John Allan Cameron

John Allan Cameron, (16 December 1938 – 22 November 2006) was a Canadian folk singer, "The Godfather of Celtic Music" in Canada. Noted for performing traditional music on his twelve string guitar, he released his first album in 1969. He released 10 albums during his lifetime and was featured on national television. He was a recipient of the East Coast Music Award's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Order of Canada, conferred in 2003.

Biography Cameron was born in Inverness County, Nova Scotia to Dan L. Cameron and Catherine Anne (Katie Anne) MacDonald. Katie Anne (1914–1983) was the only sibling of renowned Cape Breton fiddler and composer Dan Rory MacDonald. In 1957 John Allan moved to Ottawa, Ontario where he studied to be a Roman Catholic priest through the Order of the Oblate Fathers. In 1964, a few months before ordination, Cameron obtained a dispensation from the church to pursue studies in education at St. Francis Xavier University, and eventually a career in music.

He was a regular on Singalong Jubilee in the 1960s and he was later host of two Canadian television series. The first was the Montreal-produced John Allan Cameron on CTV from 1975 to 1976. Guests included Stan Rogers, Edith Butler, The Good Brothers, Stringband, Colleen Peterson, Adam Mitchell, Michael Cooney, Shirley Eikhard, Liam Clancy, Tommy Makem, Nancy White, Steve Goodman, and Rhythm Pals. Cameron would return to national television on CBC with the Halifax-produced The John Allan Cameron Show which ran from 1979 to 1981. He was also a guest star on Sharon, Lois & Bram's The Elephant Show in 1986. John Allan Cameron also was the host of Super Variety Tonight, a CBC television special that aired on Sunday, 4 April 1982 featuring several guests including Sharon, Lois & Bram.

Besides his numerous television and concert appearances, he performed at the Grand Ole Opry in 1970.

Cameron's son, Stuart Cameron is also an accomplished musician.

Discography

Albums Year Album CAN 1969 Here Comes John Allan Cameron — 1969 The Minstrel of Cranberry Lane — 1972 Get There by Dawn 75 1972 Lord of the Dance — 1976 Weddings, Wakes and Other Things 78 1978 Fiddle — 1979 Freeborn Man (reissued in 1991 as Classic John Allan Vol. 1) — 1981 Song for the Mira — 1987 Good Times — 1991 Wind Willow — 1996 Glencoe Station —

Compilations Year Album 1982 The Best of John Allan Cameron 1992 Classic John Allan, vol 2 1996 Classic John Allan, vol 3

Singles Year Single Chart Positions Album CAN Country CAN AC 1972 "Streets of London" — 4 single only "Get There by Dawn" — 11 Get There by Dawn 1973 "I Can't Tell You" 28 — Lord of the Dance 1976 "Tie Me Down" — 33 Weddings, Wakes and Other Things 1982 "Overnight Success" 15 — single only 1996 "Getting Dark Again" — — Glencoe Station

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