Canadian History for Kids: Anne Murray

This snowbird certainly was flying high in December of 1979!

Canadian singer Anne Murray, hits the top of the Billboard country charts with her #1 smash hit Broken Hearted Me. This Canadian History for Kids, Sketches of Canada, looks at life of Canadian award-winning singer in pop, country, and adult contemporary music, Anne Murray.

Competition breeds excellence. And when you have 5 brothers, there certainly is a lot of competition. Morna Anne Murray was born June 20, 1945, in the coal-mining town of Springhill, Nova Scotia. Her father, James Carson Murray, was the town doctor. Her mother, Marion Margaret was a registered nurse.

Anne loved music and the new sound of rock and roll had her singing constantly. She sang along with all her favourites – Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin and Connie Francis. However, Anne was also inspired by a wide variety of musical styles, including the classics, country, gospel, folk, and crooners such as Patti Page, Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. She loved them all.

Anne studied piano for six years. At age 15, she began taking classical voice lessons. Every Saturday morning, Anne took a two-hour bus ride from Springhill to Tatamagouche and back, for her singing lesson with Karen Mills.

She studied Physical Education at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Her university friends talked her into auditioning for “Singalong Jubilee”, a popular CBC television show. Although Anne was not offered a job, she did make an impression!

Two years later, she got a call from “Singalong Jubilee” co-host and associate producer, Bill Langstroth. She reluctantly agreed to return for a second audition in 1966, and this time, she got the job! Langstroth would later become her husband.

Suddenly, Anne was in demand for television and stage appearances all over North America. She had hit the big time. The success of her first recording, “Snowbird” was followed by hits on both the pop and country charts. She became a regular on “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour”, and her popularity increased even further.

Through the years, Anne has rubbed shoulders with Prime Ministers and Presidents, a Beatle and some Barenaked Ladies, the royalty of Great Britain and the royalty of country music, hockey stars and golfers, comedians and divas.

Anne is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest honour that can be awarded to a Canadian civilian. She was the first inductee into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame. She has her own Star at Hollywood and Vine. In 1998, she was in the inaugural group awarded a Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame on King Street in Toronto, and she has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars.

And that’s this weeks Canadian History for Kids, Sketches of our Canada.
 

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