| Willie P. Bennett | |
|---|---|
Willie P. Bennett at the Roots of Heaven festival at Patronaat in Haarlem, Netherlands (2006) |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Patrick Bennett |
| Born | 26 October 1951 Toronto, Ontario |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | 15 February 2008 (aged 56) Peterborough, Ontario |
| Genres | Alternative country |
| Occupations | singer/songwriter |
| Years active | 1971–2007 |
| Associated acts | Fred Eaglesmith |
| Website | http://www.williepbennett.com |
Willie P. Bennett (26 October 1951 - 15 February 2008) was a Canadian folk-music singer and song writer.
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Born William Patrick Bennett in Toronto, Ontario, Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, alongside such figures as Bruce Cockburn, Stan Rogers and David Wiffen. He released his first single ("White Lines") in 1969, and his final solo album (the Juno Award-winning Heartstrings) in 1998.
While commonly regarded as a major talent, Bennett did not become as famous as his contemporaries until 1996 when Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden and Tom Wilson formed Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, a supergroup named for Bennett's 1978 album, and recorded a tribute album featuring Bennett's songs. Bennett's first subsequent album of new material, Heartstrings, won a 1999 Juno Award for Best Roots & Traditional Album - Solo. On September 10, 2010 in Edmonton Alberta, Willie was officially inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame during the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMAs). The award was accepted by his mother, sister and nephew.
While Bennett was highly regarded as a songwriter and solo performer, early in his career he formed and fronted the newgrass group Bone China Band, touring through Ontario. Throughout his career, he kept busy as a sideman in bands fronted by other artists. From 1974 to 1979 he toured and recorded with The Dixie Flyers, playing harmonica. Bennett also played harmonica live and on recordings with Joe Hall, Doug McArthur, Sneezy Waters and several other pop and country artists. In the early 1990s, Bennett was a member of Toronto-based Pat Temple and the High Lonesome Players, playing live and appearing on their 1991 album Connecting Lines. In 1991 he joined Fred Eaglesmith's band ("The Flying Squirrels"), with whom he toured and recorded until shortly before his death. During a 2007 Victoria Day weekend concert in Aylmer, Ontario, he suffered an on-stage heart attack - which he played through but which forced him to stop touring.
He died of a heart attack on 15 February 2008, at his home in Peterborough, Ontario. [1]. At the time of his death, he had resumed performing live solo, and was planning on re-joining Fred Eaglesmith on tour [2].
Bennett's co-wrote the song "Goodbye, So Long, Hello" with Russell deCarle. The song was recorded by deCarle's band Prairie Oyster, released as a single, and named the 1990 Song of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association [3].
In 2010, Bennett was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association's Canadian Country Music Hall of Honour [4].
David Essig, producer of Bennett's first two albums, paid tribute to him in the song "Willie P", released on the 2009 album Double Vision (with Rick Scott). Canadian country singer Corb Lund wrote a song for Bennett on his 2009 album Losin' Lately Gambler, entitled "It's Hard To Keep A White Shirt Clean".
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Tryin' to Start Out Clean |
| 1977 | Hobo's Taunt |
| 1979 | Blackie and the Rodeo King |
| 1985 | The Lucky Ones |
| 1993 | Take My Own Advice |
| 1998 | Heartstrings |
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Collectibles Vol 1 |
| Year | Single | CAN Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | "White Lines" | — | White Lines |
| 1989 | "The Lucky Ones" | 19 | The Lucky Ones |
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Light Medium Heavy | Boot Records |
| 1976 | Cheaper To Lease | Boot Records |
| 1977 | Just Pickin | Boot Records |
| 1978 | For Our Friends | Boot Records |
| 1979 | Five By Five | Boot Records |
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Indiana Road |
| 1991 | There Ain't No Easy Road |
| 1993 | Things Is Changin' |
| 1994 | From The Paradise Motel (live) |
| 1995 | Drive-In Movie |
| 1997 | Lipstick, Lies and Gasoline |
| 1999 | 50 Odd Dollars |
| 2001 | Ralph's Last Show (Live) |
| 2002 | Falling Stars and Broken Hearts |
| 2003 | Bailin |
| 2003 | The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 2 (Live) |
| 2006 | Milly's Cafe |
| 2008 | Tinderbox |
| Year | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Sisteron | Doug McArthur |
| 1977 | Larger Than Life | Denis Lepage |
| 197? | It's High Time | Coyote |
| 1981 | Sings Hank Williams | Sneezy Waters |
| 1991 | Connecting Lines | Pat Temple & His High Lonesome Players |
| 1993 | Drinking With The Poet | Scott B. Sympathy |
| 1996 | High or Hurtin | Blackie & The Rodeo Kings |
| 2001 | Walk On | Terry Tufts |
| 2003 | Dirty Rotten Shame | Stephen Hogg |
| 2007 | Lovers Find Reasons | Lindsay Jane |
| 200? | Creepy Coated Love Song | Paul O'Toole |
| Song | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew's Waltz | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Blackie & The Rodeo King | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Come On Train | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Country Squall | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Driftin' Snow | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Faces | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| For The Sake Of A Dollar | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Has Anyone Seen My Baby Here Tonight | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| If You Have To Choose | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Job Disorder | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Lace and Pretty Flowers | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Music In Your Eyes | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Patience Of A Working Man | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Rains On Me | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Red Dress | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Stealin' Away | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Step Away | Kings & Queens | 2011 |
| The Lucky Ones | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Turnkey | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| White Line | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| White Line | Swinging From The Chains of Love | 2008 |
| Willie's Diamond Joe | Bark | 2003 |
| Song | Artist | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodbye, So Long, Hello | Prairie Oysters | Different Kind of Fire | 1990 |
| Job Disorder | Scott B. Sympathy | Neil Young Street | 1990 |
| Lace and Pretty Flowers | Steve Goldberger | The Goldberger Variations | 1999 |
| Music In Your Eyes | Colleen Peterson | Beginning to Feel Like Home | 1973 |
| Music In Your Eyes | Garnet Rogers | Garnet Rogers | 1984 |
| Music In Your Eyes | Stan Rogers | From Coffee House to Concert Hall | 1999 |
| Stealin' Away | Colleen Peterson | Coleen | 1977 |
| Tryin' To Start Out Clean | Colleen Peterson | Coleen | 1977 |
| White Line | Billie Hughes | Horton, Bates & Best - The Last Catch | 1981 |
| White Line | David Wiffen | Coast to Coast Fever | 1973 |
| White Line | John Starling | Long Time Gone | 1993 |
| White Line | Jonathan Edwards | Rockin' Chair | 1975 |
| White Line | Peter Pringle | Peter Pringle | 1976 |
| White Line | Pure Prairie League | Can't Hold Back | 1979 |
| White Line | The Seldom Scene | Live At The Cellar Door | 1974 |
| Willie's Diamond Joe | Matt Andersen | Coal Mining Blues | 2011 |