The Sounds Of Nova Scotia Volume 2
John Allan Cameron was playing pipe tunes on the 12 string guitar in the 1960's. He was a lone voice for the Celtic tradition, touring the country and, with his own television show, became a household name in Canada. Today, 10 albums and 27 years later, he is still going strong.The Rankins have had tremendous commercial and critical success in the past eight years since the group recorded its first independent albums,The Rankin Familyand the platinum-selling smashFare Thee Well Love. Following that they were signed to EMI and have released several other best-selling albums and have toured the world to rave reviews. The group has won four Juno awards and a dozen East Coast Music Awards.Born in Big Pond, Cape Breton, Rita MacNeil recorded her first album, Born A Woman, in 1975, the first of three recorded independently. Her major label debut came in 1987 with Flying On Her Own on Virgin Records. She is the only female singer ever to have three albums in Australia's Top 100 in the same year. In 1990 she sold more records in Canada than Garth Brooks and Clint Black. In 1991 she was invited to play at Royal Albert Hall in London, England. In 1992 she was named a member of the Order of Canada by then Governor-General Ray Hnatyshyn. In the mid-1990's, MacNeil hosted Rita & Friends, her own CBC television show.Miller's Jug has been a mainstay on the Atlantic Canadian pub circuit for well over a decade. Their rousing renditions of Maritime folk songs and other traditional favourites can be found on two album releases,The Nova Scotia AlbumandHeritage.John Gracie was born in Glace Bay, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and is a two time winner of the East Coast Music Association's Male Vocalist of the Year award. He is a singer and songwriter of folk, country, and adult contemporary music and has hosted and/or appeared on international radio and television programs including specials on CBC, CTV, Global, The Nashville Network and the US Fox Network. John has performed his music around the globe including Japan, throughout Europe, across Canada and the United States and Bermuda and has released three albums.Growing up in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, the Barra MacNeils were exposed to Cape Breton traditional music at a young age. They began playing professionally in the early 1980's and recorded three independent albums before signing with PolyGram. The band also won the Roots/Traditional Artist Category at the East Coast Music Awards. In 1996 the Barra MacNeils won Pop-Rock Artists of the Year and in 1997 they were nominated for Group of the Year as well as Entertainer of the Year.Born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, Sam Moon has performed with over 100 musicians, under names such as Sam Moon & The Power Unit (with Richie Oakley) and The Universal Power (The Matt Minglewood & Sam Moon Duo) which lasted 8 years or so. Over the years Sam has shared stages with such greats as ZZ Top, The Guess Who, The Doobie Brothers, Sass Jordan, The Band, The Atlantic Rhythm Section, Delbert McClinton, Steppenwolf, and The Beach Boys. Sam has produced one solo album,New Moon, in 1982 with an international hit, Eclipse, and several other Eastern Canada hits, Hostage, Midday Matinee, and Dr. Rock & Roll. His own composition "Girls Of Neil's Harbour" was recorded especially for this compilation.Max MacDonald has had a varied career as a singer, actor, songwriter and currently as an entertainment manager. Max was lead vocalist of the hugely popular and ground breaking group Buddy and the Boys in the late 70s and early 80s and was a perennial favourite in the touring music and comedy revues 'The Rise and Follies of Cape Breton' and 'The Cape Breton Summertime Revue' from 1977 until 1995.Fred Lavery is one of Cape Breton's best known instrumentalists and songwriters. Until the loss of his singing voice in the early 80s he led a successful group "Road" and released a solo album 'First Impressions' featuring many of his own compositions. For years he was a band member of The Cape Breton Summertime Revue. He now devotes his time to songwriting, session work and his recording studio, LakeWind Sound, which he owns with a partner, Gordie Sampson, one of Cape Breton's hottest new stars.Violinist, guitarist and vocalist Teresa Doyle hails from Prince Edward Island and was a co-winner of the Best Children's Artist category at the recent East Coast Music Awards. Her music is laced with Gaelic, Celtic and Acadian traditions.