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bass, respectively. In 1962, the duo joined "The Beck Family", led by George Beck who held contests in New
Germany and in other towns in Nova Scotia until Beck, Williams and Cromwell started another band called "George Beck and The Maritime Playboys". The group worked with Hall of Fame musician, Ross Broughm who appeared as a lead guitarist during the period. Later, Beck negotiated an arrangement where the group toured northern
249:. In 1978, "I Wish You Were With Me Tonight" was released Grand Slam Record Label and peaked at number 47. Also In both 1976 and 1977, Williams received certificates of merit from The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Williams was nominated for the CCMA Award in the Outstanding Artist Award category in 1978. During the 1980s, Williams released a number of recordings on the J-Bash record label and performed at
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performer began by listening to numerous acts featured on The Grand Ole Opry when he was seven or eight years old. Williams acquired his first guitar at the age of six when his mother ordered him one from a Sears catalog for $ 9.95 and his brother Robert first started to show him how to play. Williams would also begin a lifelong friendship with his neighbour and future bandmate, Harry
Cromwell, during these early years.
78:. Williams is considered one of Canada's earliest bluegrass performers, has appeared on several notable TV programs on the CBC, CTV, and many other networks in addition to winning many awards for his music and for his achievements and role as a pioneering Canadian entertainer. He has released a number of top 100 charting songs in addition to working with several notable entertainers such as The Carter Family, Ronnie
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with
Williams on fiddle, vocals and rhythm guitar, Cromwell on lead guitar and mandolin and Vic Mullen playing the 5-string banjo. Over the course of their time together, The Birch Mountain Boys became "...one of the first to play and record bluegrass music north of the border..." The Birch Mountain
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stores across Canada during the 90's. Starting in the early 2000s, Williams focussed mostly on recording and performing gospel music. In 2013, Williams was inducted into The Nova Scotia
Country Music Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in the music industry. Williams returned to CBC programming in
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had heard of the duo's performances and was interested in forming a bluegrass band with them which was a relatively new genre in Canada at that point. Williams moved back to
Hassetts and the three began a band called The Birch Mountain Boys upon his return. Between the fall of 1957 and the spring
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Brent
Williams was born on a small farm in Hassetts, Nova Scotia, to Ethel Ena May Williams on March 25, 1940. He was the youngest of eight children and was "Influenced by his mother's love of music and encouraged by his brother to begin playing guitar" early in life. His interest in being a career
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When
Williams was a teenager, he began his musical career when he started playing at local parties dances and competitions with Harry Cromwell. In 1957, Williams relocated to his older sister's residence in Halifax to work a construction job. In the fall of that year, Williams received a call from
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for the performance. They also appeared on a program led by Vic Mullen during this period called CJCH Jamboree. It was also during this time that the duo recorded their first record as featured performers titled "Country
Special with Brent & Harry" with Mullen and Walker providing fiddle and
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After The Birch
Mountain Boys disbanded in 1961, Williams and Cromwell toured as "The Brent & Harry Show", utilizing various "pick-up bands" from locations they performed at in the Maritimes. Later, the duo were given an opportunity to appear on the popular
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of 1958, Mullen taught
Williams and Cromwell how to play the fiddle and mandolin in the bluegrass style, respectively. During the spring 1961, the Birch Mountain Boys began to tour and play at various small venues across the
241:'s weekly ranking. "Back Home in Georgia" reached number 25 in 1972 and "Til' I Can't Take it Anymore" which reached number 37 in 1973. Also that year, Williams became a founding member of
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until 1969. Starting in 1970, Williams recorded and released several albums for Marathon Records until moving to Boot Records where he recorded two singles that charted on
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2015 when he was the featured musician in Studio Black!, a show that tells African Canadian stories and received a lifetime achievement award from the
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Boys incorporated various other musicians as bassists during this time and the musician that worked with The Birch Mountain Boys the most was
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after receiving an offer to join notable French Canadian performer
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playing at several venues in the nightclub scene there, such as
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Williams began his solo career in 1965 when he transitioned to
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Inductee of the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame. (2013)
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and also performed regularly in Montreal during this time.
245:. In 1975, Williams won The Bon Soo fiddle competition in
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who eventually became a permanent member of the group.
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Cromwell who informed him that professional musician
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473:Levi Breton Williams Before and After Notoriety
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602:"RPM Magazine Top 100 Country Music Chart"
267:Canadian Country Music Association Awards:
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334:"TF007 New Brunswick: Maritime Bluegrass"
754:20th-century Black Canadian male singers
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197:while also appearing on the program the
358:"Bluegrass | The Canadian Encyclopedia"
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525:McIntosh, Daniel (February 22, 2022).
256:African Nova Scotian Music Association
243:The Canadian Country Music Association
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499:Smith, Emma (November 27, 2019).
734:21st-century Canadian musicians
632:Library and Archives of Canada
606:Library and Archives of Canada
580:Library and Archives of Canada
362:www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
120:Osborne Bros, Wilburn Bros, Je
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72:Levi Brenton (Brent) Williams
729:Canadian bluegrass musicians
628:"RPM Magazine Top 100 Chart"
576:"RPM Magazine Top 100 Chart"
201:Jamboree originating out of
33:Hassett, Nova Scotia, Canada
277:Nominated work / Recipient
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724:Canadian country musicians
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744:Singers from Nova Scotia
471:Williams, Brent (2022).
719:Canadian gospel singers
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475:. Writers' Republic.
207:Drummondville, Quebec
165:The Maritime Playboys
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213:band and TV show on
176:Don Messer's Jubilee
116:Stompin' Tom Connors
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634:. November 18, 1978
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582:. October 14, 1972
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104:Angus Walker
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235:The Matador
225:Solo career
703:Categories
663:2024-05-11
561:2022-10-29
552:"Inductee"
434:2022-10-28
425:"Inductee"
367:2022-10-28
343:2022-10-28
312:References
297:Nominated
193:region of
180:Vic Mullen
146:Vic Mullen
130:Early life
124:n Sheppard
84:Vic Mullen
57:Occupation
556:nscmhf.ca
531:Readrange
429:nscmhf.ca
280:Category
51:Bluegrass
187:and the
174:program
61:Musician
684:Discogs
283:Result
251:Walmart
215:CHLT-TV
199:CHAU-TV
80:Prophet
47:Country
658:cbc.ca
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195:Quebec
43:Gospel
39:Genres
288:1978
274:Year
190:Gaspé
694:IMDb
640:2022
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477:ISBN
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29:Born
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