Vina Moses stands alongside a statue of country music legend Hank Snow. Photo Ed Halverson

Organizers of the annual Hank Snow Tribute are calling for help.

For the past 30 years the life and legacy of Liverpool’s favourite son has been celebrated through several nights of concerts, music and memories.

But administrator at the Hank Snow Museum Vina Moses says the annual tribute which acts as their major fundraiser may not be enough to keep the doors open.

Moses who also appears on-air here at QCCR says a three-years long pandemic with little opportunity for fundraising has drained the organization’s accounts.

“The financial situation at the Hank Snow Museum is critical,” says Moses. “We are really looking for sponsors, especially for both of our events but mostly for the Tribute. We really need help this year to get through.”

Moses says the museum has kept the doors open and the lights on over the past few years thanks to the support of several large sponsors including the Region of Queens, Sobeys, Belliveau Veinotte accountants and Heritage Canada.

Hank Snow was Canada’s first major country music star. His career took flight when he moved to Nashville in 1949. Over the next five decades he recorded 140 albums and landed 85 singles on the Billboard Country charts including number one hits “I’m Moving On” and “I’ve Been Everywhere”.

Moses is hoping to see others who are passionate about Snow’s music step forward and support their work.

“There are folks who have already helped, and we are now looking for some more major sponsors as well as folks who will maybe sponsor $50.”

Moses says that $50 will place the sponsors name beside an artist on the festival literature.

Headlining the Hank Snow Tribute this year will be Ruth Manning and the Prospectors on Thursday, a collection of Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees is featured on Friday, the Rhinestone Romeos from the valley and Southern Breeze from New Brunswick will co-headline Saturday and Joyce Seamone will lead the finale Sunday.

Country legend Carroll Baker was scheduled to headline the Tribute, but Moses says due to circumstances beyond their control the Hank Snow Society couldn’t fly her in.

Organizers are working to bring Baker back next year.

The Hank Snow Society is planning several other events this summer including weekly Wednesday barbeques featuring local performers at the Hank Snow Museum.

The Hank Snow Tribute will be held at Queens Place in Liverpool the weekend of Aug 17 and tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 14.

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Photo Ed Halverson

Following a two-year wait, the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame will finally be inducting the class of 2020.

Started in 1997, the hall is home to almost 80 prominent Nova Scotians including Carroll Baker, Rita MacNeil, George Canyon, Anne Murray, Hank Snow and Wilf Carter.

The 2020 inductees were selected just as the pandemic hit.

Hall president Roger Bleasdale says it was difficult being one of two people who knew the names of the inductees and had to keep them secret.

“Especially when I would see some of these people because we would be doing concerts [and] they might be a guest, I was at their shows or whatever, and couldn’t say anything to them,” said Bleasdale.

Three of the four inductees: Annapolis Valley singer/songwriter Ruth Manning; Cape Breton singer/songwriter Evelyn MacRae; and singer Alan Butler of Coldbrook will attend a ceremony and perform at the Bridgewater Baptist Church in September.

Well-known Halifax area singer, Ruby Daley will be inducted posthumously.

A person can be nominated for the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame in several categories including singer, songwriter, musician or builder.

Nominees must have been in the music business for 10 years and be well-known through performances or airplay and have significant achievements in the field of country music.

The induction ceremony and concert has been held for the past several years in a Truro hotel.

The event attracted an audience of 300 and would normally include a banquet, an after party and Bleasdale says many people would make a weekend of it.

Out of continued concern about COVID, organizers decide to cut down on the socializing and moved the event to Bridgewater where the facility will allow them to focus on making the ceremony and concert the best it could be.

“Beautiful, padded seats and chairs. State of the art sound system and lighting and seats 600 people. So, we’re going there this year and see how this works out,” said Bleasdale.

The 2022 event marks the 24^th ceremony for the organization.

Bleasdale says they are making plans for the 25^th anniversary where they may increase the number of nominees to make up for the lost years.

Ticket information for the September 17 induction ceremony and concert at the Bridgewater Baptist Church is available at the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame website.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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