Stan Rogers
Encyclopedia
Stanley Allison "Stan" Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983) was a Canadian folk music
ian and songwriter
.
Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone
voice and his finely crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing villages of the Maritime provinces and, later, the farms of the Canadian prairies
and Great Lakes
. Rogers died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797
on the ground at the Greater Cincinnati Airport at the age of 33. His influence on Canadian folk music has been deep and lasting.
, Ontario
, the eldest son of Nathan Allison "Al" and Valerie Rogers (née
Bushell), two Maritimers who had relocated to Ontario
in search of work shortly after their marriage in July 1948. Although Rogers was raised in Woodburn, Ontario (a community in the easternmost part of Hamilton), he often spent summers visiting family in Guysborough County
, Nova Scotia
. It was there that he became familiar with the way of life in the Maritimes
, an influence which was to have a profound impact on his subsequent musical development. He was interested in music from an early age, reportedly beginning to sing shortly after learning to speak. He received his first guitar, hand-built by his uncle Lee Bushell, when he was five years of age. He was exposed to a variety of music influences, but among the most lasting were the country and western tunes his uncles would sing during family get-togethers. Throughout his childhood, he would practice his singing and playing along with his brother Garnet
, six years his junior.
By the time that Rogers was attending Saltfleet High School in Stoney Creek
, he started to meet other young people interested in folk music
, although at this time he was also dabbling in rock and roll
, singing and playing bass guitar
in garage bands such as "Stanley and the Living Stones" and "The Hobbits".
As a young man, Rogers briefly attended both McMaster University
and Trent University
.
Rogers' songs often had a Celtic
feel which was due, in part, to his frequent use of DADGAD
guitar tuning. He regularly used the 12-string guitar in performance. His best known pieces include "Northwest Passage
" , "Barrett's Privateers
", "The Mary Ellen Carter
", "Make and Break Harbour", "The Idiot
", "The Field Behind the Plow", "Lies", "Fogarty's Cove
", "White Squall
", and "Forty-Five Years".
on June 2, 1983, while travelling on Air Canada Flight 797
(a McDonnell Douglas DC-9
) after performing at the Kerrville Folk Festival
. The airliner was flying from Dallas, Texas
to Toronto
and Montreal
when an in-flight fire forced it to make an emergency landing
at the Greater Cincinnati Airport in northern Kentucky.
Smoke was filling the cabin from an unknown source, and once on the ground, the plane's doors were opened to allow passengers to escape. Approximately 60 to 90 seconds into the evacuation of the plane, the oxygen rushing in from outside caused a flash fire. Rogers was one of the passengers still on the plane at the time of the fire.
His remains were cremated and his ashes scattered in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia.
, continue to be active performers and form a significant part of the fabric of contemporary Canadian folk music. Following his death, he was nominated for the 1984 Juno Awards
in the category for Best Male Vocalist
. In 1993, his posthumous live album Home in Halifax
was likewise nominated for Best Roots and Traditional Album.
His widow, Ariel, continues to oversee his estate and legacy. His music and lyrics have been featured in numerous written publications and films. For instance, his lyrics have appeared in school poetry books, taking their place alongside acknowledged classics. His song "Northwest Passage
" was featured in the last episode of the TV show Due South
, his songs "Barrett's Privateers
" and "Watching the Apples Grow" having been previously featured. "Barrett's Privateers" has also been used extensively in promotion ads for Alexander Keith's ale. In the 2005 CTV
made-for-TV movie on the life of Terry Fox
, Rogers' "Turnaround" is the music over the closing shot. As the movie ends, Fox is depicted, alone, striding up a hill, while the lyric "And yours was the open road. The bitter song / The heavy load that I'll never share, tho' the offer's still there / Every time you turn around," forges a link between these Canadian icons. Many of his songs on the albums Northwest Passage
and From Fresh Water
refer to events in Canadian history.
Adrienne Clarkson
, who, prior to serving as the Governor General of Canada
from 1999 to 2005, had worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
, highlighted Rogers' career in a 1989 television documentary
called One Warm Line on CBC Television
; she also quoted Rogers in her investitural address.
When CBC's Peter Gzowski
asked Canadians to pick an alternate national anthem, "Northwest Passage" was the overwhelming choice.
