# Willie P. Bennett

William Patrick "Willie P." Bennett (26 October 1951 – 15 February 2008) was a Canadian folk-music singer-songwriter, harmonica player, and mandolinist. Bennett was part of the 1970s folk music scene in Canada, and wrote and recorded many original songs. As well as performing as a solo artist, he was part of several well-known Ontario bands.

## Life and career

Born in Toronto, Bennett was first recorded by folksinger David Wiffen, who released a cover of "White Lines" in 1973. Bennett released his first album, including his own recording of the song, the following year.
As solo performer, he recorded seven albums. Early in his career, he also formed and fronted a newgrass group, the Bone China Band, touring through Ontario.
Throughout his career, Bennett kept busy as a sideman in bands fronted by other artists. From 1974 to 1979 he toured and recorded with the Dixie Flyers, playing harmonica, while continuing to perform as a solo artist. In the early 1990s, Bennett was a member of Toronto-based Pat Temple's band, the High Lonesome Players, playing live and appearing on their albums. In 1991 he joined Fred Eaglesmith's band, the Flying Squirrels, with whom he toured and recorded, playing chiefly mandolin and harmonica and singing backup vocals, also serving as road manager, until shortly before his death.
Bennett also played harmonica live and on recordings with Joe Hall, Doug McArthur, Sneezy Waters and many other country and folk artists.
Bennett co-wrote the song "Goodbye, So Long, Hello" with Russell deCarle. The song was recorded by deCarle's band Prairie Oyster, released as a single in 1990.
Bennett returned to prominence in 1996, when Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden and Tom Wilson formed Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, a supergroup named for Bennett's 1978 album, and recorded a tribute album featuring Bennett's songs. Bennett's first subsequent album of new material, Heartstrings, won a 1999 Juno Award for Best Roots and Traditional Album – Solo.
During a 2007 Victoria Day weekend concert in Midland, Ontario, Bennett suffered an on-stage heart attack; he continued playing to the end of the concert, but after that was forced to stop touring.
He died of another heart attack on 15 February 2008, at his home in Peterborough, Ontario. At the time of his death, he was recording an album and was planning on rejoining Fred Eaglesmith on tour. His sister inherited his music rights.

## Tributes

David Essig, producer of Bennett's first three albums, paid tribute to him in the song "Willie P", released on the 2009 album Double Vision (with Rick Scott). Canadian country singer Corb Lund wrote a song for Bennett on his 2009 album Losin' Lately Gambler, entitled "It's Hard to Keep a White Shirt Clean". Canadian songwriter Ian Tamblyn's 2009 album Gyre included a song he wrote for Willie called "Hurricane Heart". Americana songwriter Kenny Butterill wrote a song for Willie, "Wille We Miss Ya", released on his 2014 release Troubadour Tales.
In 2010, Bennett was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association's Canadian Country Music Hall of Honour during the Canadian Country Music Awards. The award was accepted by his mother, sister and nephew.
The annual Fred Eaglesmith Charity Picnic in Aylmer, Ontario has hosted an annual Willie P. Bennett Memorial Hangover Run every year since 2010.
In 2014, the "Willie P. Bennett Legacy Project" was launched online, providing a space to share stories and new versions of Bennett's songs and to start a memorial award in his honour.

## Awards

* 1990 Canadian Country Music Association – Song of the Year, for "Goodbye, So Long, Hello" (co-written with Russell deCarle)
* 1998 SOCAN – Song of the Year: Most Played Country Songs of 1997, for "One Way Track" (co-written with Russell deCarle)
* 1999 Juno Award – Best Solo Roots And Traditional Album, for Heartstrings
* 2010 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame – Inducted as Artist

## Discography
### Singles

| Year | Single | CAN Country | Album |
| 1979 | "Lace And Pretty Flowers" / "This Lonesome Feelin' " | — | Blackie and the Rodeo King |
| 1989 | "The Lucky Ones" / "Ain't Got No Notion" | 19 | The Lucky Ones |
| 1989 | "Train Tracks" / "Goodbye So Long Hello" | — | The Lucky Ones |

### Albums

| Year | Album | Label |
| 1975 | Tryin' to Start Out Clean | Woodshed Records |
| 1977 | Hobo's Taunt | Woodshed Records |
| 1979 | Blackie and the Rodeo King | Woodshed Records |
| 1985 | The Lucky Ones | Self-Released |
| 1989 | The Lucky Ones | Duke Street Records |
| 1991 | Collectibles (Anthology) | Dark Light Records |
| 1993 | Take My Own Advice | Dark Light Records |
| 1998 | Heartstrings | Bnatural Records |

