Tension grows, the whistle blows, and Stompin Tom Connors dies at 77.

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The Something Awful Forums > Main > General Bullshit > Tension grows, the whistle blows, and Stompin Tom Connors dies at 77.

Toriori: Jan 4, 2012; No Yanda's allowed

This is a memorial thread for Stompin' Tom Connors, Canada's sweetheart.

If you're Canadian (or just a hockey fan) you have probably heard "The Hockey Song" at least once in your life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxJvrD80nJ4

Some of his other big hits were "Bud the Spud", "Big Joe Mufferaw", "The Black Donnellys", and my personal favourite, "The Ketchup Song": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4CvOechlEc

The man is a Canadian folk hero, I've never played hockey, never been to a game other than small local leagues, and yet I know all the words to "The Hockey Song". I have a pretty good feeling that every hockey rink with a sound system in the country will be playing it in his honour. He loved his country and wanted others to love it too. Even if you hate country music, it's hard not to get a goofy smile across your face listening to Stompin' Tom croon away to his gui-tar. Hats of to you Tom, we know you're stompin' with the big man in the sky now.

From the Globe and Mail, who can elaborate more:

quote:

Canadian country-folk legend Stompin’ Tom Connors, whose toe-tapping musical spirit and fierce patriotism established him as one of Canada’s strongest cultural icons, has died. He was 77.

Connors passed away Wednesday from what a spokesman described as “natural causes.”

Brian Edwards said the musician, rarely seen without his signature black cowboy hat and stomping cowboy boots, knew his health was declining and had penned a message for his fans a few days before his death.

In the message posted on his website, Connors says Canada kept him “inspired with it’s beauty, character, and spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.”

Connors is survived by his wife Lena, two sons, two daughters and several grandchildren.

Dubbed Stompin’ Tom for his propensity to pound the floor with his left foot during performances, Connors garnered a devoted following through straight-ahead country-folk tunes that drew inspiration from his extensive travels and focused on the everyman.

Although wide commercial appeal escaped Connors for much of his four-decade career, his heritage-soaked songs like “Canada Day, Up Canada Way,” “The Hockey Song,” “Bud the Spud,” and “Sudbury Saturday Night,” have come to be regarded as veritable national anthems thanks to their unabashed embrace of all things Canadiana.

Still, Connors often complained that not enough songs were being written about his homeland.

“I don’t know why I seem to be the only one, or almost the only one, writing about this country,” Connors said in a rare one-on-one interview at his home in Halton Hills, Ont., in 2008.

“It just amazes me that I’ve been going so long I would think that somebody else (would have) picked up the torch a long time ago and started writing tons of songs about this country. This country is the most underwritten country in the world as far as songs are concerned. We starve, the people in this country are starving for songs about their homeland.”

Connor’s fervent patriotism brought controversy when his principles put him at loggerheads with the Canadian music industry.

In 1978, he famously returned a handful of Juno Awards he had amassed in previous years, complaining that some artists were being awarded in categories outside their genre while other winners had conducted most of their work outside of the country. He derided artists that moved to the United States as “border jumpers.”

“I feel that the Junos should be for people who are living in Canada, whose main base of business operations is in Canada, who are working toward the recognition of Canadian talent in this country and who are trying to further the export of such talent from this country to the world with a view to proudly showing off what this country can contribute to the world market,” he said in a statement at the time.

The declaration marked the beginning of a 10-year self-imposed exile from the spotlight.

From Connors’ earliest days, life was a battle.

He was born in Saint John, N.B., on Feb. 9, 1936 to an unwed teenage mother. According to his autobiography, “Before the Fame,” he often lived hand-to-mouth as a youngster, hitchhiking with his mother from the age of three, begging on the street by the age of four. At age eight, he was placed in the care of Children’s Aid and adopted a year later by a family in Skinner’s Pond, P.E.I. He ran away four years later to hitchhike across the country.

Connors bought his first guitar at age 14 and picked up odd jobs as he wandered from town to town, at times working on fishing boats, as a grave digger, tobacco picker and fry cook.