The Stan Rogers Folk Festival
is held every year in Canso, Nova Scotia
. In 1995, several artists performed two nights of concerts at Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
, which were released on album that year as Remembering Stan Rogers
.
Rogers is also a lasting fixture of the Canadian folk festival Summerfolk
, held annually in Owen Sound, Ontario
, where the main stage and amphitheater are dedicated as the "Stan Rogers Memorial Canopy". The festival is firmly fixed in tradition, with Rogers` song The Mary Ellen Carter
, being sung by all involved, including the audience and a medley of acts at the festival.
At The Canmore Folk Festival, Alberta's longest running folk music festival, performers take to the Stan Rogers Memorial Stage, which is the festival's main stage.
One of Stan's sons, Nathan Rogers
, is also an established Canadian folk artist with a voice similar to his father's.
for a brief period in the early 1970s. During this period, Rogers wrote and recorded a number of original songs for the label, including five singles: Here's to You Santa Claus in 1970, The Fat Girl Rag in 1971, and Three Pennies, Guysborough Train and Past Fifty in 1973.
In 1976, Rogers recorded and released his debut album, "Fogarty's Cove", on Barnswallow Records. The album's subject matter dealt almost entirely with life in maritime Canada
, and was an immediate success. Rogers then formed Fogarty's Cove Music
, and bought Barnswallow, allowing him the luxury of releasing his own albums. Posthumously, additional albums were released.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ian and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
voice and his finely crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing villages of the Maritime provinces and, later, the farms of the Canadian prairies
Canadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
and Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. Rogers died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797
Air Canada Flight 797
Air Canada Flight 797 was a scheduled trans-border flight that flew on a Dallas/Fort Worth-Toronto-Montreal route. On , the aircraft developed an in-flight fire behind the washroom that spread between the outer skin and the inner decor panels, filling the plane with toxic smoke...
on the ground at the Greater Cincinnati Airport at the age of 33. His influence on Canadian folk music has been deep and lasting.
Early life and musical development
Rogers was born in HamiltonHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the eldest son of Nathan Allison "Al" and Valerie Rogers (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Bushell), two Maritimers who had relocated to Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in search of work shortly after their marriage in July 1948. Although Rogers was raised in Woodburn, Ontario (a community in the easternmost part of Hamilton), he often spent summers visiting family in Guysborough County
Guysborough County, Nova Scotia
Guysborough County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Taking its name from the Township of Guysborough, which was named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton, Guysborough County was created when Sydney County was divided in 1836.In 1840, the Township of St. Mary's, in Guysborough...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. It was there that he became familiar with the way of life in the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
, an influence which was to have a profound impact on his subsequent musical development. He was interested in music from an early age, reportedly beginning to sing shortly after learning to speak. He received his first guitar, hand-built by his uncle Lee Bushell, when he was five years of age. He was exposed to a variety of music influences, but among the most lasting were the country and western tunes his uncles would sing during family get-togethers. Throughout his childhood, he would practice his singing and playing along with his brother Garnet
Garnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and composer. He began his professional career working with his brother, folk musician Stan Rogers, and arranging Stan's music.-Career:...
, six years his junior.
By the time that Rogers was attending Saltfleet High School in Stoney Creek
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
, he started to meet other young people interested in folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, although at this time he was also dabbling in rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, singing and playing bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
in garage bands such as "Stanley and the Living Stones" and "The Hobbits".
As a young man, Rogers briefly attended both McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
and Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
.
Rogers' songs often had a Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
feel which was due, in part, to his frequent use of DADGAD
DADGAD
DADGAD, D modal tuning or Celtic tuning is an alternative guitar tuning most associated with Celtic music, though it has also found use in rock and other genres. Instead of the standard EADGBE tuning, the six guitar strings are tuned, from low to high, DADGAD...
guitar tuning. He regularly used the 12-string guitar in performance. His best known pieces include "Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage (song)
"Northwest Passage" is one of the best-known songs by Canadian musician Stan Rogers. An a cappella song, it features Rogers alone singing the verses, with several guest vocalists harmonizing with him in the chorus...
" , "Barrett's Privateers
Barrett's Privateers
"Barrett's Privateers" is a folk song in the style of a sea shanty, written and performed by Canadian musician Stan Rogers, having been inspired after a song session with the Friends of Fiddler's Green at the Northern Lights Festival Boréal in Sudbury, Ontario...
