Canada’s Country Gentleman has passed away

One of the most beloved figures in Canadian television and country music has passed away. Tommy Hunter, known to generations of TV and Country music fans as Canada’s Country Gentleman passed away July 2nd of natural causes, he was 89. Hunter’s career in country music television began in 1956 when he joined CBC’s Country Hoedown as a cast member. In 1965, he was given his own television program, The Tommy Hunter Show, which became one of the most enduring music programs in North American television history. The show aired weekly on CBC for 27 years, from 1965 to 1992, and was later carried in the United States by The Nashville Network, introducing Hunter and Canadian country music to millions of American viewers. After The Tommy Hunter Show ended in 1992, Hunter continued performing live across Canada, often drawing audiences that included four generations of the same family. He performed his final concert and retired from touring on his 75th birthday in 2012. Hunter’s contributions to Canadian music and broadcasting earned him numerous honors. He received three Juno Awards and one Gemini Award, was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, and was appointed to both the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario. Canada Post also recognized his legacy by honoring him with his own postage stamp.