THE HEART OF A COWBOY

By DEBBIE MACRAE

He was 10-years-old, driving a team of oxen and hauling apples through the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” had come to town, so he stole away on his bicycle – a two-mile trip – to watch. When he got back, his momma was waitin’ with her old slipper to give him a whuppin’…

He stood for a week to eat, but that event would become the catalyst for a career that would make him one of Canada’s Country music grandfathers.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin didn’t

mean anything to him, a boy of ten; but the closing act sang a lullaby; “Sleep little one sleep… Still that didn’t stop him from yodelling. Carter was the son of a strict Baptist Minister, raising a family of nine, in modest rural Nova Scotia. harvest the crop. Carter eagerly responded, with his knapsack and his music, although he’d never taken a lesson. He rode the rails west, stooking, hauling grain, and driving horses, in fields so large, with a freedom so wide, his enthusiasm ”and the performer Yodelling was not well-received as and his energy were unleashed. yodelled it. Wilfred fitting for a minister’s son – and His daughter, Carol Cooper, remembers him Arthur Charles Carter had his father did not appreciate his as a big man, with big hands; incredibly strong never heard a yodeller. He was captivated. He yodelled the entire two son’s rebellious willfulness. By 12, all the children were expected to work and contribute to the family. Carter’s persistent yodelling and from the work and hours of laboring outdoors with the horses. He “preferred cowboy work,” riding horses, bucking broncs, and entertaining the cowboys. He thrived on the bunkhouse life, miles on the way home – independent nature grated on his and in 1927 attended his first Calgary Stampede. and then he got father until he was asked to leave at The official poster for that year was printed the whuppin’. Not only the age of 15. Sleeping in ditches in shades of butter, with a bucking bronc for sneaking off without permission, but also for taking the cost of or barns to keep warm, grovelling for food, and fighting the long, lonely nights without the comfort of family, he eventually secured a depicted in the foreground and the Lucky Stars Ranch stencilled in the background. It was an appropriate calling card for the heart of a cowboy. Carter participated in saddling, wild admission without job milking cows for 25 cents a cow milking, wild horse racing, chuckwagons, permission. day. He continued to yodel. As in and bucking broncs, riding out a time or two to Switzerland, where the yodelling be unloaded in the dirt. tradition was established to call in In between rodeos, Carter would work as a their stock, Carter yodelled to the cows as he cowboy. He traveled out toward Drumheller worked. He moved on to logging, working as a and Carbon, AB, living in an abandoned shack, lumberjack, and continued to sing and refine his working the harvest and breaking horses. He and yodelling skills. his friend, Charlie Gwynn, travelled all around The call to the West came in the early 1920’s breaking broncs, saddle horses, and team horses. when he saw a poster in the Canning train Carter took part in the Calgary Stampede and station, advertising a harvest excursion to stook worked with the arena director, Dick Cosgrave, grain in Alberta. The Canadian Pacific Railroad his son Bobby Cosgrave, and Bob’s son, (CPR) was sponsoring trainloads of men to Richard. He wrote the song, “Bouncin’ Bobby”

Stampede Archives

for Bobby and Richard because they’d start bouncing up and down on the old spring seat on the chuckwagon when they raced around the track. Then he wrote a song for the Calgary Stampede called “Dynamite Trail,” alluding to riding a bronc and coming out of the chute on Dynamite Trail – or being in the chuckwagon.

It was a handshake with Pete Knight that ended Carter’s rodeo career, sometime in 1935. After seeing Carter saddle and prepare to ride a horse that was too much for him, Knight approached him behind the chutes and said, “Promise me if you come out of this today, you’ll never go in again.” They had talked about his future as an entertainer, and the risks involved with rodeo. They shook on that promise and, in a twist of fate on May 23, 1937, it would be Pete Knight who took his last ride in Hayward, California. His would be the honour, as Carter memorialized his friend in a song called, “King of the Cowboys.”

As he worked and lived the life of the cowboy, Carter wrote songs about the lifestyle. In rural Alberta, we often take for granted that cowboyin’ is a way of life. Coming from rural Nova Scotia, Carter revered the regime and became grounded in that reality. He penned Alberta’s first “cowboy songs” and, in the words of Brian Dunsmore, from CKUA Radio, “…[Carter] spent a few years becoming that true persona.” He became the positive figure of a cowpoke in popular imagination. Later, he started adding love songs to his repertoire – like “Beautiful Girl of the Prairie, She’s a Girl I’m Going to Marry.”

Musician Gordon Lightfoot spoke of Carter’s influence as a folk artist, and a balladeer. He wrote songs about the cowboy culture; the lifestyle. His stories influenced songwriters because of the simple way he sang and portrayed everyday life on a ranch or the prairie. He was Canada’s first Country music star, and is recognized by the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as the “father of Canadian country music,” influencing multiple generations of Canadian musicians.