", "The Mary Ellen Carter
The Mary Ellen Carter
The Mary Ellen Carter is a song written and recorded by Stan Rogers, intended as an inspirational hymn about triumphing over great odds. It tells the story of a heroic effort to salvage a sunken ship, the Mary Ellen Carter, by members of her former crew...
", "Make and Break Harbour", "The Idiot
The Idiot (song)
"The Idiot" is a song written by Stan Rogers, found on his albums Northwest Passage and Home In Halifax. On Home in Halifax, Rogers introduces the song by explaining that it is about the movement of people away from the Atlantic Provinces of Canada to the province of Alberta for work...
", "The Field Behind the Plow", "Lies", "Fogarty's Cove
Fogarty's Cove
- Track listing :#"Watching The Apples Grow"#"Forty-Five Years"#"Fogarty's Cove"#"Maid on the Shore"#"Barrett's Privateers"#"Fisherman's Wharf"#"Giant"#"Rawdon Hills"#"Plenty of Hornpipe"#"The Wreck of the Athens Queen"#"Make and Break Harbour"...
", "White Squall
White Squall (song)
White Squall is a 1984 song by Stan Rogers, about a young crewman being washed overboard from a Great Lakes ship, due to not following safety procedures...
", and "Forty-Five Years".
Death
Rogers died alongside 22 other passengers (23 fatalities in all) most likely of smoke inhalationSmoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor fires.Smoke inhalation injury refers to injury due to inhalation or exposure to hot gaseous products of combustion. This can cause serious respiratory complications....
on June 2, 1983, while travelling on Air Canada Flight 797
Air Canada Flight 797
Air Canada Flight 797 was a scheduled trans-border flight that flew on a Dallas/Fort Worth-Toronto-Montreal route. On , the aircraft developed an in-flight fire behind the washroom that spread between the outer skin and the inner decor panels, filling the plane with toxic smoke...
(a McDonnell Douglas DC-9
McDonnell Douglas DC-9
The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner. It was first manufactured in 1965 with its maiden flight later that year. The DC-9 was designed for frequent, short flights. The final DC-9 was delivered in October 1982.The DC-9 was followed in subsequent modified forms by...
) after performing at the Kerrville Folk Festival
Kerrville Folk Festival
The Kerrville Folk Festival is a music festival held for 18 consecutive days in the late spring/early summer at Quiet Valley Ranch near Kerrville, Texas. The event has run on a yearly basis since 1972. In November 2008, the Kerrville Folk Festival and Kerrville Wine & Music Festival were acquired...
. The airliner was flying from Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
when an in-flight fire forced it to make an emergency landing
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
at the Greater Cincinnati Airport in northern Kentucky.
Smoke was filling the cabin from an unknown source, and once on the ground, the plane's doors were opened to allow passengers to escape. Approximately 60 to 90 seconds into the evacuation of the plane, the oxygen rushing in from outside caused a flash fire. Rogers was one of the passengers still on the plane at the time of the fire.
His remains were cremated and his ashes scattered in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Legacy
Rogers' legacy includes his recordings, songbook, and plays for which he was commissioned to write music. His songs are still frequently covered by other musicians, and are perennial favourites at Canadian campfires and song circles. Members of Rogers' band, including his brother Garnet RogersGarnet Rogers
Garnet Rogers is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and composer. He began his professional career working with his brother, folk musician Stan Rogers, and arranging Stan's music.-Career:...
, continue to be active performers and form a significant part of the fabric of contemporary Canadian folk music. Following his death, he was nominated for the 1984 Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 1984
The Juno Awards of 1984, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 5 December 1984 in Toronto at a ceremony hosted by Joe Flaherty and Andrea Martin of SCTV at Exhibition Place Automotive Building...
in the category for Best Male Vocalist
Juno Award for Artist of the Year
The Juno Award for Artist of the Year has been awarded since 2002 as recognition each year for the best artist/musician in Canada. The category was originally divided by sex...
. In 1993, his posthumous live album Home in Halifax
Home In Halifax
Home in Halifax is a 1993 live album by Stan Rogers. It was recorded by the CBC during a concert Rogers performed at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax, Nova Scotia in March of 1982, 11 years prior. The concert was put together as a life radio and T.V. broadcast celebrating Rogers' annual...
was likewise nominated for Best Roots and Traditional Album.
