Tommy Hunter, a classic country singer known as “Canada’s Country Gentleman,” has passed away. He was 89 years old.
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According to CBC, Hunter died on July 2 of natural causes at a retirement home in London, Ontario. Entertainment promoter and manager Brian Edwards confirmed the news. It was reported that his family and rescue dog were at his bedside at the time of his passing.
Born in March 1937, Hunter began his country music career in the late 1950s. He was first cast as a rhythm guitarist on the CBC TV show Country Hoedown. The singer’s hit show, The Tommy Hunter Show, premiered in 1960. The show replaced The Happy Gang and, later, Country Hoedown in 1965.
Among country music stars who performed on his show were Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, The Judds, and Yvonna Murray.
Country music has received numerous accolades over the years. He was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985.
Hunter became a member of the Order of Canada in 1986 and a member of the Order of Ontario in 1996. He also received three Canadian Juno Awards and one Gemini Award.
In 1990, he received a spot on the Country Music Hall of Fame’s “Walkway of Stars.”
He later received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. He was further honored with a GMA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
Following the cancellation of his show, Hunter toured with his band, The Traveling Man. He officially retired with his final tour in 2012.
Hunter Previously Reflected on the Cancellation of His TV Show
During a previous interview, Hunter spoke about the cancellation of his long-running TV show.
“I didn’t hear ‘specials,’ all I heard was [that] they’re going to cancel the show,” he explained. “I felt like I failed the whole thing. What did I do wrong?”
Hunter further recalled his final tour performance. “If I wander off, as I often do… I start losing it,” he said. “I start getting emotional because all these memories come back.”
“There’s going to be emotional moments,” he continued. “[But] at least I’m still breathing, and at least I can say thank you, and goodbye.”