### Compilations

| Year | Album | Label | Details |
| 1979 | Collage | Bytown BFFTF 1 | Includes "White Line" (from Tryin' to Start Out Clean) |
| 1979 | Live at the Nervous Breakdown | Nervous Breakdown Productions NB001 | Includes "Has Anyone Seen My Baby Here Tonight" recorded live in London, Ontario, with Mendelson Joe, (mislabeled "Storm Clouds" on LP cover) |
| 1981 | Touch the Earth | CBC LM 473 | Includes "My Pie", recorded live in CBC Studio 4S in Toronto, 1974 |
| 2001 | Festival to Go: All Canadian Sampler Vol. 2 | Festival Distribution FDI 003 | Includes "Restless Wind" (from Heartstrings) |
| 2006 | Hope: The Design Hope Songwriters Project | Design Hope | Includes the original song "Solitaire" |
| 2014 | Live From Dollar Bill's: Bootlegger's Legacy | Not on label | Includes "Tryin' To Start Out Clean", "Come on Train", "It's Not The Love You Give Me", recorded live in Kingston, Ontario |

### With The Dixie Flyers

Willie was a full time member of this bluegrass band, playing on harmonica what would generally be considered the fiddle part.
| Year | Album |
| 1975 | Light Medium Heavy |
| 1976 | Cheaper to Lease |
| 1977 | Just Pickin |

### Pat Temple and the High Lonesome Players

Primarily on harmonica, but also mandolin and harmony vocals.
| Year | Album |
| 1990 | Stone Boat |
| 1991 | Connecting Lines |
| 1994 | Cold Cuts |

### With Fred Eaglesmith

Willie played with Fred for 23 years, live & in the studio, playing acoustic & electric mandolin, harmonica, and singing backup & harmony. He was a full time member of Fred's backing band through various iterations and also worked as road manager.
| Year | Album |
| 1987 | Indiana Road (as Fred J. Eaglesmith) |
| 1990 | Wooden Wheels in Hagersville (single-only release, as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels) |
| 1991 | There Ain't No Easy Road (as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels) |
| 1993 | Things Is Changin' (as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels) |
| 1994 | From the Paradise Motel (live, as Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels) |
| 1996 | Drive in Movie |
| 1997 | Lipstick, Lies and Gasoline |
| 1999 | 50 Odd Dollars |
| 2001 | Ralph's Last Show (live, as Fred Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels) |
| 2002 | Falling Stars and Broken Hearts |
| 2003 | Balin (as Fred Eaglesmith & The Flathead Noodlers) |
| 2003 | The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 2 (live, with The Smokin' Losers & The Flathead Noodlers) |
| 2005 | There Ain't No Easy Road (DVD release of documentary film, includes four tracks performed live by Fred Eaglesmith and The Flying Squirrels) |
| 2006 | Milly's Cafe |
| 2006 | Pickin' In The Pines: Live At The 2005 Great Northern Picnic (live concert DVD, as Fred Eaglesmith And The Flying Squirrels) |
| 2007 | Live Below Sea Level (live concert DVD, as Fred Eagelsmith and band) |
| 2008 | Tinderbox |

