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https://www.hillmanweb.com/book https://www.hillmanweb.com/book/gigs https://www.hillmanweb.com/book/media https://www.hillmanweb.com/book/travel Presents The '80s Decade - Scrapbook II Country Slickers On Opry North & Big Country Awards Show |
A COUPLE OF COUNTRY SLICKERS
by Joan Sadler
TRIB MAGAZINE: May 31, 1980
Bill and Sue-On Hillman mix teaching careers with
raising a family and their first love - country music.
They have toured in England where their kind of
music is much in demand, and have several albums to their credit.
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Sure, the singing, playing, songwriting couple from
Strathclair
had been nominated themselves,
but the Hillmans really didn't expect to win.
After all, they hadn't played Winnipeg enough to make
a name for themselves yet.
So it was an unexpected thrill when they heard their
names announced as winners of
the evening's top accolade, the entertainer of the
year award, says Sue-On, 31.
She and her 36-year-old husband took the top honors
on the basis of their 1979 single, One Night Stand,
which reached the top 10 on Winnipeg's country music
charts.
The song, which Bill wrote, was their first province-wide
hit.
The Hillmans have been performing together ever since
their marriage 14 years ago.
He plays guitar and sings, she is the singing drummer
and a third band member, (also from Strathclair) Kevin
Pahl, plays keyboards.
Bill, a Strathclair native, had already been perfoming
for a few years
when he met and married Sue-On, who was born in China
but grew up in nearby Newdale.
She was musical herself and decided to be a partner,
not a spectator, in her husband's career.
"Lots of musicians' wives just go along and watch,
but you can only watch for son long without getting
bored," she says.
Bill and Sue-On both taught high school in Strathclair
until two years ago
when their son was born and Sue-On retired from teaching.
Bill still teaches, so they play only weekends around
the province.
Summers are spent touring Canada, the U.S. and England.
Two of their nine albums were recorded in England,
where country musicians are "in great demand," according
to Sue-
On. They distribute and sell the records themselves
as they move around.
"To get a distribution deal you either have to go on
the road
or sign away everything you own," Sue-On says.
"To go on the road full-time you really have to slug
it hard,
and we can't do it right now because of our son."
So, for now, the award-winning duo are quite content
to stick with their semi-settled life in Strathclair
and
mix teaching, motherhood and music
"until the right opportunity comes along."
Country-western fans know that Bill Hillman and his wife, Sue-On, have released several of their own record albums. The Hillmans live in rural Manitoba - in Strathclair; however, their entertaining activities take them to far-off places. Last summer they toured Britain for the third time, playing shows in clubs and halls. Their most recent recording session was done while there, in Durham. Having heard the pre-release demo tape, I can predict that their next album should become quite radio-active both in Canada and abroad. 
RURAL MANITOBA HAS WINNER IN HILLMAN EXPRESS
Jimmy King's Night Beat Column
~Winnipeg Free Press ~Saturday, January 12, 1980Both Bill and Sue-On hold university degrees and teach high school music, drama and geography in Strathclair during the winter. They also play gigs. In the summer their tours have taken them to Canadian exhibitions and western U.S. state and county fairs.
They have their own production house - Maple Grove Productions in Strathclair - and their recordings are on the Maple Grove label. Bill holds claim to having one of Canada's largest tape and record collections of radio nostalgia from the 1930s, '40s and '50s - more than 7,000 shows.
Sue-On was born in South China. When she came to Canada to live in Newdale, Man., she became involved in choir work and completed seven years of classical training on piano. She subsequently met and married Bill who encouraged her to play drums and guitar and she soom became an integral part of the Hillman Express. The attractive lady has a fine singing voice and can handle a tender ballad or driving show-stopper with equal aplomb.
The keyboard player with the Hillman Express is Kevin Pahl, a commercial pilot who has been responsible for getting the group to distant engagements on many occasions.
The obvious appreciation the group has for all types of music has given the Hillman Express an exciting style. It combines elements of country, rock, folk, pop and oriental music, and enables them to please audiences from the Canadian Prairies to Soho.
SPECIAL OPRY NORTH SHOW FOR
COUNTRY MUSIC WEEK
We appeared on the evening show which was televised
and edited into
two Specials that were later broadcast numerous times
on CBC Network Television.
We performed two originals: One Night Stand and
Cajun Stomp and we were
lucky enough to have both songs accepted for the Specials.
