, it remains in his possession. It has subsequently been refurbished (a birthday gift from his wife, Lena). The serial # inside the guitar reads 2222 in red stamped numbers and the actual age of the guitar is still unknown
Dispute with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
After years of requests from CBC for Connors to do a Stompin' Tom music special he did just that. At a cost of over $200,000.00 of his own money, a live concert presentation at Hamilton Place was shot and edited on HDHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
in September 2005 and according to Connors' longtime promoter, Rocklands Entertainment CEO Brian Edwards, a copy was presented to the CBC's head of TV variety. He received a reply the next day telling him that a decision would be reached within a few weeks. After 10 weeks another email was then sent to the newly appointed programming VP, and a prompt reply came back saying that the broadcaster was moving away from music and variety programming and that the Connors special didn't fit with its strategy.
Edwards says he received another letter from the CBC that reinforced its lack of interest in the concert special, but saying that Connors would have been a great guest to perform a song on the network's Hockeyville
Hockeyville
Kraft Hockeyville is a Gemini Award-winning Canadian reality television series developed by CBC Sports and sponsored by Kraft Foods, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association in which communities across Canada compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of ice hockey...
series or an excellent subject for a Life and Times project.
"As far as I'm concerned, if the CBC, our own public network, will not reconsider their refusal to air a Stompin' Tom special, they can take their wonderful offer of letting me sing a song as a guest on some other program and shove it," said Connors.
Honours
He received a Doctor of Laws degree honoris causa from St. Thomas UniversitySt. Thomas University (New Brunswick)
St. Thomas University is jointly a public and Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It offers degrees exclusively at the undergraduate level for approximately 3,000 students in the liberal arts, humanities, journalism, education, and social work....
in 1993, which was the inspiration for his album titled Dr. Stompin' Tom Connors, eh?, released the same year. In 1996, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, and four years later was awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
.
In The Greatest Canadian
The Greatest Canadian
Officially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a television program series by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, at least among those who watched and participated in the program...
list, he ranked thirteenth, the highest placing for any artist on the list. Connors was one of four musicians pictured on the second series of the Canadian Recording Artist Series to be issued by Canada Post stamps
Canada Post stamp releases (2005-2009)
In the latter half of the decade, Canada Post continued to issue a large number of stamps with different designs and themes. One of the key changes in the decade was that Canada Post issued series of stamps on a yearly basis. An example is the 400th Anniversary of the French Settlement in North...
on July 2, 2009.
Cultural and historical references
In the book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian general who led the UNAMIR peacekeeping force in RwandaRwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
during that country's 1994 genocide reported that he played a recording of Tom's song "The Blue Berets" (about United Nations peacekeeping forces) to keep up his troops' morale while their headquarters was under bombardment.
The Les Claypool Frog Brigade mentions Connors in the song "Long in the Tooth" on the album Purple Onion
Purple Onion
-Credits:Musicians*Les Claypool - bass , vocals, percussion , guitar , whamola , drums *Jay Lane - drums *Mike Dillon - vibraphone , metal drum , percussion , tabla baya , pandiero , electric bow & arrow , metal sounds , cuica , marimba , metal , tabla *Skerik - saxophone , "fancy" sax...
, while Corb Lund references him in the song "Long Gone to Saskatchewan".
Tim Hus also wrote a song titled "Man With The Black Hat" about Connors.
Releases
Connors has released music on no fewer than seven different labels. His earliest foray into recording was on the CKGB Timmins radio station label. These 45 RPMGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
were pressed by Quality Records
Quality Records
Quality Records is a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels, and also released recordings by Canadian artists...
in Toronto, and distributed (and paid for) primarily by Tom. His first two albums (and two subsequent 45 RPM singles) were released on the Rebel Records bluegrass label, under the name "Tom Connors". These two albums were subsequently re-released on Dominion Records under the Stompin' Tom moniker and had to be totally re-recorded due to a dispute with Rebel Records owner John Irvine.
Most of Connors' well-known albums were released on Dominion Records (1969–70), and after 1971 on the Boot Records label that he co-founded with Jury Krytiuk and Mark Altman. His releases on Dominion (and all subsequent releases) were done under the name "Stompin' Tom Connors". Most of the Rebel and Dominion albums would be reissued (and in some cases, re-recorded) under the Boot label, and would represent the bulk of his recorded material. It was released on 33 RPM record albums, 45 RPM record singles, 8-tracks, and cassette tapes
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
.
After his retreat from the music business in the late 70's, he started the A-C-T (Assisting Canadian Talent) label in 1986, and released two albums: "Stompin' Tom is Back to Assist Canadian Talent" and his comeback album, "Fiddle and Songs" in 1988. A-C-T also re-released Tom's back catalogue on cassette tapes only.
All of his subsequent releases (and re-releases) have been through Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
/ EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. Most of this work is now available on Compact Disc. In recent years, many of his album releases have included at least one re-recording of one of his earlier songs.
