Songs by Hank LaRiviere

THE HANK LA RIVIERE STORY
Hank La Riviere’s life in the entertainment field has been long, pretty hectic and certainly covering a lot of countries. He started singing when he was just twelve years old and at 17 sang on his first radio show over CFLC in Prescott, Ontario. He was featured with the Western Five for two radio programmes each week for over two years on Coast to Coast CBC network. At that time he was known as the Singing Soldier.

During the Second World War he joined the Armed Forces and was on his way overseas when he was taken off the ship and returned to hospital for an operation. He was later discharged and went to the West Coast entertaining at a lot of places along the route. He played at the Calgary Stampede, exhibitions in Toronto and in Ottawa.

Determined to serve his country he re-enlisted as an entertainer and sang on a number of different troop shows in several provinces in Canada. He has received fan mail from many countries including France, England and Australia.

My first close association with Hank came in 1951 when I had Hank featured on my first Wilf Carter show covering 14 weeks, which took Hank to the outports of Newfoundland.

When reminiscing with Hank one day we spoke about one particular spot in Stephenville, Newfoundland, late in the fall when the weather turned very cold and snow started to blow off the ocean. Of course, we weren’t dressed for the cold and I remember Hank telling me about the many times he rode the railways as an unpaid passenger and how terribly cold some of these trips were for him.

Hank has always been anxious to please the people who come to see him or listen to his singing on the radio stations. He has lived country music and his heart and soul is in it and it will be as long as he can pick a guitar and beyond.

He composed the words to “Maple Sugar”, the biggest selling fiddle tune ever to be produced in Canada and called it “Maple Sugar Sweetheart”.

The great Hank Snow has this to say about Hank — quote — “I have nothing but praise for Hank. Not only is he one of Canada’s Top Notch Artists but he is a clean cut, typical Canadian boy who deserves much credit for his contribution to the entertainment world. I have known Hank for many years and I am proud to call him one of my very dear friends”.

Hank has been recording for Rodeo Records for a number of years and is one of the label’s most popular country and western artists.

Main notes by Ken Reynolds.