Land O'Lakes Traditional Music Hall of Fame

Jeff Green | Jun 08, 2016

Bob Taylor and Murry Northey of Northbrook got talking this past winter about the number of great musicians in the Land O'Lakes who are retiring from performing or have died in recent years.

They thought it was time to mark the local heritage through the creation of a virtual hall of fame. After a number of meetings they have formed a committee and are in the midst of establishing a not-for profit corporation.

They are not waiting for formalities, however, and have already announced the first four inductees, who will be honored at the Flinton Community Jamboree in late July.

The four inductees are: Reg Weber, the late Floyd Lloyd, George York of Marlbank and Cathy Whalen of Tweed. As well, lifetime achievement awards will be presented to Harold Perry and Charlie Pringle.

There will be more about the inductees in the coming weeks, but they are only the first names in a long list that the steering committee is planning to populate the hall with in future years.

The hall has already established a relationship with the Tweed Elvis Festival, which is providing administrative support, as well as the Flinton Jamboree.

“Our region is rich with the heritage of music, which was the exclusive form of family entertainment in bygone years, before the advent of television. Community dances, jam sessions and kitchen parties were the norm during the 50s and 60s. With the increasing age of and the loss of our seniors and musicians through death, this cultural history of our region will be forever lost. That's where the hall comes in,” said Bob Taylor.

For information about making a donation to help establish the Land O'Lakes Traditional Music Hall of Fame, call Bob Taylor at 613-336-9630 or Murry Northey at 613-336-0975.