Gene O'Connor For the past four decades Gene has been entertaining audiences with his own brand of home grown country music.
The Gene O’Connor show has opened for artists such as Ray Price, Charlie Pride and Dave & Sugar during the late seventies and early eighties. In June 1993, Gene and his new band “Legend” back new Warner Brothers artist Chris Cummings for three sold out shows in New Brunswick. In July 1993 Gene O’Connor and Legend opened a sold out show for country music outlaw Waylon Jennings. Gene and the band received rave reviews from the fans and Waylon Jennings himself. In 1994 he opened for Tanya Tucker and Brooks & Dunn. Also on the card was Doug Stone, Charlie Major, Irish Descendants and more.
The Early Years
Gene hails from a farming community of the South Eastern New Brunswick town of Sussex. At the age of 5, Gene took a liking to the guitar and singing. He also sang and yodeled on the Lone Pine and Betty Cody Talent Show and won top final. By age 10, Gene was singing at parties with his brothers who were also musical. Gene was considered one of the fastest yodelers around the age of 13; a title he still has today. After leaving Sussex, Gene sang and played at the Fredericton Jamboree.
At age 20, Gene left New Brunswick and played the London, Hamilton and Toronto circuit for ten years before returning to New Brunswick. He then formed a new band and played the Maritime circuit. He also joined the Art Marr Jamboree and became a feature artist every week. During the seventies Gene wrote songs and put music to many songs where he performed in many bars. At the end of the seventies Gene recorded many of his own compositions. One of these songs, “She My Very Own” was picked as Canada’s up and coming country single in 1979. Gene also played on the Curly O’Brien Show.
In the eighties, Gene cut back on touring and played the Saint John area. A new business venture kept him from the music scene for a few years. In the 90’s he was back writing new songs himself and collaborated with friends on others. He and his band Legend are releasing a new CD featuring his new songs which he will promote now that he is going back touring. Gene is also one of three founders and directors of the New Brunswick Music Association.
So, if you or your patrons long to hear a good tight country dance band, Gene O’Connor and Legend are ready to entertain.
Harvey Wayne From earliest memory, music has been an important and pleasant part of my life. Early childhood was spent singing old hymns of the church and in later years to choir singing. My first introduction to country music was from hearing one of the neighbors playing harmonica cranking out some of Jimmy Rodgers classics which totally fascinated this 6 or 7 year old lad who vowed to learn to play the harmonica. We moved to Saint John when I was 9 and at 11 I met a boy my age that loved to sing Wilf Carter songs. We could both yodel in harmony and we were soon performing at several functions around the city.
At 13 I signed up for a course at the Hawaii School of Music. The fee was $1.00 per week which covered the cost of the instrument which was yours to keep at the end of the course. Three of us graduated with certificates and now added another instrument to our trio performances.
In the late thirties, we were asked to play for round and square dances at the Musquash Hall. We had 2 guitars and a harmonica and could play in the keys of C, D and G for variety.
In 1940, I got a call from George Hector asking me to join the Maritime Farmers Radio Show and Dance Band. To get an opportunity to play with George Hector, Frank Adamson, and Normie Hamilton was a dream come true. By this time I had an SS Stewart Arch Top Guitar and I would also play the Hawaiian while Ned accompanied me on the flat top on radio shows. We had a live show on CHSJ on Church Street, 7:00 to 7:30 Friday night. The station would record the session and play it Saturday morning for those fans who missed it.
In the early forties we had regular dances at the New Moon at Lakewood on Tuesday and Thursday and at the One Mile House on Monday and Friday. On Saturday I would pick up the gang and head to Dipper Harbour to play for a dance there, where I met my future wife Doreen. During these years we also managed a number of tours through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
I played with the Farmers until the early Fifties when a new job required a lot of road travel but I carried my guitar and jammed when the opportunity arrived.
The years have passed quickly and many of my musical friends are no longer with us. It is an honour and a privilege to have been selected to join my old friends with the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame. My thanks to the committee.
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