Willie P. Bennett

Willie P. Bennett

Willie P. Bennett at the Roots of Heaven festival at Patronaat in Haarlem, Netherlands (2006)
Background information
Birth name William Patrick Bennett
Born 26 October 1951(1951-10-26)
Toronto, Ontario
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died 15 February 2008(2008-02-15) (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.

Contents

Life and career

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].

Awards and Tributes

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".

Discography

Solo Albums

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

Compilations

Year Album
1991 Collectibles Vol 1

Singles

Year Single CAN Country Album
1969 "White Lines" White Lines
1989 "The Lucky Ones" 19 The Lucky Ones

with The Dixie Flyers

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

with Fred Eaglesmith

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

with Others (partial)

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

Cover Versions

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings

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

Others (partial)

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

Co-Writes

See also

References

External links