His unusual style of singing was self-developed, with a “three-in-one echo” yodel that was not well-received in his initial auditions. He persevered, and auditioned for different radio stations. In 1930, a Calgary radio station, CFCN hired him for five dollars a week working for one night every week. CFCN was then known as the Voice of the Prairies, the biggest broadcaster in western Canada. As he became more popular, he started working in a weekly spot for five dollars a night and the fan mail started pouring in. Back then, radio and phonographs were the only medium they had.

In 1932, the Brewster Transport Company recognized a unique tourism opportunity for their Canadian Pacific Railway trail rides through the Rockies. They invited Carter to entertain as part of their package. Not only could he ride, he could provide entertainment through song and story in traditional cowboy fashion – adding to the whimsy and romance of the experience. He reflected the “ethos of the cowboy” – that basic philosophy that tourists envisioned in the quintessential cowboy. He wrote “My Swiss Moonlight Lullaby” sitting around the campfire. He had to borrow clothing from the workers to stay warm at night, but for one enchanted summer, he lived his dream of a lifetime.

Then in 1933, reality came crashing in. Grain prices fell to less than 35 cents a bushel. Where the railway had always been perceived to be the lifeline to freedom, that perception changed. The railway became the instrument of oppression as transportation prices climbed and grain markets plummeted. Carter’s father died, bringing home another cruel reality. He had once longed for a reconciliation, but the hope of that was now lost. He sunk to a new low.

Carter’s other daughter, Sheila Carter Dukarm, recounts stories of him busking on corners in downtown Calgary with his hat beside him, trying to make a few dollars to eat, and sometimes, when he was less than successful, mixing ketchup in hot water for a makeshift cup of soup.

Canada’s first cowboy record was produced in 1933, when he received a CPR cable requesting that he go to Montreal for an audition with RCA Victor. They had been trying to reach him, but he had been sleeping under the Fourth Street Bridge with no fixed address and no one knew where to find him.

The CPR paid for his way east, and he auditioned in an old church which had been renovated. He recorded, “My Swiss Moonlight Lullaby” and they needed a second song for the flip side. Carter had written a ballad about the manhunt of the Rat River Trapper, Albert Johnson, in February of 1932, and he called it the “Capture of Albert Johnson.” The ballad recounts the story of trapper complaints about a man who was releasing their traps. When the RCMP went to investigate, the man who would become known as the Mad Trapper, was less than cooperative and killed one of the officers. The ensuing manhunt would last for over a month, over the course of 150 miles, through the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and over a 7,000 peak in the Richardson Mountains. Carter had

“Cut, cut the barrel, and then you all hit for the rail and again, you’re on Dynamite Trail,” go the lyrics.

written his ballad during his campfire nights in the Rocky Mountains, and he offered this song for the recording on the flip side.

Canada’s first cowboy record was born.

From there, Carter was invited to entertain on the Canadian Pacific Cruise ship, the Empress of Britain. He left for the West Indies. As an entertainer on the cruiseline, for a short while Carter enjoyed benefits diametrically opposite to the cowboy lifestyle he portrayed. Singing in the elegant ballroom/dining room, he was a popular entertainer, elevated to a new status.

When he returned to New York, RCA Victor sent a limousine to meet him. He didn’t understand they were actually coming to meet him, and didn’t want anything to do with it! His first recording had been made with voice to wax. After that, he signed his first contract, with the stipulation that he return to Banff, AB, to continue to write songs. It was now the fifth year of the Depression.

It was often said, that Wilf Carter held RCA together. If it hadn’t been for him, it’s likely the company would have gone under. According to the documentary, The

Canadians, The Last Round-Up: Wilf Carter, from HistoricaCanada, fellow muscian and country music icon, Ian Tyson commented that, “… his records were everywhere. 90% of the old 78’s out there were by Wilf Carter.” He had a huge influence on Canadian artists. He was now recognized on both sides of the border. In 1937, CBS radio in New York wanted him to sign a contract for their morning show, but he had to get to New York again to sign the contract. He borrowed the money from Gordon V. Thompson, his music publisher at the Heintzmann Building on Yonge Street in Toronto. He went to CBS, to sign, and was told they didn’t like the name, Wilf Carter. Overnight, on the flip side south of the border Carter became known as “Montana Slim.” He spent the next couple of years promoting Lucky Strike cigarettes, even though he’d never smoked – and brought the CBS morning show from the last place ranking to first. He didn’t like to rehearse. Just like his bronc riding, he preferred to ride it out for the full eight seconds, record and go home. He’d go into a recording studio with 12 songs, take as long as it took to record them once, and then go home. He stayed with CBS until 1940. Carter married a Pennsylvanian-born nurse by the name of Bobbie Bryan, and with the profits of his Americanbased radio broadcasts, which paid commensurately better than the Canadian side, he was able to secure enough funding to purchase a ranch in the southern Alberta foothills.

