Dick Damron

Career Highlights

Dick Damron was heard early in his career in both country and rock bands, including the Musical Round-Up Gang (on CKDR radio, Red Deer) and the Nightriders. He began recording in 1959 and made two LPs in the 1960s for his own Holiday label. One, Canadiana Folk Collection, from 1967, comprised his songs about historical figures and incidents. It was not until 1970, however, that Damron had his first hit, “Countryfied,” for Apex; a version by the American singer George Hamilton IV was popular in 1971 and served as the theme song for his syndicated Canadian TV show later in the decade.

Damron had further success 1971–77 in turn for MCA, Columbia, Marathon, and Condor with the singles “Rise 'n' Shine,” “The Long Green Line,” “Bitter Sweet Songs,” “Mother, Love and Country,” “On the Road,” “Good Ol' Fashioned Memories,” and “Susan Flowers.” By now established as an affable performer in the “outlaw” style, and as an accomplished writer of songs ranging from honky tonk to gospel, he began recording in 1978 for RCA (now BMG Music Canada Inc).

His most popular singles included “Silver and Shine,” “Whisky Jack,” and “My Good Woman” (1978), “High on You” (1979), “The Ballad of T.J.’s” (1980), “If You Need Me Lord” (1981), “Honky Tonk Angels and Good Ol' Boys” and “Good Ol' Time Country Rock 'n' Roll” (1982), “Ride Against the Wind” (1986, with Ginny Mitchell), “Cinderella & the Gingerbread” (1988), and “Wild Horses” (1991). By the early 1990s Damron’s discography already included more than 25 albums, among them seven for RCA and three instrumentals, notably Mirage (1991).

Dick Damron appeared in 1972 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and travelled in 1976 and annually 1978–80 and 1982–87 to Europe. He performed in England at the Wembley International Country Music Festival, London, in 1976 and 1978 and also toured in Holland and Germany. In Canada he was seen on many CBC TV and CTV country music and variety series, and has performed at the Calgary Stampede (among other cowboy functions), in clubs and concerts, and at festivals and fairs. He presented the Dick Damron Country Music Festival two years in a row (1977–78) in Bentley and was involved in the early 1980s in the Cattle Country Jam in Brooks, Alberta.

Honours

Dick Damron received Big Country awards as top country composer in 1976 and country male singer annually 1977-9, and for best country single (“Susan Flowers”) in 1977. He won Canadian Country Music Association awards as male vocalist, entertainer, and instrumentalist of the year in 1983, 1985 and 1989 respectively, and for song of the year (“Jesus It's Me Again”) in 1984. He was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994.

Damron songs also have been recorded by many other singers including Carroll Baker, Gary Buck, Terry Carisse, Jimmy Arthur Ordge, Orval Prophet (“Eastbound Highway”), the Rhythm Pals, Hank Smith (“Everybody's Going to the Country”), R. Harlan Smith, and several European artists.