Willie P. Bennett

William Patrick "Willie P." Bennett (26 October 1951 – 15 February 2008) was a Canadian folk-music singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and mandolinist. Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, and wrote and recorded many original songs. As well as performing as a solo artist, he was part of several well-known Ontario bands. Born in Toronto, Bennett was first recorded by folksinger David Wiffen, who released a cover of "White Lines" in 1973. Bennett released his first album, including his own recording of the song, the following year. As solo performer, he recorded seven albums. Early in his career, he also formed and fronted a newgrass group, the Bone China Band, touring through Ontario. Throughout his career, Bennett 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, while continuing to perform as a solo artist. In the early 1990s, Bennett was a member of Toronto-based Pat Temple's band, the High Lonesome Players, playing live and appearing on their albums. In 1991 he joined Fred Eaglesmith's band, the Flying Squirrels, with whom he toured and recorded, playing chiefly mandolin and harmonica and singing backup vocals, also serving as road manager, until shortly before his death. Bennett also played harmonica live and on recordings with Joe Hall, Doug McArthur, Sneezy Waters and many other country and folk artists. Bennett 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 in 1990. Bennett returned to prominence in 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 and Traditional Album – Solo. During a 2007 Victoria Day weekend concert in Midland, Ontario, Bennett suffered an on-stage heart attack; he continued playing to the end of the concert, but after that was forced to stop touring. He died of another heart attack on 15 February 2008, at his home in Peterborough, Ontario. At the time of his death, he was recording an album and was planning on rejoining Fred Eaglesmith on tour. His sister inherited his music rights. David Essig, producer of Bennett's first three 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". Canadian songwriter Ian Tamblyn's 2009 album Gyre included a song he wrote for Willie called "Hurricane Heart". Americana songwriter Kenny Butterill wrote a song for Willie, "Wille We Miss Ya", released on his 2014 release Troubadour Tales. In 2010, Bennett was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association's Canadian Country Music Hall of Honour during the Canadian Country Music Awards. The award was accepted by his mother, sister and nephew. The annual Fred Eaglesmith Charity Picnic in Aylmer, Ontario has hosted an annual Willie P. Bennett Memorial Hangover Run every year since 2010. In 2014, the "Willie P. Bennett Legacy Project" was launched online, providing a space to share stories and new versions of Bennett's songs and to start a memorial award in his honour. 1990 Canadian Country Music Association – Song of the Year, for "Goodbye, So Long, Hello" (co-written with Russell deCarle) 1998 SOCAN – Song of the Year: Most Played Country Songs of 1997, for "One Way Track" (co-written with Russell deCarle) 1999 Juno Award – Best Solo Roots And Traditional Album, for Heartstrings 2010 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame – Inducted as Artist Willie was a full time member of this bluegrass band, playing on harmonica what would generally be considered the fiddle part. Primarily on harmonica, but also mandolin and harmony vocals. Willie played with Fred for 23 years, live & in the studio, playing acoustic & electric mandolin, harmonica, and singing backup & harmony. He was a full time member of Fred's backing band through various iterations and also worked as road manager. Music portal Canada portal Canadian rock Music of Canada Heeley, James. "Death of an icon". Peterborough Examiner, 19 February 2008. Finkelstein, Bernie (2012). True North: A Life Inside the Music Business. McClelland & Stewart. pp. 269–. ISBN 978-0-7710-4793-0. Schneider, Jason (15 December 2010). Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music... from Hank Snow to the Band. ECW Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-1-55490-552-2. "Great Coffee Houses Without FED Support". The Chevron, 13 January 1978 Rellinger, Paul. "Music community singing sad note with death of local folk music icon". Peterborough This Week, 20 February 2008. "Willie P. Bennett: Squirrel of the Radio". No Depression. Vol. 13–16. No Depression. 1998. p. 32. "Canadian folk singer Willie P. Bennett dead". Canwest News Service. 21 February 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2010. Quill, Greg (18 February 2008). "Willie P. Bennett, 57: A '70s folk pioneer". Toronto Star. Retrieved 23 April 2013. "Willie P. Bennett" Archived 22 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Canadian Country Music Association. List of Hall of Honour inductees. "February 15th 2020 marked 12 years since we lost our beloved Willie P., and this year's running of the Willie P. Bennett Memorial Hangover Run will be the tenth time that we have run through the Carolinian forest around Catfish Creek in his memory... Willie loved this Picnic and these trails and somewhere around 4.5 kilos there's a plaque telling you about the flying squirrel. Stop and say hello to the spirit of Willie P., it's strong in these woods and in the music and friends that fill this park on Picnic weekends." https://fredeaglesmith.com/charity-picnic/ "Willie P. Bennett". CCMA Hall of Fame. Canadian Country Music Association. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013. https://kawarthanow.com/2015/03/02/russell-decarle-trio/ This references "Song of the Year" in the year 2008, but Billboard 5 December 1998 (retrieved via google search) lists it as "Most Played Country Songs" for 1997, awarded in 1998 Bruce Farley Mowat. "Willie P. Bennett". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Retrieved 25 August 2019. https://www.ccma.org/cgi/page.cgi/hall_of_fame_inductees.html?log=view&log_id=78, Archived 18 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine Mowat, Bruce Farley. "Willie P. Bennett". Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Retrieved 25 August 2019. Willie P. Bennett legacy project Archived 16 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Willie P. Bennett discography at Discogs Willie P. Bennett at IMDb