Johnny Cowell

Early Years and Training

Johnny Cowell’s father and three uncles were members of the Tillsonburg Town Band, with which Cowell played his first trumpet solo at six. Largely self-taught, he did study briefly with Edward Smeale in Toronto on joining the Toronto Symphony Band as trumpet soloist in 1941. After serving during the Second World War as soloist with the Royal Canadian Navy band in Victoria, BC, and playing first trumpet 1943–45 with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, he studied composition at the Royal Conservatory of Music with Oskar Morawetz and John Weinzweig. (See also Royal Regiment of Canada Band.)

Career Highlights

Johnny Cowell played trumpet with the dance bands of Stanley St. John and Art Hallman, with Jack Denton's Palais Royale Orchestra, and on occasion with the Spitfire Band. In 1952 he joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO). In the mid-1970s he resumed his solo work, appearing with the TS and Canadian orchestras. A solo appearance with the TS 18 July 1991 in a tribute concert marked his retirement from that orchestra. Cowell then was soloist with the Hannaford Street Silver Band from 1992 to 2001. In 1992 he also joined the Toronto Philharmonia, and in 1998 the Toronto Pops Orchestra.

Songs and Compositions

With his song “Walk Hand in Hand” (1956) Johnny Cowell became one of Canada's most successful songwriters. Introduced by George Murray and recorded by Denny Vaughan, Tony Martin, Andy Williams, Vera Lynn, and others, the song was a major hit in both Britain and North America.

Almost 150 of Cowell's more than 200 songs have been recorded, including the hits “Just My Luck To Be 15” (1957), “Strawberry Clam,” recorded by Al Hirt (1958), “Stroll Along with the Blues,” featured in the Peter Sellers movie Two Way Stretch performed by Ted Heath (1958), “Our Winter Love,” recorded in orchestral arrangements by André Kostelanetz, Lawrence Welk, Bill Pursell, and Hugo Winterhalter, and a major hit of 1963, and “These Are the Young Years,” recorded by Floyd Cramer (1963).

Cowell has made more than ten LPs and CDs of his songs and arrangements, two with orchestra and chorus for the Scope and Canadian Talent Library Trust labels, and others of varying instrumentation for Cascade, Stone, Ampersand, Audat, Fanfare, and Broadland. Cowell also composed “Roller Coaster” (1969, commissioned by Seiji Ozawa), an encore piece performed by the TSO, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and many other major orchestras in the United States and Canada; “Anniversary Overture” (1972), a CBC commission for the TS's 50th anniversary; “Sangre de Toro Bravo” (1974) for trumpet and orchestra; and a “Trumpet Concerto” (1978) premiered 18 July 1978 by the composer with the TS at Ontario Place and recorded on his CD Carnival of Venice.

He has arranged works by Bach, Beethoven, Handel, and Satie for soloist and orchestra.

Honours

Johnny Cowell has received BMI Canada (now the Performing Rights Organization of Canada Limited (PRO Canada)) certificates of honour for his most popular songs.

Discography

• Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Laurie Bower Singers; CTL 477-25127
• Carnival of Venice: TSO members; 1987–89; Fanfare DFCD1-010 (CD)
• Hot Brass: Audat 477-4007
• The Tender Loving Care: Ampersand 477-1601
• Those Are The Days: (1975); Broadland BR-1921
• The Virtuoso Trumpet of Johnny Cowell: TSO members; 1984; Fanfare DFL-8013X
• The Art of Johnny Cowell: TSO members; 1997; Doremi 71127