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JOYCE SMITH - Joyce was born and raised in Alberta, and began singing at an early age. She began performing on radio, and was a regular on television, joining the Noon show, Chuckwagon show and guesting on several others. Joyce joined a local band and they began opening for many of the stars that came through town. Her cross country tours included shows with Ray Price, Faron Young, George Jones, Wilf Carter and Hank Snow, and while living in Ft. Worth, Texas , she got to work with the great Bob Wills among other great country artists.
While entertaining at a rodeo, she met George Myren, a professional rodeo cowboy and her life became a steady series of concert stages, rodeos, and recordings. At age nineteen, she did a four city tour with Webb Pierce, by the end of the tour, on the last performance Webb announced that he had made arrangements for her to record with the legendary Owen Bradley. Before she knew it, Joyce was in the Columbia Studios in Nashville.
Joyce is one of the first few Canadian country music artists to have a record sell well in excess of 100,000 copies in the U.S. She accomplished this feat with “Leavin’ on your Mind”, her biggest hit, a song which later became a blockbuster hit for none other than the great Pasty Cline. This song earned Joyce a nomination as one of the country music association's most promising female vocalists in the United States. In her career, Joyce has released 6 albums as well as numerous singles, cassettes and CD’s.
Joyce has played her music all over Canada and the USA and has done current tours in Germany, Denmark and Austria. She made her second International concert tour with Hank Smith and Wild Rose Country. There are plans in the works for another concert tour of Europe. Joyce has received many awards from organizations, clubs and foundations for her contributions to Canadian Country Music and was inducted into the Alberta Country Music Hall of Fame in 1991. Her latest award was presented by the "Alberta Women of Country Music" on June 8, 2004 for "Lifetime Achievement."
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Click on Joyce's picture to hear a clip from
"Leavin' On Your Mind"
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BEV MUNRO - Born in Boissivain, Manitoba, Bev's first job was just 40 miles north at station CKX in Brandon, playing country music for fans in that listening area. His popularity soon gained him a top DJ job in Dauphin, Manitoba and from there, to Regina. His last move was to CFCW in Camrose, Alberta, where he spent 30 years behind the microphone. As the morning host, he started the still-popular Mystery Artist Request Line and his famous Knee-Slapper jokes.
In 1959, Bev was named "Mr. DJ USA" along with Ralph Emery, at WSM in Nashville, Tennessee, an honour no other Canadian DJ could claim. On weekends, Bev was out playing shows and dances with his band. His popularity as a singer got him a recording contract and his first hit song was "Hello Operator." Other songs he wrote become number one hits for such artists as R. Harlan Smith, Chris Nielsen and Hank Smith. From his Capitol LP came his signature song, "Babysitting With The Blues" which got him an opportunity to tour with such artists as Faron Young, The Kitty Wells Show, Jimmy C. Newman and others.
Although Bev has retired from radio, "The Voice of CFCW" still continues to MC top-notch shows, sing his songs, do spot jobs for CFCW and keep people in stitches with his humor. He spends a great deal of time on the road with the "Alberta Country Music Legends" and enjoys his leisure time with his wife Donna. In September 2002, Bev was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in the DJ category, at the CCMA Awards. Bev is one of those people who is tall in stature and strong of heart...a real down-home country boy.
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Click on Bev's picture to hear a clip from
"Babysittin' With The Blues"
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RANDY HOLLAR - Randy has lived the cowboy life he sings about. Roundups, brandings, cattle drives, bucking broncos and rodeos have been his livelihood. At the age of 14, Randy left his home in Viking, Alberta to break broncs then ride bulls with the Canadian Rodeo Cowboy Association. During the long winter breaks in rodeo, Randy took up boxing which he did for 9 years. Randy's focus turned to the draft horse industry and he is now a seasoned horseman, blacksmith and farrier. He specializes in shoeing, training and showing draft horses and has won awards for his black Percheron teams and hitches.
Presently, Randy focuses on his music and entertaining. A country and gospel singer, he has always been a great fan of Wilf Carter's and been singing and yodelling Wilf's songs since before he went to school. Throughout the years, Randy has entertained in many places and you may even have caught him entertaining at the campfire on a wagon train. Randy has recorded many CD's and cassettes and you can find him entertaining on his own at country points or on the road with the "Alberta Country Music Legends."
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ALFIE MYHRE - Alfie is a multi-instrumentalist and a champion fiddler who also excels on the tenor banjo. A child fiddle prodigy at the age of 11, he became the youngest fiddle player ever to appear in the Canadian National Old-Time Fiddle Contest. He came second to the great Ward Allen, in the 30 years and under category. He was the youngest competitor.
Over the last 50 years Alfie has toured in Japan, Hong Kong, and London, Berlin and in the U.S.A. He has appeared with such Canadian greats as Wilf Carter, Stu Davis, Stompin’ Tom Connor, Gaby Haas and “Old” Dad Taylor. Alfie is a two time winner of the Grand North American Fiddle Championship and in 1987 he received an Achievement Award of Excellence from the Province of Alberta. He is also a recipient of the Bev Munro Award.
Since 1967 Alfie has been the co-owner then owner of Myhre’s Music in Edmonton. Alfie and his wife Lydia have now sold the business to their son Byron, so that they may enjoy traveling, and spend more time with their 8 grandchildren.
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Click on Alfie's picture to hear a clip from "Four String Polka"
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"RODEO WIND" Band
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From left to right: George, Richard, Darryl and Hal
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