Legend has it that Connors began his musical career when he found himself a nickel short of a beer at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, Ont., in 1964 at age 28.

The bartender agreed to give him a drink if he would play a few songs but that turned into a 14-month contract to play at the hotel. Three years later, Connors made his first album and garnered his first hit in 1970 with “Bud The Spud.”

Hundreds more songs followed, many based on actual events, people, and towns he had visited.

“I’m a man of the land, I go out into the country and I talk to people and I know the jobs they do and how they feel about their jobs,” Connors has said.

“And I’ve been doing that all my life so I know Canada like the palm of my hand. I don’t need a map to go anywhere in Canada, I know it all.”

In 1988, Connors emerged from his decade-long protest with the album “Fiddle and Song,” featuring a new fiddle style and the songs “Canada Day, Up Canada Way,” “Lady kd lang,” and “I Am the Wind.” It was followed in 1990 by a 70-city Canadian tour that established him as one of the country’s best loved troubadours.

But his strong convictions about the music industry remained. Connors declined induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.

Accolades he did embrace included an appointment to the Order of Canada in 1996, and his own postage stamp.

“Whatever I do, in my writing, I do it for others,” Connors said in the 2008 interview. “I do it for my country and I do it for my countrymen and that’s the only value that I really have. If there was no money in this, I’d be doing it anyway. I’ve always been that way. Because it’s what I am.”

E: Ugh wrong tag, my bad!

Toriori fucked around with this message at Mar 7, 2013 around 02:44

# ? Mar 7, 2013 02:42

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# ? May 20, 2013 12:47

Ensign_Ricky: Jan 4, 2008; JACKASSERY!

This is a loving national tragedy. No joke. Why the CBC didn't use "The Hockey Song" for Hockey Night in Canada when they lost the rights to the other one, I have no idea.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 02:50

slidebite: Nov 6, 2005; Happiness is a tight butt and flat tummy. I have neither but yours looks awesome BTW do you have any beer?

RIP Canadas Bob Dylan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGmHuEhLWso

# ? Mar 7, 2013 02:55

PK: Apr 30, 2004; EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE! EXFOLIATE!

Everyone knows the words to "The Hockey Song". Probably even better than they know the words to "O Canada"

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:02

angerbot: Mar 23, 2004

Heard it on the CBC driving home. Sad news. RIP.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:02

aehiilrs: Apr 1, 2007

Aw man, that's terrible news. RIP.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:05

Telemarchitect: Oct 1, 2009; TOUCH THE KNOB

Ensign_Ricky posted:

This is a loving national tragedy. No joke. Why the CBC didn't use "The Hockey Song" for Hockey Night in Canada when they lost the rights to the other one, I have no idea.

They could have used this goonmade one too, but they didn't.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:09

NewtGoongrich: Jan 21, 2012; I am a shit stain on the face of humanity, I have no compassion, only hatred, bile and lust.

PROUD SHIT STAIN

God drat

Telemarchitect posted:

They could have used this goonmade one too, but they didn't.

God Bless ~~Hocky~~Stompin' Tom.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:10

Nick Biped: May 22, 2004; In the wrong hands, the stapler is a deadly weapon.

RIP Stompin' Tom.

I liked how much pride he took in being a Canadian, and "The Hockey Song" is still great.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:20

nature6pk: May 26, 2006; Left Coast Lame-o

RIP Tom

Norm Macdonald is doing pretty awesome tribute on his twitter for those that might be interested. https://twitter.com/normmacdonald

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:23

Jailbrekr: Apr 8, 2002; A TOWN LEVELED BY AN EXPLOSION? DOZENS LIKELY KILLED? OH GOD LET ME SEE THAT SWEET VIDEO OH MY GOD I'M CUMMING

What an indescribable loss

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:25

Wildlife Analysis: Jul 26, 2008

RIP Tom Hortons. You made a song and then died.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:25

Toriori: Jan 4, 2012; No Yanda's allowed

Wildlife Analysis posted:

RIP Tom Hortons. You made a song and then died.