Songs referencing Canadian historical events
The following is a list of events in the history of CanadaHistory of Canada
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Canada has been inhabited for millennia by distinctive groups of Aboriginal peoples, among whom evolved trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and social hierarchies...
which have been the subject of a song by Connors, who is widely renowned for singing about both well-known and little-known episodes in the country's past.
- Reesor Crossing Tragedy, 1969 song about the Reesor Siding Strike of 1963Reesor Siding Strike of 1963The Reesor Siding Strike of 1963 was one of the defining labour conflicts in Canadian history, resulting in the shooting of 11 union members, three of whom were killed...
which saw three union workers murdered.
- Tillsonburg, about when Stompin Tom worked in the tobacco fields of Tillsonburg, Ontario.
- Wop May, about the Canadian pilot Wilfrid R. "Wop" May
- The Bridge Came Tumblin' Down, 1972 song about the 19 men killed in the collapse of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows CrossingIronworkers Memorial Second Narrows CrossingThe Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, also called the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, is the second bridge constructed at the Second Narrows of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
.
- The Curse of the Marc Guylaine, 1973 song about the fishing trawler Marc GuylaineMarc GuylaineThe Marc Guylaine was a Canadian herring seiner built in 1966, along with its two sister ships, the Lady Dorianne and Lady Audette. After its two sister ships both mysteriously sank in the Acadian peninsula, drowning nine men, and the only two other ships built to the same specifications met...
which saw two sister-ships and two identical ships all sink under inexplicable circumstances
- Big Joe MufferawBig Joe MufferawBig Joe Mufferaw was a French Canadian folk hero from the Ottawa Valley, perhaps best known today as the hero of a song by Stompin' Tom Connors. Like Paul Bunyan, he made his living chopping down trees. The name is also sometimes spelled Muffero, Muffera, and Montferrand...
, about the French-Canadian logging legend Joseph MontferrandJoseph MontferrandJoseph "Jos" Montferrand was a French-Canadian logger, strong man and hero of the working man, who was the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw....
- The Martin Hartwell Story, about the bush pilot Martin HartwellMartin HartwellMartin Hartwell was a Canadian bush pilot. On November 8, 1972 Hartwell was given a charter to fly from Cambridge Bay, N.W.T. with three passengers who had just arrived from Spence Bay; a pregnant Inuk woman named Neemee Nulliayok, a 14 year old Inuk boy named David Pisurayak Kootook , and an...
who survived 31 days in the Northwest TerritoriesNorthwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, after resorting to cannibalism
- Algoma Central 69, about the historical Algoma Central RailwayAlgoma Central RailwayThe Algoma Central Railway is a railway in Northern Ontario that operates between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, with a branch line to Michipicoten. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few roads...
- 'The Black Donnellys' Massacre and Jenny Donnelly, both about the Black DonnellysBlack DonnellysThe Black Donnellys is the common nickname of the Donnelly family who emigrated from County Tipperary, Ireland, to Canada in about 1845–1846, and who participated in a notorious feud in Biddulph Township in Middlesex County, Ontario, which culminated in a massacre in which five family members were...
- The Last Fatal Duel, 1973 song about Robert LyonRobert Lyon (duellist)Robert Lyon , the son of a British officer, was the last fatality in Canadian duelling history, shot by a fellow law student, John Wilson in 1833....
- Fire in the Mine, about the Hollinger Mines fire that killed 39 miners in Timmins, OntarioTimmins, OntarioTimmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | CRIA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN | |||
| 1967 | The Northlands' Own Tom ConnorsA | — | — | — |
| 1968 | On Tragedy Trail | — | — | — |
| 1969 | Bud the Spud and Other Favourites | — | — | Gold |
| 1970 | Stompin' Tom Meets Big Joe Mufferaw | — | — | — |
| Merry Christmas Everybody | — | — | — | |
| 1971 | Live at the Horseshoe | — | — | — |
| My Stompin' Grounds | — | 71 | — | |
| Love & LaughterB | — | — | — | |
| 1972 | Stompin' Tom and the Hockey Song | — | — | — |
| 1973 | To It and at It | — | — | — |
| Northlands Zone | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | Stompin' Tom Meets Muk Tuk Annie | — | — | — |
| 1975 | The North Atlantic Squadron | — | — | — |
| 1976 | The Unpopular Stompin' Tom Connors | — | — | — |
| 1977 | Stompin' Tom at the Gumboot Cloggeroo | — | — | — |
| 1986 | Stompin' Tom Is Back to Assist Canadian TalentC | — | — | — |
| 1988 | Fiddle and Song | — | — | — |
| 1991 | More of the Stompin' Tom Phenomenon | — | — | — |
| 1992 | Believe in Your Country | 9 | — | — |
| 1993 | Dr. Stompin' Tom Eh? | 28 | — | — |
| 1995 | Long Gone to the Yukon | 5 | — | — |
| 1999 | Move Along with Stompin' Tom | — | — | — |
| 2000 | The Confederation BridgeD | — | — | — |
| 2002 | An Ode for the Road | — | — | — |
| 2004 | Stompin' Tom and the Hockey Mom Tribute | — | — | — |
| 2008 | The Ballad of Stompin Tom | — | — | — |
Notes
- ARe-released on A-C-T Records in the mid-80s as "Northland Zone" due to a printing error
- BLater released as "Stompin' Tom and the Moon-Man Newfie" in 1973
- CContains four Stompin' Tom songs plus an intro and final message to support Canadian talent. Otherwise, this is an album which also features other Canadian country musicians: Wayne Chapman, Cliff Evans, Donna Lambert, Bruce Caves, Art Hawes, Kent Brockwell
- DA five song EP_containing The Confederation Bridge, My Home Cradled Out In The Waves,Bud the Spud, Skinner's Pond Teapot, J.R.'s Bar – basically PEI songs.