Destiny would turn his hand, however, when Carter was hit by a truck near Shelby, Montana, on the way back to Alberta. He almost died, and many of his fans thought he had. It would be four long years before he would return to recording, and another five before he resumed his performances to any degree. However, he had stockpiled so many recordings, that RCA just kept releasing albums, as if they were new.

After several operations, and time spent in a back brace, Carter travelled a slow road to recovery. They returned to their big ranch in the foothills with Bobby carrying significant responsibility raising two girls, and feeding family and ranch hands. They were two hours from the city, but Wilf made sure she had a weekly visit to Calgary to fulfill her personal desires. They sold their ranch in 1949.

It’s said that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and during his hiatus, his absence spawned numerous imitators. CBS dropped his contract in 1940, and Carter determined to take matters into his own hands.

With his family by his side, they went back on the road in 1949. Carter dubbed his tour, “The Family Show with the Folks You Know,” and Carol and Sheila sang with him while Bobbie collected money, passed out tickets, and spoke to fans. At the Canadian National Exhibition bandstand in Toronto, in 1950, he attracted over 50,000 people to his show.

During one venue, when she was about five or six, Carol recalled that while they were singing, she looked up at her Daddy, tugging on his pants. Wilf kept singing, so she did it again. He stopped singing into the mic and asked her what was wrong, and she said, “You made a mistake, Daddy…” So they started over. She didn’t realize the impact of what she was doing but the crowd laughed and clapped, and they carried on.

The family later drove into a tiny little town called Minden, Ontario, population 260, and Ken Reynolds, Ottawa Promotions, recalled that Carter was concerned about the small venue. Reynolds said, “Even though I was paying him, he was wondering what he’d gotten himself into. But people started coming out.”

At that show, they figured they had somewhere between 1,600-1,800 people. There were so many people at the back, they had to raise the speaker twice, so people could hear him.

According to the documentary, The Canadians, The Last Round-Up: Wilf Carter, from HistoricaCanada, Bobby was tearing off tickets and collecting money, and she was concerned because money was falling everywhere. She looked up at two Mounties who were standing close, and the policeman said, “Don’t worry. Nobody will ever touch that money.” And they didn’t.

Wilf related during one venue, there were so many people they couldn’t see him, so he belted himself onto a telephone pole and sang from there. His signature song, was one he wrote himself; “There’s a Love Knot in my Lariat.”

Wilf Carter. CREDIT: Stampede Archives

Carter’s achievements were many:

• Between 1935 and 1940, he was one of the biggest stars on CBS radio. The syndication for his daily program, spanned 250 radio stations across North America. • He made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 1949, although it would be the only time he would grace their circle. • In 1964, Carter performed at the Calgary Stampede for the first time, and became legendary for 33 years as the Balladeer of the Golden West; an honour for which he received a special trophy from the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. • He was made an Honorary Chief of the Stony Indian Tribe. • In 1971, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. • 1975 rewarded him with a plaque from RCA Records for career sales of over five million albums. • The Calgary Stampede invited him to be their Parade Marshall in 1979. • In 1981, he toured with his fellow Nova Scotian, Hank Snow and received the Martin Guitar Entertainer of the Year Award, recognized for being the Canadian artist who contributed the most to Canada’s country music. • The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inducted him in 1984. • Followed one year later in 1985 by the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. • He received a Juno the same year.

• Throughout, he was one of the most requested guests on Canada’s Tommy Hunter Show. He was so dedicated to his fans he would hand-write a response to his mail on the same day he received it. • Before he died he would write over 500 songs

His final performance, appropriately called the “Last Round-Up Tour,” took place in the small rural community of Trochu, Alberta in 1992. Carter ended where he started; in a one-horse town in rural Alberta. Population 907. People came in droves to see him, as Ian Tyson remarked, “…to reach out and touch the legend.”

Carol’s daughter Bobby, was just a child - (named after her grandmother) and was flown in to see Carter as a surprise, as she had never seen him perform on stage. When they announced that Bobby was Wilf’s grand-daughter, he broke down sobbing; tears running down his face. His grand-daughter was sobbing. His manager Brian Edwards remarked, “We were all sobbing. It was all I could do to keep his attention on what he needed to do.” (HistoricaCanada documentary.)

Carter sang one last song; “Have a Nice Day” and as the tears rolled down his cheeks, he said, “I’m going to unstring my guitar.” He never picked up a guitar again.

Wilf Carter was diagnosed with stomach cancer in October of 1996. Two months later, on December 7, 1996, he followed his sweetheart to “Canary Heaven”, at the age of 91. WHR