Awards began the next four months of 2019: Luke Combs added to his trophy count with three Billboard Music Awards (May 1), for Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Artist and Top Country Album for “This One’s For You;” High Valley received a gold record for “Make You Mine” during a performanc on The Grand Ole Opry; at the London Music Awards (May 5), Genevieve Fisher won Country Artist, while singer/songwriter Nora Galloway and fiddler John P. Allen were inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame; Tim Hicks and Lindsay Ell won Video of the Year for “The Worst Kind” at the Canadian Music Week Awards (May 11); Meghan Patrick dominated the Country Music Association of Ontario awards (June 16) in Ottawa with five wins (Fans’ Choice, Female Artist, Songwriter, Album and Music Video), while Tim Hicks, The Reklaws, The Abrams and Jade Eagleson also took home trophies; and Luke Combs became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry (July 16).

(Meghan Patrick wins Female Artist at the Country Music Association of Ontario awards)

Among the new arrivals: Chris Stapleton’s wife, Morgane, announced (May 12) on social media the arrival of their fifth child without identifying the baby’s name or gender; Brooks Raney, son of former Lovelocks member Ali Raney and her husband (May 23); June, daughter of singer/songwriter Ben Hudson and Brooke (May 28); Huckleberry, son of singer/songwriter Randy Houser and his wife, Tatiana (June 9); Brighton, daughter of Luke, from The Hunter Brothers, and his wife (July 31); Kassidy, son of singer/songwriter Ryan Laird his wife, Jacqueline (Aug. 8); Beau, son of former Canadian Idol contestant Jaydee Bixby and Meghan Spicer (Aug. 19); that same day, Tyler Hubbard and his wife, Hayley, welcomed Luca to the world; and Finley, daughter of singer Dylan Scott and his wife Blair (Aug. 28).

Promoter Bill Carruthers brought his “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” tribute show to Tillsonburg (May 4), featuring Marie Bottrell, Thomas Wade and Kiley Joe Masson. I introduced the show and sang “Folsom Prison Blues.” No one had any idea we would lose Bill with his passing just over a month later.

(Bill Carruthers)

Other passages: Earl Chambers, leader of The Cooks Mills Ramblers back in my hometown of Welland and father of singer Cathy Chambers, at age 88 (May 4); singer/guitarist Leon Rausch, of Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys, at age 91 (May 14); former head of EMI Music Canada, Deane Cameron, at age 65 (May 16); songwriter Dan Mitchell, who co-wrote Alabama’s “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas…” (May 22); singer, songwriter and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame member Ralph Murphy, who had hit songs recorded by such superstars as Crystal Gayle and Ronnie Milsap, at the age of 77 (May 28); Locally, Dorothy Racknor, a longtime performer at area open mic jams and who often played her accordion, at age 91 (May 11); Tyler Warren, who had been stricken with brain cancer and whom I MC’ed a fundraising concert for in 2018, at age 29 (May 14); River, the 3-year-old son of Granger Smith and his wife, Amber, in a drowning accident (June 6); and singer/songwriter Russell Smith, of The Amazing Rhythm Aces and Run C&W, of cancer (July 12) at the age of 70.

Among the artists who stopped by for interviews: singer/songwriter Chris Barclay (May 7); Rob Kirkham, Jeff Black and Kenny Ef of Rob Kirkham and Neon Rain (May 10); Dean Brody (June 13); Niagara Falls singer/songwriter Ryan Langdon (June 19); Genevieve Fisher on her birthday! (June 20); B.C. singer/songwriter Beamer Wigley (June 21); London singer/songwriter Aaron Allen (July 3) just hours after the final mix of his next single “Good Tattoo” was done; Andrew Hyatt (July 25); Madeline Merlo (Aug. 12); Chris Buck (Aug. 13) for the third time this year; and Callie McCullough (Aug. 23).

On May 27, the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) announced the three finalists for the Sirius XM Top of the Country competition (May 27). One of them, Tim & Glory Boys, performed in Tillsonburg three weeks earlier (May 6). A second finalist, Kelsi Mayne, also performed in Tillsonburg a few weeks later (June 14). And the CCMA announced (June 18) Charlie Major and publicist Anya Wilson would be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in Sept. The CCMA also announced (Aug. 6) Dallas Smith and Billy Ray Cyrus would host the national awards show in Sept. The Country Music Association of Ontario announced (Aug. 29) the provincial awards would return to London in 2020.

Among some changes: River Town Saints announced Chase Kasner as their new lead singer (May 8).

(River Town Saints with their newest member)

Big concerts continued in the middle of the year: Dwight Yoakam performed in London (June 7) and I had to delete every photo I took after I was told near the end of the concert that cameras were not allowed; that same day, Florida Georgia Line performed in Hamilton at the PGA’s Canadian Open golf championship; and Country 107.3 hosted the annual Tillsonburg Turtlefest Downtown Block Party with Kelsi Mayne, Nice Horse and The Abrams (June 14).

(The Abrams performing at the 2019 Tillsonburg Turtlefest street concert)

I was privileged MC many concerts: the CMAOntario’s Legacy Revival Show (June 16) in Ottawa with performances by Randall Prescott, Tracey Brown, Kelly Prescott, Gil Grand, Jamie Warren and Charlie Major; the 11th annual Boot Hill Jamboree (near Bothwell) with three days of concerts (Aug. 2-4) featuring The Southlanders (Dave & Colt), the tribute band Paying Cash, Gunpowder & Grace, Buck Twenty, The Abrams, Restless Heart, David Boyd Janes, Graham Bedard, The Thompsons, Marshall Dane, Tristan Horncastle, Mike Walker’s “Conway Remembered” tribute show, Fugitive, Big Tobacco & The Pickers, High Court County, Johnson’s Creek, Ben & Noel Haggard, and Tanya Tucker.

(With Ben Haggard, Merle’s son)

Among the shows I attended: Jim & Cindy’s “Dixon & Company” band show at the Woodstock Streetfest (Aug. 10); Southbound, with Fred Lewis on guitar, at the new bandshell in Tillsonburg, Ont. (also Aug. 10) and featuring guests Diane Chase and Michael Warren; and The Small Town Girls at a fundraiser for Tillsonburg’s Annandale House Historic Museum (Aug. 24).

And singer Chris Lane proposed (June 16) to Lauren Bushnell by playing a song for her called “Big, Big Plans.” The moment was captured in a charming video.