Rita MacNeil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rita MacNeil
MacNeil at the National Arts Centre in 2009
Background information
Born	(1944-05-28)May 28, 1944 Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	April 16, 2013(2013-04-16) (aged 68) Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genres	Country folk
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1975–2013
Labels	Virgin Records

Rita MacNeil (May 28, 1944 – April 16, 2013) was a famous Canadian singer. She was from a small community called Big Pond on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island.

Her biggest song, "Flying On Your Own", became a popular hit in 1987. Another Canadian singer, Anne Murray, even covered it. Rita MacNeil also had many hits on country and adult contemporary music charts throughout her career. In the United Kingdom, her song "Working Man" was a big hit in 1990.

In 1990, Rita MacNeil was the top-selling country music artist in Canada. She sold more albums than even popular artists like Garth Brooks. She was also the only female singer to have three different albums on the music charts in Australia in the same year.

During her career, Rita MacNeil received many awards and honors. She released 24 albums and won three Juno Awards. She also won a SOCAN National Achievement Award and many other music awards. She was added to the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. She was also named to the Orders of Nova Scotia and Canada, which are special honors.

On April 16, 2021, eight years after she passed away, it was announced that Rita MacNeil would be added to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. This was a special honor for her amazing songwriting.

Rita MacNeil's Life Story

Growing Up

Rita MacNeil was born in Big Pond. Her parents were Catherine and Neil J. MacNeil. She was the fifth of eight children, with three brothers and four sisters. Her father owned a local store and was a carpenter. Her mother also worked in the family store.

In the mid-1950s, Rita's family moved from Big Pond to Sydney, and then to Toronto. Her father worked as a carpenter, and her mother worked at a store called Eaton's. After a while, her older brother and sister convinced their parents to move back to Cape Breton, which they did.

Starting Her Music Career

By the summer of 1960, Rita wanted to move to the city to start her singing career. After finishing Grade 11, she took a summer job in Toronto. In the fall, she knew she wanted to be a singer. With her parents' support, she moved back to Toronto to follow her dream.

Rita worked at Eaton's, like her mother. By 1964, she began taking voice lessons to improve her singing. In 1965, she became a mother, and her parents supported her.

On April 15, 1966, Rita gave birth to her daughter, Laura. That summer, Rita decided to keep working towards her singing goals. She left Laura with her parents and returned to Toronto and her job.

Later, she met David Langham, and they got married in 1967. Laura moved in with them in Toronto. In 1968, they bought a farm in Dundalk. Rita's second child, Wade, was born there in 1970.

Moving and Changes

Rita wanted to move back to the city. In 1970, they sold the farm and moved to Etobicoke, near Toronto. In 1975, Rita tried to save her marriage by moving back to Cape Breton with her family. It didn't work out, and she returned to Toronto alone for a year to focus on her career.

In 1976, she moved back to Cape Breton but then left again. This time, she took her children and moved to Ottawa. As a single mother, she worked cleaning houses. By 1979, Rita and David had divorced.

Rita MacNeil's Career Journey

Early Music and "Born a Woman"

In 1971, Rita MacNeil learned about the women's movement, which greatly influenced her music. In 1972, she wrote the song "Born a Woman." This song shared her feelings about how women were seen by men and in the media. Her mother passed away that year, and Rita sang a song she wrote, "Who Will I Go to See," at her funeral. She later put this song on her first album.

In 1975, Rita released her first album, Born A Woman. It was a tribute to people fighting for women's rights. By 1979, her career was growing. She performed for International Women's Day in Sydney, Cape Breton. She realized she could make music in Cape Breton and moved back to Nova Scotia. She started writing songs about places she loved, like "Black Rock" and "My Island Too." She also wrote "Old Man" about her father.

"Working Man"

The song "Working Man" was inspired by a visit to a coal mine called Princess Colliery in Sydney Mines. Rita heard stories about the hard lives of the miners. In her autobiography, she wrote that the tour guide had throat cancer, which reminded her of her mother's struggles. As he spoke, the melody and words for the song came to her. This song became very popular, reaching number 11 on the UK charts. It became a worldwide hit and an unofficial song for coal miners everywhere.

Success in the 1980s

In 1981, Rita released her second album, Part of the Mystery. It included songs like "Old Man" and the first version of "Working Man." To make sure her music was heard, Rita and her friends started their own company in 1980. Her son Wade runs it today. In 1983, she released her third album, I'm Not What I Seem.

In 1985, Rita was invited to sing at Expo '85 in Japan. When she returned home, she filmed her first TV special for CBC called Celtic Fantasy. Sadly, her father passed away in December of that year.

After performing at Expo '86 in Vancouver, the media encouraged everyone to see her sing. Vancouver was far from home, and Rita missed Nova Scotia. This feeling led her to write "She's Called Nova Scotia."

Rita was chosen to film a pilot for a CBC TV show called View From the Heart. She traveled to Nashville to record "Flying on Your Own." However, the show was not picked up. Some newspapers suggested her appearance affected her chances.