We appeared on the 1980 Big Country Awards Show
where we performed our One Night Stand
MANITOBA-BASED TALENT GIVEN
STRONG RESPONSE
COUNTRY MUSIC Column by Johnny Murphy
Winnipeg Free Press ~ September 27, 1980
The Big Country Awards presentation and show last
Sunday in the Winnipeg Inn
did indeed live up to advance notices as a prestige
event.
It has yet to achieve the stature of a Grammy presentation
or the Country Music Association awards show in the
U.S.
because it isn't carried regularly on live television.
However, it doesn't fall far short in the areas of
sparkle and sustained excitement,
not to mention the price of an individual ticket for
the awards.
The few available tickets were snapped up at $50 apiece.
Manitoba-based recording artists were featured in performance
spots during the awards show.
Extremely well received were Len Henry, Gurney Anderson,
Dale Russell and Bill and Sue-On Hillman.
October 4, 1980 Country
Music column entry:
Excerpts from the Opry North presentations in the
Centennial Concert Hall Sept. 19
will be edited into two, hour-long specials on CBC-TV.
Dates are yet to be announced.
The Winnipeg episodes were taped for television by
the Toronto-based production outfit Quadramedia.
MEMO from PETER GRANT
Bill & Sue-On
I was in Toronto on ACME business and met with Walt
Grealis
who asked me to pass on this cheque to you
for your appearance on the BIG COUNTRY AWARDS SHOW.
Your new single is on our chart now also (Bring
Back the Good Times)
Also - a message to Sue-On regarding
the money that is owed you [FAKE CHINESE WRITING]
Thank you... for performing at Big Country
- RPM Magazine.
BILL & SUE-ON PROMOTE MANITOBA
COUNTRY
RPM Weekly Magazine ~ September 27, 1980
Winnipeg: The husband
and wife school teaching, country performing team of Bill & Sue-On
Hillman
have been actively promoting Manitoba country and
have been given recognition for their efforts.
The Strathclair couple became popular throughout the
province last year with the release and
their own personalized promotion of the single One
Night Stand.
It was this single that claimed for them the
Entertainer of the Year award at last year's Manitoba
Annual Country Awards.
Although both are active in country music, to keep
the wolf away from the door,
Bill still teaches high school in Strathclair.
Sue-On who was born in China but grew up in Newdale,
retired from teaching when their son was born.
Together with their keyboard man Kevin Pahl,
drummer/vocalist Sue-On and guitar/vocalist Bill
play weekends around the province through the school
year
and during the summer tour Canada, the U.S and U.K.
Two of their nine albums were produced by Bill in
England,
a country where they have had unusual success with
record sales, concert and club dates.
The Hillmans distribute their own product and currently
boast
an active catalogue including, On Stage, 14 Original
Songs, the two British productions,
Free Spirit, and Hillman Express - Track 15.
COUNTRY TAKEOVER:
Why is everybody tuning in,
dressing for, switching to COUNTRY MUSIC?
Winnipeg Magazine ~ March 1981
Bill and Sue-On Hillman
Bill and Sue-On Hillman must hold the key
to something special.
After 14 years of both marriage and performing (country
music) together,
the couple award as Entertainers of the Year.
"It's really nice to be able to work together," says Sue-On. "We've worked a lot of years."
The Hillmans play a "broad variety" of styles, but
all fall under the country umbrella.
Says Sue-On: "We've played traditional, bluegrass,
cajun. But mainly we play country rock."
With nine albums to their credit, Sue-On believes
the many shifts in style were integral.
"If you don't change, if you don't evolve, the competition
becomes too much.
I've always said that if we begin to stagnate, we'll
quit."
The couple now call Strathclair, Manitoba home
but during the mid-seventies they lived in England.
"We were given a great reception," she says.
"At the time they didn't have many performing Canadians.
We were something different for them."
Last year was truly the year of Bill and Sue-On Hillman.
Aside from the MACA award, they had two singles charted
and one in the top ten.
Their latest - Bring Back the Good Times -
is receiving airplay
as far away as B.C., and is number one in many areas.
"It's been a good year," laughs Sue-On.
TO
THE HILLMAN MUSICAL ODYSSEY
ILLUSTRATED
CONTENTS
Copyright
2001/2004/2011 Bill Hillman
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