### Other contributions

| Year | Album | Artist | Details |
| 1976 | Sisteron | Doug McArthur | Harmonica |
| 1977 | Sad Songs & Waltzes | Bob Webb, Dougie Trineer, Frank Penner, Ross J. Allen | Harmonica on "Long Distance Call (Free Beer)", "Sad Songs And Waltzes", "Midnight Rider" (with Bob Webb) |
| 1977 | Larger Than Life | Denis LePage | Lead vocal & additional lyrics ("John Henry, The Gambler"), harmonica |
| 1978 | The Doctor Is In | Denis LePage | Harmonica ("Dalrymple", "Gravel Run", "Over The Rainbow") |
| 1978 | Hard Rock Miner | Glen Reid | Harmonica, band member |
| 1979 | Denis Lepage & Station Road | Denis Lepage & Station Road | Harmonica |
| 197? | Musician at Large | Richard Knechtel | Harmonica |
| 1980 | It's High Time | Coyote | Harmonica |
| 1981 | Sings Hank Williams | Sneezy Waters | Harmonica |
| 1985 | Fire in the Snow | Terry Christenson | Harmonica |
| 1986 | The Immortals | Colin Linden | Backing vocals |
| 1987 | Summer Heart | Terry Christenson | Harmonica |
| 1990 | Different Kind of Fire | Prairie Oyster | Co-wrote "Goodbye, So Long, Hello" with Russel deCarle |
| 1990 | Violet And Black | Scott Merritt | Harmonica |
| 1992 | On The Lam | Rick Kane | Backing Vocals, Mandolin, Bass Guitar, Harmonica, Percussion; co-producer, engineer & mastering. |
| 1993 | Drinking with the Poet | Scott B. Sympathy | Harmonica |
| 1994 | Antarctica | Ian Tamblyn | Harmonica on "The Penguin Came From Pittsburgh" & "The Bloodvein" |
| 1995 | Straight Line | Katherine Wheatley | Mandolin, harmonica on "Main Street" |
| 1995 | Hear Them Callin' | Kevin Head | Harmonica & vocals on "Turn On Your Love Light", mandolin on "Flea Market Romance", harmonica on "Full Moon" |
| 1995 | The Stars Above | Tim Harrison | Harmonica |
| 1996 | High or Hurtin' | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Vocals, harmony vocals, harmonica, mandolin |
| 1996 | Slightly Haunted | Lynn Miles | Harmonica on "I Always Told You The Truth", "Long Time Coming", harmonica & mandolin on "The Ghost of Deadlock" |
| 1996 | She & She & She | Bird Sisters | Harmonica |
| 1996 | Lonely City Cowboy | Riki Gee | Mandolin, harmonica |
| 1997 | Blue Plate Special | Prairie Oyster | Harmony Vocals "She Won't Be Lonely Long", "In The Summertime"; Co-wrote "One Way Track" with Russell deCarle |
| 1997 | Flying Jenny | Linda McRae | Harmonica |
| 1997 | Industrial Lullaby | Stephen Fearing | Co-wrote "Coryanna", Harmonica on "So Many Miles Away", "Dog on a Chain" |
| 1997 | What Do You Hear In These Sounds | Dar Williams | Mandolin, vocals on "I'm Wilder Than Her" (with Fred Eaglesmith) |
| 1998 | Painter Passing Through | Gordon Lightfoot | Harmonica on "Uncle Toad Said" |
| 1999 | Handle with Care | Paul McKay & the Perfect Strangers | Lead vocals ("Bless This World'", "Back to the Country", "Maybe It's Crazy", "Wildwood Lullaby"), harmonica ("Back to the Country") |
| 1999 | Kings Of Love | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Harmonica & vocals ("Patience Of A Working Man"), mandolin ("Lean On Your Peers", "Red Dress"), harmonica ("If You Have To Choose") |
| 2000 | Rough but Honest Miner | Richard Wright | Harmonica (member of Wake Up Jacob Band) |
| 2001 | Walk On | Terry Tufts | Harmonica, Jew's harp |
| 2002 | Jazz: All Over The Map | Paul McKay | vocals on "Maybe It's Crazy", "Wildwood Lullaby" |
| 2003 | Dirty Rotten Shame | Stephen Hogg | Backing Vocals, Harmonica, Mandolin, Jew's Harp |
| 2003 | Just a Songwriter | Kenny Butterill | Mandolin |
| 2005 | The Canadian F̶i̶d̶d̶l̶e̶ Violin | John P. Allen | Guitar & harmonica on "Lace and Pretty Flowers" |
| 2005 | Sweet Relief | Lynn Jackson | Harmonica, mandolin |
| 2005 | Roger Marin Jr | Roger Marin Jr | Harmonica; Co-wrote "It Breaks My Heart" with Roger Marin Jr. |
| 2006 | I'm a Mountain | Sarah Harmer | Harmonica on "How Deep in the Valley" |
| 2006 | Hope: The Design Hope Songwriters Project | Various Artists | Mandolin on Linda Duemo track "Circus Life", harmonica on Dan Medakovic track "Fine Line'" |
| 2007 | Lovers Find Reasons | Lindsay Jane | |
| 2007 | Anywhere | Paul O'Toole | Mandolin on "Creepy Coated Love Song" |
| 2007 | High Roads | Roger Marin | Harmonica |
| 2007 | Redneck Lullaby | J.P. Riemens & the Bar Flies | Harmonica ("Indian Girl", "Small Town Inertia"), backup vocals ("Redneck Lullaby") |
| 2007 | I Dreamt I Had a Recurring Dream | Wally High and the Non-Prophets | Co-wrote "Angels in Prison (Biting at Angels)"; mandolin, harmonica, guitar, backing vocals on multiple tracks |
| 2008 | Evening Bird | Paul McKay & the Perfect Strangers | Lead vocals on "Just Another Kid in Graceland" |
| 2015 | Day For Day | Pat Temple | Co-wrote "Back In Style" with Pat Temple |

