Information/Write-up
Iris Larratt (née Iris Alendal) was born in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, and grew up in Chilliwack, British Columbia. She began performing professionally in Prince George, B.C., and later moved to Calgary, Alberta, where she sang with the band Bitterwind.
In 1970, while still in her teens, she teamed up with musician Bruce Strachan and the Vancouver psychedelic group Hoopdeedoo to record the single A Little Girl’s Lover b/w Sharks. It was released on 6th Avenue Records, a label launched in 1965 by Al Reusch as part of Aragon Enterprises Ltd. after Aragon Recording Studios moved to its West 6th Avenue location in Vancouver. The A-side featured Alendal’s lead vocal on a slow, introspective folk-psych ballad, while the B-side paired her with Strachan on a fast-paced, organ-driven flower power rocker.
By the late 1970s, now performing under her married name Iris Larratt, she turned toward country music. Her debut album appeared on RCA in 1980, followed by a second on Acclaim Records in 1983, produced by Stan Campbell, whose credits later included early sessions with a young Eileen (Shania) Twain. Over this period she released eight singles across Infinity, RCA, and Acclaim. Her debut single, You Can’t Make Love to a Memory, briefly entered the U.S. Billboard country chart at #100—a rare achievement for a Canadian country singer at the time—and rose to #6 on Canadian radio in 1979. She also found success with Don’t Give Up On Him Now, a 1983 duet with Nashville songwriter Alan Rhody.
Her profile grew steadily through television appearances on Canadian programs such as The Tommy Hunter Show, and she toured widely, including an opening slot for country legend Marty Robbins. Industry recognition followed with three consecutive JUNO Award nominations for Country Female Vocalist of the Year (1980–82), alongside nominations from the RPM Big Country Awards, confirming her as one of Canada’s most visible country singers of the era.
Today, Iris continues to perform in Osoyoos, B.C., where she fronts The Grand Crew, a local group that includes her husband, musician Bob Larratt. Her enduring presence onstage, from psychedelic beginnings in Vancouver to JUNO-nominated country star and now community performer, reflects a career built on both versatility and staying power.
-Robert Williston
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