Joey Gregorash

Joey Gregorash (b. 1950) is a Canadian singer and musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba who became the first solo Manitoba act to win a Juno Award in 1972 for Outstanding Performance-Male.

Career overview In 1965 Gregorash became a founding member of popular Winnipeg-area band the Mongrels. Originally on drums, by 1966 Gregorash was organist and lead singer for the group which, from 1968, would record five singles for the local Franklin label, with two albums released. In 1969 Gregorash left the Mongrels and after fronting the group Walrus - not connected with the like-named UK progrock outfit - signed as a solo act with Polydor Records. Subsequent to two single releases in the autumn of 1970, Gregorash appeared at the notorious Niverville Pop Festival, leading the crowd in the FISH chant from Woodstock. In January and May 1971, he recorded his debut album North Country Funk at Stax Studios in Memphis. The advance single "Jodie" was issued in March 1971 and became an international hit after charting in Germany, Japan, Australia and reaching #3 on the Canadian charts.

The second single from North Country Funk, "Don't Let Your Pride Get You Girl", was "flipped" by radio d.j.'s who favored the intended B-side, Gregorash's rendition of Neil Young's "Down By the River", which afforded Gregorash a second Canadian Top Ten hit. "Down by the River" would be the only release by Gregorash to attract US attention, reaching #118 on the Singles Chart 101-150 ranked in Record World. "Down by the River" would be featured on Gregorash's second album, Tell the People, which otherwise featured new tracks cut at Trans-Maximus, the Memphis studio owned by Steve Cropper. Issued in 1973, Tell the People afforded Gregorash moderate Canadian chart impact through its three single releases. Gregorash's first two albums and their singles would be issued in the US by Jimmy Webb's Lionel (aka Lion) Records.

Discography Albums Year Album CAN 1971 North Country Funk 58 1973 Tell the People — 1987 Together —

Singles Year Single Chart Positions Album CAN CAN AC CAN Country US 1970 "Stay"/ "I'm Easy Come Easy Go" 84 — — — singles only — — 25 — "Tomorrow Tomorrow" 67 25 — — 1971 "Jodie" 3 — — — North Country Funk"Don't Let Your Pride Get You Girl"/ "Down by the River" 68 — — — 6 — — 113 1972 "My Love Sings" 16 — — — Tell the People "Bye Bye Love" 73 — — — "Take the Blindness" 14 45 — — 1973 "Tell the People" 47 11 — — "Liza" 51 — — — singles only 1974 "You've Been Wrong" 58 48 — — 1987 "Together (The New Wedding Song)" 6 15 — — Together