Hitchner, Keith

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Origin: Longview - High River, Alberta
Biography:

Keith Hitchner first entered the Canadian music scene heading-up the Rockabilly group The Be-Bops in the late 1950's, subsequently pursuing a career in country music. Keith Hitchner, mixed his love of music with a second love and livelihood, horses; a fact borne out in his 1975 debut album. "I'd Rather Ride An Appaloosa" (Highwood HPS-75100). The album featured the title track song written by Hitchner as well as his composition "The Appy That My Pappy Gave To Me", another reference to his Appaloosa horse. The song was released as the B-side of Hitchner's 1977 single "Lone Stars And Coors", penned by fellow-Albertan Ian Tyson. The album also featured an early cover version of the Dick Damron classic, "Countryfied".

Keith Hitchner released a pure country album with his "Stop, Look And Listen" LP on Marathon Records (ALS-385). Several single releases were pulled from the album and released on Hitchner's own Highwood Records label, including a cover of the Hank Williams nugget "I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Living" b/w the Ray Griff-penned "(You've Got A Fickle Heart" (Highwood CT-32271), followed by the Highwood 45rpm (CT-32948) single "So Near And Yet So Far Away", another song written by Ray Griff. Griff's "What Can I Say" song (recorded also by Arlene Harden, Bonnie Guitar and by Griff himself) was also included on the album.

A third album, "Mama Was A Christian Lady" was released in 1976 on the Marathon label (MMS-76065). The album was filled with songs written by Canadian artists, including three by Dick Damron, and tunes by Barry Brown (of Family Brown) and Ray Griff, as well as three original songs written by Keith Hitchnner and two more by his younger brother James Lee Hitchner, himself a noted country recording artist. While the album was critically acclaimed, it failed to produce any nationally charted singles.

Keith Hitchner currently resides in High River, Alberta.