Don Messer Biography | Canadian Fiddler and TV Entertainment King

Donald Charles Frederick Messer

Born: May 9, 1909
Died: March 26, 1973
Place of Birth: Tweedside, New Brunswick

Major Notes:

Don Messer along with his band, the Islanders, were said to be the most popular music group in Canada at one point.
He came from a family of eleven children who lived on a farm during the war years.
Messer learned to play the violin at the age of five and, as he grew older, played in local concerts and events.
In the 1920's, for three years, Don Messer went to receive his only musical instruction in Boston, Massachusetts.
By 1929, he had returned to Saint John, New Brunswick, and worked in a radio station by setting up a studio band having as many as 19 members.
A few years later he formed his own band, called the "New Brunswick Lumberjacks", and began playing for a CBC radio station, CHSJ.
He also toured the Maritimes and New England states with a smaller group called the "Backwoods Breakdown" playing at events such as barn dances.
By 1944, his group was broadcast all across Canada on two nightly shows per week.
Don Messer started making tours in 1949 and would tour across Canada and United State for another 20 years.
In the meantime, Messer had also accepted to play on a Halifax TV station in a show called "The Don Messer Show".
This show came to be known as the popular "Don Messer's Jubilee" and was nationally broadcast.
When the CBC decided to cancel the show in 1969, there was a large protest from his viewing audience.
Another station picked up his contract and he played to a smaller audience until his death from a heart attack.
Don Messer was inducted into the Canadian Country Music hall of Fame in 1989.
His music and story was made into a play called "Don Messer's Jubilee" and toured Canada.

For detailed research and more information, check out any of the following:

Answers.com Museum of Broadcast Communications Don Messer and His Islanders CBC Life and Times Billboard allmusic Please report any broken or incorrect links above to:
deejay@rogers.com

Custom Search

BACK HOME PAGE

Major Notes:

Don Messer along with his band, the Islanders, were said to be the most popular music group in Canada at one point.

He came from a family of eleven children who lived on a farm during the war years.

Messer learned to play the violin at the age of five and, as he grew older, played in local concerts and events.

In the 1920's, for three years, Don Messer went to receive his only musical instruction in Boston, Massachusetts.

By 1929, he had returned to Saint John, New Brunswick, and worked in a radio station by setting up a studio band having as many as 19 members.

A few years later he formed his own band, called the "New Brunswick Lumberjacks", and began playing for a CBC radio station, CHSJ.

He also toured the Maritimes and New England states with a smaller group called the "Backwoods Breakdown" playing at events such as barn dances.

By 1944, his group was broadcast all across Canada on two nightly shows per week.

Don Messer started making tours in 1949 and would tour across Canada and United State for another 20 years.

In the meantime, Messer had also accepted to play on a Halifax TV station in a show called "The Don Messer Show".

This show came to be known as the popular "Don Messer's Jubilee" and was nationally broadcast.

When the CBC decided to cancel the show in 1969, there was a large protest from his viewing audience.

Another station picked up his contract and he played to a smaller audience until his death from a heart attack.

Don Messer was inducted into the Canadian Country Music hall of Fame in 1989.

His music and story was made into a play called "Don Messer's Jubilee" and toured Canada.