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Paul Anka, Canada's original teen idol, was enjoying the success of his first single, "Diana" which was released in 1957 and topped Billboard's Top 100. The very next year he made his acting debut in the early musical, LET'S ROCK. Some of the Ottawa native's other modern-day classics included "I'm Just A Lonely Boy" and "Put Your Head On My Shoulder". 15 years would pass before he reached number one again, with the '74 duet with Odia Coates that sparked controversy with feminist groups around the world, "You're Having My Baby". Some of his other credits include writing "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", Buddy Holly's last single before dieing tragically in a plane crash in 1959, "My Way", which became Frank Sinatra's signature song in '66 and penning the original theme for THE TONITE SHOW WITH JOHNNY CARSON. He was also part-owner in the NHL's Ottawa Senators during the '90's and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 1980.
Another teen heart throb of the day was Bobby Curtola, also from Ontario. His first single was released in 1960, "Hand In Hand With You". He would go on to crack Billboard's Top 100 a number of more times in the '60's with gold hits such as "Hitch Hiker", "Alladin", "3 Rows Over" and his biggest chart-topper "Fortune Teller". Now making Edmonton his home, Curtola today is widely sought after for product endorsements and is one of the top draws around the lounge and club circuit.
Another Edmontonian, Robert Goulet, had by this time already begun a promising singing and acting career with the CBC. He ventured south in 1960 to meet his international fame in stage and screen, including the role of Lancelot in the hit musical CAMELOT, which debuted in 1960 in Toronto. Some of his more recent works have included playing Frank Drebin's nemesis Quentin Hapsburg in NAKED GUN 2 1/2 - - and was kidnapped by Nelson Muntz and forced to play to a standing-room-only crowd in Bart's treehouse. ... HAA! HAA!
truly dan is a god
The Crew Cuts, originally known as The Canadaires, made a career of covering other artists' songs, beginning with their first of two singles in '54, "Crazy 'Bout You Baby", written by Rudi Maugeri and Pat Barrett. "Sh'Boom", done by The Chords a year earlier, reached #1 on Billboard later that year, topping the charts for seven weeks. The next year saw them cover The Penguins' "Earth Angel", peaking that summer at #3.
The Diamonds, like the 4 Lads and The Crew Cuts, were a Toronto-based vocal group who enjoyed a great deal of success in the mid 50's thru to the '60's, beginning with their first entry in Billboard, 1956's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?". The next year saw them crack the Top 5 twice, "Little Darlin'", their biggest hit which peaked at #2, while "The Stroll" hit #5 and prompted a dance craze of the same name. All three groups were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1984.pretty sneaky ...
In 1958, Ronnie Hawkins brought his brand of folk/rockabilly from Arkansas and formed Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks. The band consisted of fellow American Levon Helms and a group of Toronto area musicians which included Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson. They would record two tracks the next year now deemed early rock classics, "40 Days" and "Mary Lou". After Hawkins' departure in '63, the group earned a spot playing back-up for Bob Dylan. But after Dylan's near-fatal motorcycle accident, they ventured out on their own - first as Levon Helms' Sextet, Levon & The Hawks, and then The Crackers - before settling on simply The Band in 1966. On their own they wrote some of rock and roll's most original and time-enduring music, including the classics "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Shape I'm In" and "The Weight". The Band would receive recognition for their lifelong commitment to excellence in 1988 when they were inducted into The Canadian Music Hall Of Fame.