Son, the only reason we won The War of 1812 was because of that "song", so go put on your toque and salute the Canadian flag before I break my hockey stick off in your rear end.

Telemarchitect posted:

They could have used this goonmade one too, but they didn't.

I watched this and now it won't leave my head, what have you done?!

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:32

Pleads: Jun 9, 2005; Pew pew pew

If the Blades can't play the entire goddamn song during their usual ice break I will be livid on Friday. They always start the song on the second period verse for some reason. Give the man his honours, damnit

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:38

Desperado Bones: Aug 29, 2009; Cute, adorable, and creepy at the same time!

Toriori posted:

I watched this and now it won't leave my head, what have you done?!

I can't believe it has been 4 years already and I still have this in my music player. Is glorious.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:44

Nihiliste: Oct 23, 2005; The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

I'm a Canadian living in Texas. Being so far from home, this seems extra tragic, somehow. It's a national icon gone.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:46

DiscoDickTease: Mar 19, 2009; Hi, boys and girls, I'm Jimmy Carl Black, and I'm the Indian of the group!

loving Alvin Lee died and the this great thing had to happen. I had tears in my eyes.

God damnit

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:48

Wildlife Analysis: Jul 26, 2008

Nihiliste posted:

I'm a Canadian living in Texas.

I am sorry for your loss.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 03:56

Sehkmet: Oct 21, 2004; All I want is a kind word, a warm bed, and UNLIMITED POWER.

Damnit. Canadian living in Buffalo here and somehow it feels worse being on this side of the 49th.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 04:00

bunnyofdoom: Mar 29, 2008; Another
confused
census
taker
?

No joke, was watching an all Canadian Hockey Game when I found out.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 04:26

Priapus: Feb 17, 2007; I AM LITERALLY AND I MEAN LITERALLY A STUPID NAIVE SHELTERED IGNORANT DENSE AS FUCK WASTE OF SPACE. PLEASE IGNORE ANYTHING I SAY AS THEY ARE THE RAMBLINGS OF A DELUSIONAL FUCKWAD PS MY DICK IS VERY SMALL AND I PROBABLY HAVE NEVER USED IT im so very retarded

More sad about this than any other celebrity death thread, including Michael Jackson. RIP big time.

Dude was more than just the hockey song though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw7rzpvDvS0

Priapus fucked around with this message at Mar 7, 2013 around 04:37

# ? Mar 7, 2013 04:35

Diamato: Jul 16, 2006; Everybody's got a price for the Million Dollar Man

RIP Stompin Tom. Your songs were a big part of my childhood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlac7_WmL7E

# ? Mar 7, 2013 06:24

Sid Vicious: Oct 31, 2007; smoke

everyday

RIP Stompin' Tom, you're one of the reasons our country is so wonderful. You will be missed.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 06:30

Azerban: Oct 28, 2003; ...it's only gonna make you love me more...

This is somewhat worse than if the Queen died.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 06:33

The Butcher: Apr 20, 2005; Mmm... Gibson.

RIP Tom.

Not often we see a thread around here about Canadian musical icons, so I'd just like to take this opportunity to share another late Canadian artist's great song with those who may not have heard it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwzRkjn86w

# ? Mar 7, 2013 07:08

Apathy Inspired: Feb 15, 2008; Yes I am awake, Thank you for asking.

RIP Stomping Tom.

I first heard about him when I met my stepfather's family. They were from Tillsonburg and hated Tom just for the song. Basically because everyone worked tobacco and he was being whiny about the work. Listening to the rest of his work, I kinda felt bad that they were missing out on some seriously great music over one song. Stubborn family.

I am quite saddened by the loss and always will remember him with fondness as a lovely man I was lucky enough to meet one afternoon in Toronto. We are poorer for his passing. And I agree with the others, it is somehow a harder hit being south of the border.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 07:16

abske_fides: Apr 20, 2010

Azerban posted:

This is somewhat worse than if the Queen died.

