| Tommy Hunter | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas James Hunter |
| Born | March 20, 1937 |
| Origin | London, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Years active | 1956–present |
| Website | www.tommyhunter.com |
Thomas James "Tommy" Hunter, CM, O.Ont (born March 20, 1937 in London, Ontario) is a Canadian country music performer, known as "Canada's Country Gentleman".
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In 1956, he began performing as a rhythm guitarist on the CBC television show, Country Hoedown. The Tommy Hunter Show began as a CBC radio program in 1960 and went on to replace Country Hoedown on CBC television in 1965; Hunter's show was picked up by TNN in 1983 and ran on CBC until 1992. The book Cue the Elephant by Knowlton Nash (1996, McClelland & Stewart) featured some disparaging remarks from the show's make-up artist. "He could sell himself terrifically but there was no love lost between Tommy and the crew. Some of the guys loathed him ... Everybody made snide remarks behind Tommy's back ... people might say he was the biggest jerk in the world. But that was not my experience. For me, I saw a very easy down-to-earth manner. But Tommy does generate anti as well as pro feelings from people ... he didn't trust people around him, he became a monster to some."
People who performed on The Tommy Hunter Show early in their careers include:
After his show was cancelled by the CBC, Hunter continued to tour with his band, The Travelling Men.[1] He has announced his intention to retire after a final tour in 2011.[2]
Tommy Hunter was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1986, Hunter was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He has received three Canadian Juno Awards and one Gemini Award. In 1990, he was given a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame's "Walkway of Stars". A street ("Tommy Hunter Way") was also renamed in his honour in his hometown of London, Ontario, in the late 1990s. He became a member of the Order of Ontario in 1996. In 2005 he was honored with a GMA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is handed out annually by the Gospel Music Association of Canada.
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1964 | Tommy Hunter |
| 1968 | Travelling with Tommy Hunter |
| 1971 | Time Slips Away |
| 1973 | Greatest Hits |
| 1982 | Tommy |
| 1983 | Tommy Hunter |
| 1983 | Gospel Readings and Recitations |
| 1989 | The Anniversary Sessions |
| 1993 | Sings for You |
| 1994 | Timeless Country Treasures |
| 1995 | Timeless Country Treasures Vol. 2 |
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN AC | US Country | |||
| 1967 | "Mary in the Morning" | — | — | 66 | singles only |
| 1968 | "Can't Find a Space" | 13 | — | — | |
| 1969 | "Walk With Your Neighbour" | 4 | — | — | |
| 1970 | "Wait for Sunday" | 3 | — | — | |
| 1971 | "Bill Jones General Store" | 4 | 15 | — | |
| 1974 | "The Departure" | 33 | — | — | |
| "Born to Be a Gypsy" | 6 | — | — | ||
| 1975 | "Love of a Good Woman" | 32 | — | — | |
| 1978 | "The Great Mail Robbery" | 33 | 28 | — | |
| 1982 | "Dance With Me Molly" | 38 | — | — | Tommy |
| "Fool Enough to Fall in Love Again" | 34 | — | — | ||
| 1989 | "The Man of '87" | 49 | — | — | The Anniversary Sessions |
| 1990 | "Couldn't See the Gold" (with Janie Fricke) | 19 | — | — | |
| "Name the Place and Time" | 64 | — | — | ||