Tommy Hunter

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Tommy Hunter


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Thomas James
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Born = birth date and age|1937|03|10
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Origin = flagicon|Canada London, Ontario
Instruments = Guitar
Genre = Country
Occupation = Singer
Years_active = 1956 – Present
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URL = [http://www.tommyhunter.com/ www.tommyhunter.com]
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Tommy Hunter C.M., O.Ont (born Thomas James Hunter March 10, 1937 in London, Ontario) is a Canadian country music performer, known as "Canada's Country Gentleman".

Career

In 1956, he began performing as a rhythm guitarist on the CBC television show, "Country Hoedown". "The Tommy Hunter Show" began as a CBC radio program in 1960 and went on to replace "Country Hoedown" on CBC television in 1965; Hunter's show was picked up by TNN in 1983 and ran on CBC until 1992.

People who performed on "The Tommy Hunter Show" early in their careers include:
*Garth Brooks
*Shania Twain, then known as Eileen Twain
*The Judds

After his show was cancelled by the CBC, Hunter continued to tour with his band, "The Travelling Men".

Awards and recognition

Tommy Hunter was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1986, Hunter was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He has received three Canadian Juno Awards and one Gemini Award. In 1990, he was given a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame's "Walkway of Stars". A street ("Tommy Hunter Way") was also renamed in his honour in his hometown of London, Ontario, in the late 1990s. He became a member of the Order of Ontario in 1996. In 2005 he was honored with a GMA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is handed out annually by the [http://www.gmacanada.ca Gospel Music Association of Canada] . (GMA Canada)

External links

* [http://www.tommyhunter.com Tommy Hunter official website] (accessed 24 June 2006)
* [http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=812 Order of Canada citation: Tommy Hunter] (accessed 24 June 2006)
* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0001672 The Canadian Encyclopedia: Tommy Hunter]