According to a Facebook post from a few days ago, Canadian country musician Lenny Wilde has passed away. The post mentions he died on Jan. 3.

Len Wilde began playing guitar in bands when he was just 14. A founding member of Whisky Hollow, considered to be one of the first Canadian country rock bands, the group was formed in 1974. They got the name from a Brantford, Ont., neighbourhood that was so named in the 1880’s because of all the distilleries in the area.

Whisky Hollow played their first gig in 1975 at the Burford fairgrounds. They released three albums and had four singles that made the national country charts in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Their first single, “Cinderella,” was recorded at the Mercey Brothers’ studio in Elmira. But their first top 40 hit was a cover of the Rolling Stones’ classic “It’s All Over Now” in 1978 (which John Anderson would cover in 1985 and have a top 20 hit with on the Billboard country singles chart).

Wilde was also the music director for the TV show “Lively Country,” with Whisky Hollow serving as the house band for three years. The show was taped at the studios of CHCH-TV in Hamilton and syndicated internationally. Len also formed Shotgun Records, based in the Brantford area. Whisky Hollow received two nominations for Best Performing Group at the RPM (Magazine) Big Country Awards in 1980 and 1981 (in conjunction with the forerunner of the Canadian Country Music Association).

(Len Wilde performing with Whisky Hollow, Aug. 1983, at 1470 CHOW’s Fan Fair concert, Welland, Ont.)

By the early 1990’s, Lenny had moved to Florida and went on to release a solo album, “Savannah Nights,” in 2014 with cover photography and a co-write on one track, “The Rest of My Friends,” by his wife, Marnie.

Wilde was diagnosed with ALS in February 2018. He was 73 at the time of his passing. Condolences to his family, friends and fans.