The
16 Cajun-Fiddle-Country songs in this album are drawn from the decade-long
recording career of Bill and Sue-On Hillman -- most are Bill Hillman compositions
and feature the exciting fiddle of Barry Forman. Barry showcases the dynamite
style which has won the Manitoba Fiddle Championships so many times. The
inspiration for these songs comes from years of television, stage and radio
work, tours of American county and state fairs, Canadian grandstand shows,
three tours of Britain, and tours of Northern Canada, military bases, prairie
dance halls, arenas, clubs and high schools.
This
album is truly an international one, containing material recorded in studios
in Newcastle, Durham and London, England as well as Winnipeg, Canada. Over
the years, the group has become, in fact, Canadian ambassadors of sorts
-- having performed with top-name artists all over Britain, America and
Canada.
The band's
stage show runs the gamut from ballads, folk and gospel, to country, pop
and rock. But now, in response to the many requests for an album featuring
exclusively Cajun, Fiddle and Country songs, we proudly present this outstanding
collection.
Barry
Forman passed away in 2011.
The
following is taken from the Tribute Webpages
that
we dedicated to Barry's memory:
Music played
a major role in Barry's life. While still in Rivers High School he formed
the popular Country Gentlemen band that became well-known through its many
CKX Television shows, dances dates, Co-Op Neighbour Nights and a multitude
of other live appearances across Western Manitoba.
This
band, with longtime friends and bandmates Jake Kroeger and Bill and Sue-On
Hillman, evolved into the Western Union. Barry went on to play bassand
fiddle with the Hillmans on 10 record albums. Three of these albums were
acclaimed solo fiddle albums, one of which featured nine-year-old son Kent.
Along
with the Western Union, Barry spent many summers touring Western Canada
as part of Russ Gurr's Federal Grain Train Show. Following this they went
on to play Exhibition Grandstand Shows in State Fairs and Rodeos across
Northwestern USA. Barry and Kent were later chosen to represent Manitoba
in a series of shows across the US and he worked closely with daughter
Shauna in promoting her successful music career.
These
Web pages have been compiled as an online career photo album documenting
Barry's love of music and featuring many of the names and faces of musicians
he played with over the years.
THE BARRY FORMAN MEMORIAL PAGES:
www.hillmanweb.com/forman
