Stompin' Tom

In 1991, my husband and his parents took me to a Stompin' Tom concert at Hamilton Place.  I'll never forget Rob's patriotic friend John hooting and howling from the front row as he waved a cowboy hat back and forth.  While I didn't have the same reaction as John, I did appreciate Stompin' Tom's ability to tell a story.  Years later I read his autobiographies Before the Fame and Stompin' Tom and the Connors' Tone.  Once again, I was impressed with his ability to tell a story, to bring it to life.

My favourite story was how Stompin' Tom was performing at the Maple Leaf Hotel where he first made a name for himself.  It was there that he started stomping his boot to the beat and took chunks out of the stage.  One night, a regular patron complained about his stomping.  He apologized and then proceeded to go on stage and stomp so strongly that a chunk of the stage landed right in the indignant lady's drink.  He certainly wasn't a people-pleaser but he tried to be a crowd-pleaser.  He was also a Canadian patriot.  Here are ten songs he wrote about our history.

1.  Sable Island

2.  How the Mountain Came Tumblin' Down

3.  The Don Messer Story

4.  Cowboy, Johnny Ware

5.  Tribute to Wilf Carter

6.  Horse Called Farmer

7.  The Wreck of the Tammy Ann

8.  Jenny Donnelly

9.  Paddlewheeler

10.  Bluenose

Image courtesy canadianculturething.com. 

Rest in peace, Stompin' Tom (1936-2013).

Note:  For more information about Stompin' Tom, visit my blog post "One Nickel Short in the Nickel Belt" dated October 24, 2011.