This article needs additional citations for
verification. (October 2019) |
Dixie Flyers | |
---|---|
Origin | London, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | bluegrass |
Years active | 1974 | –present
Labels | Boot, Flat top |
Website |
dixieflyers |
The Dixie Flyers were a Canadian bluegrass band based in London, Ontario, Canada. The band first came together in 1974, [1] and became one of Canada's best known bluegrass bands. [2]
Original members of the band were guitarist Bert Baumbach, mandolinist Ken Palmer, harmonica player Willie P. Bennett, bassist Brian Abbey and Dennis LePage on the banjo. [3] Although lead vocalists Baumbach and Palmer have been continuous members, over the years the band has seen a number of changes in the lineup. [4] Dixie Flyer band members have included: [2] [5]
The Dixie Flyers played at the Carlisle Bluegrass Festival in 1975, [3] where they met Bill Monroe, and were subsequently invited to play at Monroe's Bean Blossom Festival in Indiana, USA. [7] [8] The band also played at the Cambridge Millrace Festival [9] and the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival in Stony Plain, Alberta. [10] They also played several times at the Canterbury Folk Festival in Ingersoll, Ontario. [11] The band performed regularly at the Flint Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Michigan. [6]
The Flyers recorded a series of albums on the Boot Records label during the 1970s. [2] They were the hosts of a television show called Bluegrass Express on CFPL in London in 1985 and also took part in a weekly radio show for seven years. [12] [3] The band appeared on the Tommy Hunter Show, and for a time managed the Back 40 Bluegrass Festival at Woodstock, Ont. [2]
After a last stand with The Flyers at the Elgin County international plowing match in the fall of 2010, Ken Palmer retired due to heart problems. [13] The band played on briefly without him before going on indefinite hiatus. On October 30, 2013, Ken Palmer died at the age of 65 after a bout of pneumonia contracted after a heart transplant. [14] A few months earlier, in the spring of 2013, the band had been inducted into the London (Ontario) Music Hall of Fame, with both Palmer and Baumbach in attendance. [8] [15]
Albums:
Name of Album | Label | Year |
---|---|---|
Light, Medium, Heavy | Boot Records | 1977 |
For Our Friends | Boot Records | 1980 |
Just Pickin' | Boot Records | 1978 |
Cheaper to Lease | Boot Records | 1978 |
Five by Five | Boot Records | 1981 |
New Horizons | Stony Plain | 1984 |
Business as Usual | Boot Records | 1987 |
Live at the Wellington Tavern | Flat Top | 1990 |
Right on Track | Flat Top | 2005 |
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)
This article needs additional citations for
verification. (October 2019) |
Dixie Flyers | |
---|---|
Origin | London, Ontario, Canada |
Genres | bluegrass |
Years active | 1974 | –present
Labels | Boot, Flat top |
Website |
dixieflyers |
The Dixie Flyers were a Canadian bluegrass band based in London, Ontario, Canada. The band first came together in 1974, [1] and became one of Canada's best known bluegrass bands. [2]
Original members of the band were guitarist Bert Baumbach, mandolinist Ken Palmer, harmonica player Willie P. Bennett, bassist Brian Abbey and Dennis LePage on the banjo. [3] Although lead vocalists Baumbach and Palmer have been continuous members, over the years the band has seen a number of changes in the lineup. [4] Dixie Flyer band members have included: [2] [5]
The Dixie Flyers played at the Carlisle Bluegrass Festival in 1975, [3] where they met Bill Monroe, and were subsequently invited to play at Monroe's Bean Blossom Festival in Indiana, USA. [7] [8] The band also played at the Cambridge Millrace Festival [9] and the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival in Stony Plain, Alberta. [10] They also played several times at the Canterbury Folk Festival in Ingersoll, Ontario. [11] The band performed regularly at the Flint Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Michigan. [6]
The Flyers recorded a series of albums on the Boot Records label during the 1970s. [2] They were the hosts of a television show called Bluegrass Express on CFPL in London in 1985 and also took part in a weekly radio show for seven years. [12] [3] The band appeared on the Tommy Hunter Show, and for a time managed the Back 40 Bluegrass Festival at Woodstock, Ont. [2]
After a last stand with The Flyers at the Elgin County international plowing match in the fall of 2010, Ken Palmer retired due to heart problems. [13] The band played on briefly without him before going on indefinite hiatus. On October 30, 2013, Ken Palmer died at the age of 65 after a bout of pneumonia contracted after a heart transplant. [14] A few months earlier, in the spring of 2013, the band had been inducted into the London (Ontario) Music Hall of Fame, with both Palmer and Baumbach in attendance. [8] [15]
Albums:
Name of Album | Label | Year |
---|---|---|
Light, Medium, Heavy | Boot Records | 1977 |
For Our Friends | Boot Records | 1980 |
Just Pickin' | Boot Records | 1978 |
Cheaper to Lease | Boot Records | 1978 |
Five by Five | Boot Records | 1981 |
New Horizons | Stony Plain | 1984 |
Business as Usual | Boot Records | 1987 |
Live at the Wellington Tavern | Flat Top | 1990 |
Right on Track | Flat Top | 2005 |
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link)
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)