“Country Gentleman” Tommy Hunter Has Died

In Canada, he was one of the most recognized and beloved performers and presenters of country music. His footprint grew so big, it extended into the United States where The Tommy Hunter Show was piped into 75 million American households through syndication on TNN. He was called the “Country Gentleman” because nobody came across more personable than Tommy. That is why his passing on Thursday, July 2nd at the age of 89 was marked with sadness on both sides of the North American border.

A Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer, a member of both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada, and a three-time Juno Awards winner (Canada’s version of the Grammys), Tommy Hunter was considered a national treasure in Canada, and an ambassador for country music in the United States. The Tommy Hunter Show that aired for 27 years between 1965 and 1992 became a proving ground for country music talent, from hosting names like Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, and Kitty Wells early on, to Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, and Alan Jackson in later seasons.

Many Canadian acts also owe their starts or support to Tommy Hunter and his TV program, from Hank Snow and Gordon Lightfoot, all the way to Shania Twain, known at the time as Eilleen “Ellie” Twain, who made her television debut on the show in 1981 at the age of 15.

Tommy Hunter didn’t start out as a TV host, but as a country music singer, guitarist, fiddle player, and performer. He learned guitar at the age of nine, and while still a teenager ended up playing rhythm guitar for Sons of the West on the CBC TV program Country Hoedown in 1956. He was given his own television program at the age of 28, The Tommy Hunter Show. As the show took off, TV stations in the United States began adding the program, and eventually TNN syndicated the show starting in 1983.

Unlike stage shows in the United States, Tommy Hunter side stepped all the hokey stage presentation like hay bales and barn doors. He felt like the music could hold its own, and country music deserved to be presented in a more dignified manner. This helped lend to the moniker “Canada’s Country Gentleman.” When the show was eventually cancelled in 1992, it was the longest-running music program in all of North America, predating Austin City Limits and Hee-Haw.

Tommy Hunter remained a performer and recording artist himself, which helped earn him credibility with other country entertainers. He recorded for Columbia Records and Harmony Records, and in the late ’60s/early ’70s was one of Canadian country’s biggest stars. He minted seven total Top 10 hits in Canada, including the #1 “Mary in the Morning,” and three #2 hits in that era. When he minted a Top 20 song in 1990 with Janie Fricke called “Couldn’t See The Gold,” that marked hits for Tommy Hunter in four separate decades in Canada.

Tommy Hunter’s song “Travellin’ Man” from his debut album Travelling with Tommy Hunter became his signature song, and the theme song for The Tommy Hunter Show. When the show was cancelled, he continued on as a performer for many years, remaining to be revered by fans of classic country music. Along with singing and playing guitar, Tommy Hunter was famous for playing the fiddle, including under his knee.

He officially retired after a farewell tour in 2012, but would continue to make public appearances afterwards. That same year he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Tommy Hunter was born in London, Ontario on March 20th, 1937. He died in London, Ontario with his son Greg and a rescue dog Desi by his side. Hunter had always been a champion of the Humane Society and animal rescue organizations. He leaves behind three children, four grandchildren and one great grandchild.

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