“Canada’s Country Gentleman,” as he was known for decades on CBC, Tommy Hunter pased away peacefully July 2 in the city where he was born, London Ontario. He was 89.
Hunter was a friendly face on Canadian television for decades. The tall singer/musician first entered living rooms while still in his teen years on Country Hoedown in 1956. Starting in 1965, through 1992, he enjoyed a 27-year run on the weekly country variety series The Tommy Hunter Show. In its later years, the series also aired in the U.S. on The Nashville Network.
His series featured a Who’s Who of country music artists, with everyone from his idol Roy Acuff to Hank Snow, Kitty Wells, Ray Price, and Johnny Cash. He also showcased guests such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Reba McEntire. Canadians such as k,d, lang, Michelle Wright and Shania Twain performed, with Anne Murray making an early appearance in 1970.
I don’t believe any other North American music variety show lasted longer. Hunter’s 27 years on one network tops The Ed Sullivan Show and Hee Haw, and spans more than twice the years of Carol Burnett and Dean Martin. His tenure outlasted such Canadian staples as The Friendly Giant and The Beachcombers, as well as current scripted hits such as Murdoch Mysteries, about to enter its 20th season.
Part of that longevity can be attributed to Hunter’s directive that the series be pitched beyond its country music base. “I’m not sure what I want,” he said at the outset of his long series run, “but I know what I don’t want. I don’t want a barn and I don’t want bales of hay.”
Over 40 years ago, in 1985, Hunter was among the diverse group of Canadian performers who chimed in on the charity anthem “Tears Are Not Enough.” Murray, Bryan Adams, Geddy Lee, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Burton Cummings and Bruce Cockburn can also be heard.
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Beyond his own series, Hunter made appearances as a guest with Wayne & Shuster and on Juliette and Hee Haw. When his series was cancelled in 1992, he continued to perform up to 75 live shows a year across Canada, including tours on many military bases.
He retired at 75 in 2012 having recieved many honours, including the Order of Canada and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Country Music Association. He leaves behind three children, four grandchildren, one great grandchild and his faithful rescue dog.
