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	(1951-10-26)26 October 1951 Toronto, Ontario
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died	15 February 2008(2008-02-15) (aged 56) Peterborough, Ontario
Genres	Folk, country, alternative country, bluegrass
Occupation(s)	singer/songwriter, mandolinist, harmonica player
Years active	1971–2007
Labels	Woodshed, Duke Street, BNatural, independent.
Associated acts	Fred Eaglesmith, Dixie Flyers
Website	http://www.williepbennett.com

William Patrick "Willie P." Bennett (26 October 1951 – 15 February 2008) was a Canadian folk-music singer and song writer, harmonica player, and mandolinist.

Life and career

Born in Toronto, 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 Line") 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 and Traditional Album – Solo.^[1] On 10 September 2010 in Edmonton, Alberta, Bennett was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame during the Canadian Country Music Awards. The award was accepted by his mother, sister and nephew.

While Bennett was highly regarded as a songwriter^[2] 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's band, 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,^[1] playing chiefly mandolin and harmonica and singing backup vocals, also serving as road manager, until shortly before his death. During a 2007 Victoria Day weekend concert in Midland, 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

Awards and tributes

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, and named the 1990 Song of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association.^[5]

His 1998 album Heartstrings won the 1999 Juno Award for "best solo roots and traditional album".^[6]

In 2010, Bennett was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association's Canadian Country Music Hall of Honour.^[7]

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". Americana songwriter Kenny Butterill wrote a song for Willie, "Wille We Miss Ya", released on his 2014 release Troubadour Tales.^[8][9]

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.^[10]

Discography

Singles

Albums

Other contributions

Cover versions

See also

• Canadian rock
• Music of Canada

References

External links

• Mowat, Bruce F. "Bennett, Willie P.". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 4 November 2007.