His widow, Ariel, continues to oversee his estate and legacy. His music and lyrics have been featured in numerous written publications and films. For instance, his lyrics have appeared in school poetry books, taking their place alongside acknowledged classics. His song "Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage (song)
"Northwest Passage" is one of the best-known songs by Canadian musician Stan Rogers. An a cappella song, it features Rogers alone singing the verses, with several guest vocalists harmonizing with him in the chorus...
" was featured in the last episode of the TV show Due South
Due South
Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
, his songs "Barrett's Privateers
Barrett's Privateers
"Barrett's Privateers" is a folk song in the style of a sea shanty, written and performed by Canadian musician Stan Rogers, having been inspired after a song session with the Friends of Fiddler's Green at the Northern Lights Festival Boréal in Sudbury, Ontario...
" and "Watching the Apples Grow" having been previously featured. "Barrett's Privateers" has also been used extensively in promotion ads for Alexander Keith's ale. In the 2005 CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
made-for-TV movie on the life of Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research...
, Rogers' "Turnaround" is the music over the closing shot. As the movie ends, Fox is depicted, alone, striding up a hill, while the lyric "And yours was the open road. The bitter song / The heavy load that I'll never share, tho' the offer's still there / Every time you turn around," forges a link between these Canadian icons. Many of his songs on the albums Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage (album)
-Track listing:# "Northwest Passage"# "The Field Behind the Plow"# "Night Guard"# "Working Joe"# "You Can't Stay Here"# "The Idiot"# "Lies"# "Canol Road"# "Free in the Harbour"# "California"...
and From Fresh Water
From Fresh Water
From Fresh Water is a 1984 album by Stan Rogers. It was one of a series of concept albums Rogers intended to do about the regions of Canada...
refer to events in Canadian history.
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
, who, prior to serving as the Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
from 1999 to 2005, had worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, highlighted Rogers' career in a 1989 television documentary
Television documentary
Documentary television is a genre of television programming that broadcasts documentaries.* Documentary television series, a television series which is made up of documentary episodes....
called One Warm Line on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
; she also quoted Rogers in her investitural address.
When CBC's Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski, was a Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on the CBC radio show Morningside. His first biographer argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation of Canadian nationalists to understand...
asked Canadians to pick an alternate national anthem, "Northwest Passage" was the overwhelming choice.
The Stan Rogers Folk Festival
Stan Rogers Folk Festival
The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, informally known as Stanfest, is an annual three-day music festival held in Canso, Nova Scotia.Established in 1997 in honour of the late Canadian folk singer and songwriter Stan Rogers, the festival bills itself as "an international festival of songwriters",...
is held every year in Canso, Nova Scotia
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
. In 1995, several artists performed two nights of concerts at Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
Rebecca Cohn Auditorium
The Dalhousie Arts Centre, at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, contains a number of theatres, an art gallery, classrooms, and a sculpture garden. It is the premier performing arts venue in the Halifax area, and was opened officially in November, 1971.The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium is the...
, which were released on album that year as Remembering Stan Rogers
Remembering Stan Rogers
Remembering Stan Rogers: An East Coast Tribute is a tribute album to Canadian folk singer-songwriter Stan Rogers, released in 1995 on EMI Music Canada. The album was recorded live over two nights of concert performances at Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on April 23 and 24, 1995...
.
Rogers is also a lasting fixture of the Canadian folk festival Summerfolk
Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival
The Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival is an annual music festival held in Owen Sound, Ontario that takes place during the third weekend in August. The festival was founded in 1975 by brothers Tim and John Harrison...
, held annually in Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound , the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada...
, where the main stage and amphitheater are dedicated as the "Stan Rogers Memorial Canopy". The festival is firmly fixed in tradition, with Rogers` song The Mary Ellen Carter
The Mary Ellen Carter
The Mary Ellen Carter is a song written and recorded by Stan Rogers, intended as an inspirational hymn about triumphing over great odds. It tells the story of a heroic effort to salvage a sunken ship, the Mary Ellen Carter, by members of her former crew...
, being sung by all involved, including the audience and a medley of acts at the festival.
At The Canmore Folk Festival, Alberta's longest running folk music festival, performers take to the Stan Rogers Memorial Stage, which is the festival's main stage.
