New book explores lives of Nova Scotia musicians
A Nova Scotia author is chronicling the lives and careers of six local musicians in a new book.
Charlie Rhindress’s book “Nova Scotia’s Stars of Song” examines the works of Anne Murray, Portia White, Carroll Baker, Rita MacNeil, Holly Cole and Sarah McLachlan.
“I do have stories basically from how they started in Nova Scotia, how Nova Scotia impacted their careers and then what they went on to do,” Rhindress told CTV News Atlantic’s Katie Kelly. “I grew up in the late 70s and early 80s, and it just seemed like two of the biggest female stars in Canada were both from Nova Scotia.
“This was before Shania Twain or Alanis Morissette or Celine Dion. Carol and Anne ruled the airwaves.”
As part of his research, Rhindress explored old interviews, looked up newspaper articles, listened to a lot of music and in some cases interviewed the artists themselves.
“I knew Rita MacNeil because she worked on the play about her life with me back in 2000,” he said. “I feel so lucky. I got to sit in the Tea Room with Rita MacNeil reviewing my play, which was telling her life story.”
Through his research, Rhindress found a common theme among the artists.
“A number of things came up repeatedly and one of them was they all felt like an outsider and the music is something that made them feel like they belonged,” he said. “Sarah McLachlan had a fairly rough childhood and her teen years were hard and she’s sneak away to the gym and play piano at lunchtime. Rita McNeil got picked on because of her cleft palate and so she’d sneak into the woods and sing to the trees.
“Even Anne Murray said it helped her self-esteem.”
Rhindress hopes the book inspires readers to revisit these musicians or even listen to them for the first time.
“I’m hoping that people will read these stories, learn something new, be inspired by them and maybe go back to the music,” he said.
For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Parole board reverses decision and will allow families of Paul Bernardo's victims to attend upcoming parole hearing in person
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.