Because the queen isn't really a Canadian symbol anymore and lots of people are pissed that she still represents the country and technically has political power. But that would be for another thread.

R.I.P. Stompin' Tom... man I've heard the hockey song about a billion times and I've even showed it to a lot of people since I've been living abroad for almost 3 years now.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 08:53

Canuckistan: Jan 14, 2004

RIP Tom. You were such a proud Canadian and you made us proud to be Canadian.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 10:42

Imperialist Dog: Oct 21, 2008; "I think you could better spend your time on finishing your editing before the deadline today."
\

abske_fides posted:

Because the queen isn't really a Canadian symbol anymore and lots of people are pissed that she still represents the country and technically has political power. But that would be for another thread.

Canadians still go nuts when the royals visit and I like having Lizzie's head on my quarters next to the moose, thank you very much.

As someone from the Ottawa Valley, I had to learn Big Joe Mufferaw in school.

A sad day indeed.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 11:18

7c Nickel: Apr 27, 2008; DARK SEXY, I LIKE IT
AND CAN'T WAIT.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 12:41

JiimyPopAli: Oct 5, 2009

His family have posted a letter he wrote before he died:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen...o_his_fans.html

And since he died on Wednesday, there's still enough time to organize a funeral for Sudbury, Saturday night.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 13:06

Oldstench: Jun 29, 2007; "Was there anything about the mission that hasn't gone as well as you hoped?"

"No."

The only hockey song that matters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD52kFVJueQ

# ? Mar 7, 2013 14:02

slidebite: Nov 6, 2005; Happiness is a tight butt and flat tummy. I have neither but yours looks awesome BTW do you have any beer?

JiimyPopAli posted:

His family have posted a letter he wrote before he died:

http://www.thestar.com/entertainmen...o_his_fans.html

quote:

Hello friends, I want all my fans, past, present, or future, to know that without you, there would have not been any Stompin' Tom.

It was a long hard bumpy road, but this great country kept me inspired with it's beauty, character, and spirit, driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.

I must now pass the torch, to all of you, to help keep the Maple Leaf flying high, and be the Patriot Canada needs now and in the future.

I humbly thank you all, one last time, for allowing me in your homes, I hope I continue to bring a little bit of cheer into your lives from the work I have done.

Sincerely,

Your Friend always,

Stompin' Tom Connors

Humble dude.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 14:17

Grimby: Sep 12, 2002

Sehkmet posted:

Damnit. Canadian living in Buffalo here and somehow it feels worse being on this side of the 49th.

Everything feels worse in Buffalo.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 14:21

Sym: Feb 22, 2006; Where am I?

RIP a true Canadian icon. So many great folk songs few people have heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mogpgJZDAxQ

# ? Mar 7, 2013 16:18

animal math: Oct 2, 2012

I used to live near Windsor, and sometimes it was hard feeling like you truly lived in Canada with such a heavy influence from the US in that area. But something about this man's music made me feel more Canadian than anything else. I didn't even like hockey that much as a kid, but for some reason, whenever I went to a hockey game and The Hockey Song started playing, and everybody in the bleachers would start singing it... man. That's true Canadian pride right there. Rest in peace, Stompin' Tom.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 16:56

slidebite: Nov 6, 2005; Happiness is a tight butt and flat tummy. I have neither but yours looks awesome BTW do you have any beer?

This photo is so

it hurts.

Also, separated at birth?

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ? Mar 7, 2013 17:58

MohawkSatan: Dec 20, 2008

Goddamn it

Apparently the unniverse hates us Canadians and is killing off all the best ones. Why do you hate us when everybody else loves us?

# ? Mar 7, 2013 18:00

Robot Socialist: Dec 31, 2008

As a Sudbury resident, I can say that this will be one hell of a Saturday night!

# ? Mar 7, 2013 18:37

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# ? May 20, 2013 12:47

Viking Blood: Jun 17, 2005; The hammer of the Gods will drive our riffs to new lands

Downing a bottle of Royal Reserve would be a fitting memorial.

# ? Mar 7, 2013 19:03

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