Willie P. Bennett, dead at 57
p2pnet news | Music:- Canadian folk music singer-songwriter Willie P. Bennett is dead of a heart attack.
He was 57 when he passed away on February 15 at his home in Peterborough, Ontario.
Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, alongside figures such as Bruce Cockburn, Stan Rogers and David Wiffen, says the Wikipedia, going on:
"His early albums were produced by David Essig; the recording engineer for his 1977 album Hobo’s Taunt was Daniel Lanois.
"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, to record a tribute album of Bennett’s songs. Bennett’s first subsequent album of new material, Heartstrings, won a 1999 Juno Award for Best Folk Music Recording.
"Bennett also performed frequently with singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith, playing mandolin and harmonica."
Many of his songs have been recorded and are still performed by artists including Prairie Oyster and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson), whose formation was inspired by Bennett’s work and their name taken from one of his songs, says the Toronto Star.
Also See:
Toronto Star – Willie P. Bennett, 57: A ’70s folk pioneer, February 18, 2008
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