Information/Write-up
Stu Phillips: The Travelling Balladeer
Stu Phillips (born January 19, 1933, in St-Eustache, Quebec) is a Canadian-American country singer, songwriter, broadcaster, and ordained minister whose career spans more than seven decades across radio, television, and stage. Often known as The Travelling Balladeer, Phillips earned acclaim for his heartfelt vocals, deep love of Canadian history, and international contributions to country music.
Raised in Calgary, Alberta, Phillips was drawn to music from an early age. Inspired by distant broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry he picked up on a crystal radio, he began singing on amateur radio shows in Montreal and Verdun as a teenager. By age 16, he was touring across western Canada, performing at local rodeos and fairs.
His first major breakthrough came in Canadian broadcasting. During the 1950s, Phillips hosted a string of popular radio programs including Stu for Breakfast, Town and Country, and Cowtown Jamboree. By the early 1960s, he had become a familiar face on CBC Television, where he starred in The Outrider and later hosted Red River Jamboree from 1960 to 1964. These shows helped bring country music into homes across Canada at a time when the genre was still developing mainstream visibility north of the border.
A talented songwriter with a passion for national folklore, Phillips released a series of historically themed LPs in 1957, including Echoes of the Canadian Foothills (Rodeo RLP 17), Visit Old Québec (Rodeo RLP 20), and A Visit to British Columbia (Rodeo RLP 29) which blended original ballads with traditional tunes celebrating early Canadian settlers, Indigenous stories, and legendary landmarks. His lyrical storytelling and gentle delivery became a signature style, setting him apart from Nashville contemporaries.
In 1965, Stu Phillips moved to Nashville, Tennessee, signing with RCA Victor under the legendary producer Chet Atkins. There, he recorded a string of hit singles including “Bracero,” “The Great El Tigre,” “Juanita Jones,” and “Vin Rose.” His albums Singin’ (1966) and Grassroots Country (1967) received wide praise and solidified his place in American country music circles.
In 1967, Phillips was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, where he would become a frequent performer. He later toured extensively through Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, where he received gold records and widespread acclaim.
Beyond his musical career, Phillips pursued a spiritual calling. In the 1980s, he earned a divinity degree from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and was ordained as an Episcopal minister. Balancing both ministries and music, he has continued to perform into his later years, including occasional appearances at the Opry.
Phillips became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1998 alongside his wife Aldona, with whom he has shared a long and stable family life. In 1993, Bear Family Records issued A Journey Through the Provinces, a compilation celebrating his early Canadian folk recordings. That same year, he was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Today, Stu Phillips is recognized as a foundational figure in Canadian country music, bridging the traditions of the North with the sounds of the American South. His storytelling, rich baritone, and commitment to cultural heritage continue to inspire generations of musicians and fans alike.
-Robert Williston
Liner notes
Stu Phillips is a serious-minded young Calgary television announcer dedicated to producing in ballad form the stories and legends of the early history of Canada. His new LP, Echoes of the Canadian Foothills, was recently issued on the Rodeo label, with national distribution and growing popularity—especially in Western Canada. Ambitiously, Stu plans to record an album for each of the ten provinces.
Unheralded and almost undiscovered, Phillips is gaining traction thanks to the Canadian fraternity of disc jockeys. He began his radio career in Montreal on CJAD, CFCF, and CKVL. In 1950, he arrived in Edmonton in a Model "A" convertible that expired at the city limits—he pushed it to its resting place in the city dump.
After a stint at the Edmonton Bulletin and a morning DJ post at CFRN, Stu transitioned out of broadcasting when folk music was deemed ill-suited to scheduled news and commercials. He then moved west to CJIB in Vernon, BC, as Supervisor of Production, continuing his folk research. There he wrote “The Bill Miner Train Robbery,” a standout track from his growing repertoire.
Returning to Edmonton in 1953, he joined CHED Radio. The year marked a turning point: he starred in Edmonton Light Opera productions, was voted Edmonton's most popular announcer (1954–1955), and settled into family life with his wife Aldonia and daughter Leagh Anne.
Photographs courtesy of Canadian National Railways
Includes images and captions for:
Château de Ramezay (Montreal)
Chapel of Notre Dame du Cap (Three Rivers)
Madeleine de Verchères Monument (Verchères, QC)
Bic street scene (Gaspé Coast)
Notre Dame Church (Montreal)
Jeanne Mance Monument (Montreal)
Fort St. Jean (St. John’s Gate, Quebec City)
Quebec City waterfront (Lévis Ferry)
Dollard des Ormeaux Monument (Carillon, QC)
Percé Rock (Gaspé)
Distributed in Canada by London Records of Canada Ltd.
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