Marg Osburne

Marg Osburne (December 29, 1927 – July 16, 1977) was a Canadian country, folk and gospel singer. She was a recipient (posthumously) of the ECMA Stompin' Tom Connors award.

Early life She was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and received her vocal training as a member of a community choir.

Career When she was 17 her cousin made her a bet that she did not have the nerve to answer a newspaper advertisement for a female vocalist for CKCW in Moncton. Osburne answered the ad and got the job. Osburne explained in a later interview that she took the job because she "needed money to go to the Movies".

Don Messer was travelling through Moncton in 1947 and heard Osburne singing on CKCW, billed as "The Girl From the Singing Hills". He hired her to fill in for Charlie Chamberlain who was recovering from an automobile accident. She soon became the group's lead singer.

Don Messer and His Islanders were then broadcasting on CFCY out of Charlottetown, PEI thrice-weekly beginning in 1939 and the show was broadcast nationwide by the CBC.

Osburne and Chamberlain became regular performers on the show and made a number of recordings. The group toured each summer. They mounted a national tour in 1967 as part of Canada's Centennial, playing 66 shows across the country. She performed frequently in the Western Provinces and Territories of Canada. During this period she recorded three songs for Jack Boswell's Marathon label, "Albert County Soil", "Falling Leaves", and "Blues Comin' 'Round". exactly five years after Charlie Chamberlain's death. She was 49 years old.

Discography Albums Year Album 1959 By Request: Favourite Sacred Songs (with Charlie Chamberlain) A Century of Folk Songs 1960 Songs Of Reverence - Vol.2 (with Charlie Chamberlain) 1966 The Best of Marg Osburne 1967 They Never Grow Old (with Charlie Chamberlain) Favorite Sacred Songs (with Charlie Chamberlain) 1968 The Golden Era of Marg Osburne 1972 My Kind of Country (with Melody Faye) 1973 Country Gospel 1974 Old, Gold, and New

Singles Year Single CAN Country Album 1972 "Albert Country Soil" 15 My Kind of Country 1974 "Blues Comin' 'Round" 19 Old, Gold, and New "City of Tears" 20