Among his songs were such classics as "The Log Driver's Waltz," "The Black Fly Song," "Foolish You," and "The Wild Goose."

Mike Regenstreif

Click for Hemsworth songs thread

Wade Hemsworth was a national treasure, and his songs will live on for a long long time. He certainly did write folk songs.

Gone with the wild goose, to the land of the muskeg and the shining birch trees.

Willie-O

Rick

I understand that Wade Hemsworth wrote less than 20 songs in his lifetime. But every one was a gem.

Rick mentions his Folkways LP. It was recorded in 1955. His next album, a CD, was recorded in 1995 when he was almost 80.

A great figure.

Jerry

~S~

I am so sorry to hear this sad news. We never met but kept in touch by regular surface mail. Wade seemed rather amazed when I told hime that there were folks singing his songs all over the U.S. (I'd been in touch ever since I recorded "The Shining Birch Tree" for Sandy. Sometime Mudcatters, Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat's recording of "The Wild Goose" was my personal favorite of that song. And who was the man & wife team living (?) in Winnipeg (Lynn & Barry something was it?) who recorded a great version of "Log Driver's Waltz". Met and heard them at the Wiinipeg festival when Cathy Fink and Duck Donald were a team based out of that town. Podolac was running things then at the fest---before Toronto had a festival. 1972 maybe? And Dave (?) doing blues just great on a National guitar.

I first heard that ten-inch Folkways LP of Wade's about '59 when I took it out of the Chicago Public Library. I've still got those tapes...

He was a fine fellow---and, yes, a folksinger !!!

All the best,

Art Thieme

20-Jan-02 - 09:48 PM Subject: Wade Hemsworth RIP From: Jon G. Bartlett I've just received news of the death of Wade Hemsworth. Many Mucatters will know Wade as the author of The Wild Goose, The Black Fly Song, White Water, The Logdriver's Waltz, Land of the Muskeg and the Shining Birch Tree and many others. More info. below, and I'll keep Mudcatters apprised of the celebration spoken of in the last sentence. "HEMSWORTH, Albert Wade. Peacefully at Ste-Anne-de Bellevue Hospital, January 19, 2002 at 12:30 am, aged eighty-five years. Beloved Husband of Shirley Singer, brother of Cherry Taylor, brother-in-law of Norma Hemsworth, Uncle and Great Uncle to many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his Wife, Irene Heywood, his Brother, Noel and his brother-in-law, Ken Taylor. Wade will be dearly missed by all his family and his many faithful friends. Wade was the composer of many popular songs about the Canadian experience, particularly life in the north woods of Quebec and Ontario. A retired design draftsman with the CN Railway, Wade was born in Brantford, Ontario and served with the RCAF in the Second World War. Wade's family would like to thank the kind and caring staff at Ste-Anne's for their excellent care. Cremation has taken place. Memorial service will take place at Trinity Anglican Church, Morin-Heights, Quebec, Wednesday, January 23, 2002 at 2:00 p.m. A celebration of Wade's life and music will be scheduled at a later date. "At the last portage, when I'll pack no more Let me fly with the wild goose high over the north shore"

20-Jan-02 - 10:08 PM Subject: RE: Wade Hemsworth RIP From: Deckman Thank you Jon ... Bob Nelson, Everett, Washington USA

Wade, a guest on Folk Roots/Folk Branches in 1996, was the dean of Canadian folk-rooted songwriters and he left behind a legacy of songs that have become folk music classics. ("The Black Fly Song," "Foolish You," "The Wild Goose," "The Log Driver's Waltz," etc.) We'll hear Wade's versions of some and versions of some by other artists.

Jack Nissenson, a founding member of The Mountain City 4, Montreal's legendary folk music group of the 1960s, will join me in the studio to talk about Wade.

We'll also have lots of other great music on the show.

Folk Roots/Folk Branches can be heard Thursday mornings from 9-11:30 (Eastern) on CKUT, 90.3 FM, in the Montreal area and in RealAudio from the Folk Roots/Folk Branches website.

Mike Regenstreif

Jack Nissenson, now there's a great name from the past. Forty years ago, he taught the young McGarrigle sisters much of what they know about folk music.

Wade Hemsworth wrote some great songs, I'll be tuned into the program at 9:00.

Jerry

Thats a great quality stream considering its coming down my pokey backwoods dialup connection!

W-O

Thanks for playing all of those Wade Hemsworth songs, including a couple that I'd never heard before. What a great songwriter he was, a creator of true folk music.

It was a treat hearing Jack Nissenson. It's been many years since I've heard him, or heard of him.

The rest of the show was excellent too.

Jerry

- LH

So, $12 later, we have Wade's recording in pretty good shape, with the little booklet still intact. It was a delight to hear him singing "Shining Birch Tree" and "The Black Fly Song" himself, having only heard Art's and Bill Staines' versions before...

I would give just about anything for a fairly good cassette copy of that old LP. My tape of it has been saved from a deteriorating reel-to-reel tape----and that is now about a 20th generation of the tape I made in the late 50s from the then already scratchy and worn recording. Wade sent me his last CD recently a few years ago but his was an elderly voice by the time he made it. It is the old record that really showed what a good folksinger Wade was in his prime. He deserves to have that old one available now. (My inability to pick and sing now, for medical reasons, is why I'll never do another recording. I owe it to those who might buy it to not lure them into puchasing a product that is inferior to my earlier stuff.)

Art Thieme

You can order any album ever released on Folkways on custom cassette for $10.95 or custom CD for $19.95. You can find the page for that Wade Hemsworth album, including ordering info by clicking here.

Jerry