Not letting this stop her, Rita decided to release her fourth album, Flying on Your Own, on her own record label. Sales in the Maritimes quickly went up. She also had a small role as a singer named Winnie in a movie called Candy Mountain. By 1987, major record companies took over selling Flying on Your Own. It sold over 75,000 copies and became a Gold Record. Rita also won her first Juno Award in 1987 for Most Promising Female Vocalist.

In 1988, Rita received an honorary degree from the University of New Brunswick. She released two more albums: Now the Bells Ring and Reason to Believe, which she wrote for her mother. Flying on Your Own sold over 120,000 copies, reaching platinum status. By November 1988, Reason to Believe also reached platinum status.

Rita's success was clear. Fellow Canadian singer Anne Murray covered "Flying on Your Own" on her 1988 album As I Am. Rita also received the Procan award, a high honor in the Canadian music industry.

In 1989, Rita received another honorary degree from St. Mary's University. She filmed another TV special for CTV called Flying on Your Own and released an album called Rita.

Highlights of the 1990s

In 1990, Rita was nominated for three Juno Awards and won Female Vocalist of the Year. Her album Rita won Album of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards and the East Coast Music Awards. She also filmed her first Christmas special, Now the Bells Ring. Her Christmas album reached triple-platinum status, and Flying on Your Own reached double-platinum status.

In 1991, Rita won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Juno Awards again. She also won several East Coast Music Awards, including Female Vocalist and Album of the Year for Home I'll Be. She went on a European tour and performed at the famous Royal Albert Hall in London.

By the fall, Rita won the fan choice for Entertainer of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards.

In 1992, Rita MacNeil received the Order of Canada, a very high honor. She was asked to sing "We'll Reach the Sky Tonight" on Canada Day to celebrate Canada's 125th birthday.

In 1993, Rita won the East Coast Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. She also received more honorary degrees from St. Francis Xavier University and Mount St. Vincent University.

1993 World Series

Rita MacNeil was invited to sing "O Canada" at Game 2 of the World Series in Toronto. After her performance, a Toronto journalist made some unkind comments about the Philadelphia Phillies players. In return, a Philadelphia newspaper made negative comments about Rita. Rita later said she would sing for another World Series game, but only if they drove her onto the field with a forklift, showing her sense of humor.

Rita tried to launch her own clothing line, but it didn't become popular.

Rita's Tea Room in Big Pond, Nova Scotia

A more successful project was Rita's Tea Room, which opened in 1986. It was originally a one-room schoolhouse where she lived. In 1993, it was made bigger to include a gift shop and kitchen. In later years, Rita performed summer concerts there, which included dinner and a show. After she passed away, her former bandmates continued to perform shows there.

In 1994, Rita received another honorary degree from the University College of Cape Breton. She also hosted a TV variety series called Rita & Friends from 1994 to 1997. The first show had 1.7 million viewers! The show later moved to a different night and was eventually canceled.

Rita won a Gemini Award in 1996 for Best Performance in a Variety Program. She was also nominated for this award in 1994 and 1995.

In 1998, Rita wrote a book about her life called On a Personal Note with Anne Simpson. A TV documentary based on her book was also made.

2000s and Beyond

In 2000, Rita produced her last TV Christmas special. It featured performances by other famous artists like Natalie MacMaster and Patti LaBelle.

In 2003, Rita filmed a TV special called Rita MacNeil presents The Men of the Deeps. This special showed the coal mining choir The Men of the Deeps. In 2004, she produced another special called Rita MacNeil's Cape Breton, featuring artists like Jimmy Rankin.

Rita released her second book, Christmas at Home with Rita MacNeil, in 2003. It shared her Christmas memories, family recipes, and song lyrics. The book also came with her 2003 Christmas album, Late December.

In 2005, Rita MacNeil received the Order of Nova Scotia. She also won the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award at the East Coast Music Awards.

A play based on Rita's life and songs, called Flying On Her Own, first opened in 2000. It was written by Canadian playwright Charlie Rhindress.

Final Years

Rita MacNeil's last concert tour was in December 2012, called 'Sharing Christmas: Rita MacNeil with Special Guest Frank Mills.' Her last TV appearance was on December 6, 2012, on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. Her last known stage performance was on March 9, 2013, during East Coast Music Week. She also received a 25th Anniversary Award at the 2013 East Coast Music Awards Gala.

After Rita passed away, a 25th album was released called Traveling On. It was a special album with some of her most loved songs, chosen by her son Wade, family, friends, and fans.

In September 2013, Rita MacNeil was added to the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2014, she was recognized at the East Coast Music Awards with a special achievement award.

A book about Rita, I'm Not What I Seem, was published in 2016 and became a best seller.

Passing Away

Rita MacNeil passed away on April 16, 2013. She died from problems after surgery for an infection.

Music Albums

Albums

Singles

Television Appearances

Awards and Honors

Juno Awards

Gemini Awards

East Coast Music Awards (ECMA)