One of Stan's sons, Nathan Rogers
Nathan Rogers
Nathan Rogers is a Canadian folk musician / songwriter. He is the son of Stan and Ariel Rogers. His father, a folk musician and songwriter, died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 on June 2, 1983....
, is also an established Canadian folk artist with a voice similar to his father's.
History and discography
Rogers signed with RCA RecordsRCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
for a brief period in the early 1970s. During this period, Rogers wrote and recorded a number of original songs for the label, including five singles: Here's to You Santa Claus in 1970, The Fat Girl Rag in 1971, and Three Pennies, Guysborough Train and Past Fifty in 1973.
In 1976, Rogers recorded and released his debut album, "Fogarty's Cove", on Barnswallow Records. The album's subject matter dealt almost entirely with life in maritime Canada
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
, and was an immediate success. Rogers then formed Fogarty's Cove Music
Fogarty's Cove Music
Fogarty's Cove Music is a record label founded by Stan Rogers in 1976, surrounding the production of Stan's second album, Turnaround. Fogarty's Cove Music is based in Dundas, Ontario, Canada.-External links:* Fogarty's Cove Official Website...
, and bought Barnswallow, allowing him the luxury of releasing his own albums. Posthumously, additional albums were released.
- Fogarty's CoveFogarty's Cove- Track listing :#"Watching The Apples Grow"#"Forty-Five Years"#"Fogarty's Cove"#"Maid on the Shore"#"Barrett's Privateers"#"Fisherman's Wharf"#"Giant"#"Rawdon Hills"#"Plenty of Hornpipe"#"The Wreck of the Athens Queen"#"Make and Break Harbour"...
(1976) - TurnaroundTurnaround (Stan Rogers album)-Track listing:# Dark Eyed Molly# Oh No, Not I# Second Effort# Bluenose# The Jeannie C.# So Blue# Front Runner# Song of the Candle# Try Like the Devil# Turnaround...
(1978) - Between the Breaks ... Live!Between the Breaks ... Live!Between the Breaks . . . Live! is a 1979 folk music album by Stan Rogers.Stan Rogers: six string and twelve string acoustic guitars, vocals.Garnet Rogers: violin, flute, vocals.David Alan Eadie: electric bass, pennywhistle, vocals....
(1979) - Northwest PassageNorthwest Passage (album)-Track listing:# "Northwest Passage"# "The Field Behind the Plow"# "Night Guard"# "Working Joe"# "You Can't Stay Here"# "The Idiot"# "Lies"# "Canol Road"# "Free in the Harbour"# "California"...
(1981) - For the FamilyFor the FamilyFor The Family is a 1983 studio album by Canadian folk artist Stan Rogers.In a departure from Rogers' earlier collections of typically original compositions on his own Fogarty's Cove label, this album features renditions of traditional Canadian folk songs as well as songs written by Rogers' relatives...
(1983, on Folk Tradition, posthumous. In liner notes, brother Garnet RogersGarnet RogersGarnet Rogers is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and composer. He began his professional career working with his brother, folk musician Stan Rogers, and arranging Stan's music.-Career:...
mentions "We lost Stan last week...") - From Fresh WaterFrom Fresh WaterFrom Fresh Water is a 1984 album by Stan Rogers. It was one of a series of concept albums Rogers intended to do about the regions of Canada...
(1984, posthumous) - Home in HalifaxHome In HalifaxHome in Halifax is a 1993 live album by Stan Rogers. It was recorded by the CBC during a concert Rogers performed at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax, Nova Scotia in March of 1982, 11 years prior. The concert was put together as a life radio and T.V. broadcast celebrating Rogers' annual...
(1993, posthumous) - Poetic Justice (1996, posthumous)
- From Coffee House to Concert HallFrom Coffee House To Concert HallFrom Coffee House To Concert Hall is a 1999 folk music album by Stan Rogers. It is a compilation album of unreleased songs which were recorded before Stan's death...
(1999, posthumous) - The Very Best of Stan Rogers (2011)
External links
- Official website
- The Stan Rogers Folk Festival
- Northern Journey entry for Stan Rogers
- Stan Rogers at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
- Stan Rogers at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Stan-ecdotes: Memories of Stan Rogers & His Music at GeistGeist (magazine)Geist is Canada's most widely read literary magazine. Geist is published four times a year in Vancouver since 1990. The magazine takes its name from the German word geist, meaning "mind" or "spirit."...
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