Compilations
| Year | Album | CAN Country | CRIA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Stompin' Tom Connors Sings 60 Old Time FavouritesA | — | — |
| 1971 | Stompin' Tom Sings 60 More Old Time FavouritesB | — | — |
| The Best of Stompin' Tom Connors | — | — | |
| Pistol Packin' Mama | — | — | |
| Bringing Them Back | — | — | |
| 1973 | Across This LandC | — | — |
| 1980 | Souvenirs | — | — |
| 1990 | A Proud Canadian | — | Platinum |
| 1991 | Once Upon a Stompin' Tom | — | — |
| 1993 | K.I.C. Along with Stompin' Tom | 26 | — |
| 1998 | 25 of the Best Stompin' Tom Souvenirs | 12 | Platinum |
| 2001 | Sings Canadian History | — | — |
| 2006 | Live Concert (DVD) | — | 2× Platinum |
Notes
- AThis is a Five Record box set that has never been re-released
- BThis is another Five Record box set that has never been re-released
- COriginal Soundtrack recording (at the Horseshoe Tavern) for "Across This Land with Stompin' Tom". Also features Bobby Lalonde, Joey Tardif, Chris Scott, Kent Brockwell, Sharon Lowness and The Rovin' Cowboys plus a separately recorded "Tribute To Stompin' Tom" by Fred Dixon. This 'double-album' has never been re-released.
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN AC | |||
| 1969 | "Bud the Spud Bud the Spud Bud the Spud is an iconic chip truck in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. In operation since 1977, it is parked outside the Spring Garden Road branch of the Halifax Public Libraries each summer. The edge of the library is marked by a low concrete wall, and it is there that most customers sit and eat... " |
26 | — | Bud the Spud and Other Favorites |
| 1970 | "Big Joe Mufferaw Big Joe Mufferaw (song) "Big Joe Mufferaw" is a single by Canadian country music artist Stompin' Tom Connors written about French Canadian folk hero Big Joe Mufferaw. The song describes the following tall tales, with many references to the Ottawa Valley:... " |
1 | — | Stompin' Tom Meets Big Joe Mufferaw |
| "Ketchup Song Ketchup Song (Stompin' Tom Connors song) "Ketchup Song" is a single by Canadian country music artist Stompin' Tom Connors. The song debuted at number 39 on the RPM Country Tracks chart on June 6, 1970. It peaked at number 1 on July 25, 1970.-Chart performance:... " |
1 | — | Bud the Spud and Other Favorites | |
| "Luke's Guitar" | 2 | — | ||
| 1971 | "Snowmobile Song" | 40 | — | My Stompin' Grounds |
| "The Bridge Came Tumbling Down" | 2 | — | ||
| "Tillsonburg" | 12 | — | ||
| "Name the Capital" | 34 | — | ||
| 1972 | "Moon-Man Newfie Moon-Man Newfie "Moon-Man Newfie" is a single by Canadian country music artist Stompin' Tom Connors. The song debuted at number 48 on the RPM Country Tracks chart on February 26, 1972. It peaked at number 1 on May 6, 1972.-Chart performance:... " |
1 | — | Love & Laughter |
| "The Bug Song" | 9 | 18 | ||
| "Fire in the Mine" | 24 | — | ||
| 1973 | "The Consumer" | 59 | — | Stompin' Tom and the Hockey Song |
| "Martin Hartwell Story" | 30 | — | To It and at It | |
| "Poor Poor Farmer" | 68 | — | Stompin' Tom Meets Big Joe Mufferaw | |
| "Algoma Central No. 69" | 67 | — | ||
| "Don Messer Story" | 40 | — | To It and at It | |
| 1974 | "To It and at It" | 42 | — | |
| "Streaker's Dream" | 34 | — | Stompin' Tom Meets Muk Tuk Annie | |
| 1975 | "Jack of Many Trades" | 24 | — | The North Atlantic Squadron |
| 1989 | "Canada Day, Up Canada Way" | 29 | — | Fiddle and Song |
| "I Am the Wind" | 40 | — | ||
| 1997 | "The Confederation Bridge" | 79 | — | The Confederation Bridge |