## Cover versions

| Song | Artist | Album | Year |
| Andrew's Waltz | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Kings of Love (also on the 2009 compilation Swinging From The Chains of Love) | 1999 |
| Andrew's Waltz | Claire Lynch | North By South | 2016 |
| Blackie & the Rodeo King | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Caney Fork River | Old Man Luedecke | My Hands Are on Fire and Other Love Songs | 2010 |
| Come on Train | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Country Squall | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Crying The Blues | Audrey Auld | Tonk | 2013 |
| Don't Blame Your Blues On Me | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Let's Frolic Again | 2007 |
| Don't Have Much to Say | Sneezy Waters | You've Got Sawdust on the Floor of Your Heart | 1978 |
| Driftin' Snow | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Faces | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| For the Sake of a Dollar | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings with Russell deCarle | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Goodbye, So Long, Hello | Prairie Oyster | Different Kind of Fire (also released as a single, 1990) | 1990 |
| Has Anyone Seen My Baby Here Tonight | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| If I Could Take My Own Advice | Prairie Oyster | Different Kind of Fire (CD versions only, also b-side to US single release of Goodbye, So Long, Hello, 1990) | 1990 |
| If I Could Take My Own Advice | Pat Temple | Day For Day | 2015 |
| If You Have to Choose | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Job Disorder | Scott B. Sympathy | Neil Young Street | 1990 |
| Job Disorder | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| John Henry The Gambler | Tom Wilson | Live at the Acoustic Grill | 2010 |
| Lace and Pretty Flowers | Binder Brothers | Binder Nation | 2006 |
| Lace and Pretty Flowers | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Lace and Pretty Flowers | John P. Allen | Canadian Fiddle (violin) | 2005 |
| Lace and Pretty Flowers | Sneezy Waters | You've Got Sawdust on the Floor of Your Heart | 1978 |
| Maybe Grandfather | Jay Linden | Ordinary Sunrise | 2023 |
| Music in Your Eyes | Colleen Peterson | Beginning to Feel Like Home (also on a 1976 CBC Radio Canada International broadcast LP – cat no. LM 410) | 1973 |
| Music in Your Eyes | Garnet Rogers | Garnet Rogers | 1984 |
| Music in Your Eyes | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Music in Your Eyes | Stan Rogers | From Coffee House to Concert Hall | 1999 |
| My Pie | Washboard Hank | Human Beans | 2016 |
| Patience of a Working Man | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Rains on Me | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Rains on Me | Doug Cox & Sam Hurrie | Old Friends | 2017 |
| Red Dress | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| Sometimes it Comes So Easy | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Let's Frolic Again (also on the 2009 compilation Swinging From The Chains of Love) | 2007 |
| Stealin' Away | Colleen Peterson | Colleen | 1977 |
| Stealin' Away | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| Step Away | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings with Emmylou Harris | Kings & Queens | 2011 |
| The Lucky Ones | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | Kings of Love | 1999 |
| This Lonesome Feelin' | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings with Vince Gill | Kings And Kings | 2016 |
| This Lonesome Feelin' | Denis Lepage & Station Road | At the Cowboy Arms Hotel | 1980 |
| Tryin' to Start Out Clean | Colleen Peterson | Colleen (also on the 1994 compilation What Goes Around Comes Around) | 1977 |
| Turnkey | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' | 1996 |
| White Line | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | High or Hurtin' (also on the 2009 compilation Swinging From The Chains of Love) | 1996 |
| White Line | Billie Hughes | Horton, Bates & Best – The Last Catch | 1981 |
| White Line | David Wiffen | Coast to Coast Fever (also released as a single in 1974) | 1973 |
| White Line | Doug Seegers | A Story I Got To Tell | 2019 |
| White Line | John Starling | Long Time Gone | 1993 |
| White Line | Jonathan Edwards | Rockin' Chair (also b-side of the single Favourite Song 1976) | 1975 |
| White Line | Peter Pringle | Peter Pringle | 1976 |
| White Line | Pure Prairie League | Can't Hold Back | 1979 |
| White Line | The Seldom Scene | Live at the Cellar Door | 1974 |
| Willie's Diamond Joe | Blackie & the Rodeo Kings | BARK | 2003 |
| Willie's Diamond Joe | Matt Andersen | Coal Mining Blues | 2011 |
| Willie's Diamond Joe | Russell deCarle Trio | Live at Loud Mouse Studios | 2014 |
| You Care | Kenny Neal | One Step Closer | 2001 |