Stompin' Tom Connors facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stompin' Tom Connors
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Connors in 2002
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Thomas Connors |
| Also known as | Tommy Messer, Stompin' Tom Connors |
| Born | February 9, 1936 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Origin | Skinners Pond, Prince Edward Island, Canada |
| Died | March 6, 2013 (aged 77) Ballinafad, Ontario, Canada |
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Charles Thomas Connors (February 9, 1936 – March 6, 2013), known as Stompin' Tom Connors, was a famous Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter. He focused his entire music career on Canada, writing over 300 songs and releasing many albums. His music sold nearly four million copies!
Stompin' Tom's songs are a big part of Canadian culture. Some of his most famous songs include "Sudbury Saturday Night", "Bud the Spud", and "The Hockey Song". "The Hockey Song" is played at many National Hockey League games, including every Toronto Maple Leafs home game. In 2018, this song was even added to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Adventures
Charles Thomas Connors was born on February 9, 1936, in Saint John, New Brunswick. His early life was quite challenging. He spent some time living with his mother in difficult situations. When he was young, he was taken into care by the Children's Aid Society. Later, he was adopted by a family in Skinners Pond, Prince Edward Island.
At just 13 years old, Tom ran away from his adoptive home. He began hitchhiking across Canada, traveling from place to place. When he was 14, he got his first guitar. At 15, he wrote his very first song, called "Reversing Falls Darling". For the next 13 years, he continued his journey, working different part-time jobs. He would often sing his songs on his guitar to earn food. He worked in mines and rode in train boxcars. During cold winters, he sometimes even welcomed being arrested for vagrancy, just to have a warm place to sleep.
His long journey ended in Timmins, Ontario. One day, he was a nickel short for a beer at the Maple Leaf Hotel. The bartender, Gaëtan Lepine, told him he would give him a second beer if Tom played some songs on his guitar. Those few songs turned into a 14-month stay at the hotel! He also got a weekly spot on the radio station CKGB in Timmins. This was the start of Stompin' Tom's amazing music career.
Musical Journey
Stompin' Tom Connors had a unique style. He was different from other famous Canadian musicians. He was known for writing songs about Canadian stories and history.
Some of his well-known songs include "Bud the Spud", "Big Joe Mufferaw", "The Black Donnellys", "The Martin Hartwell Story", and "Sudbury Saturday Night". His song "The Hockey Song" is a favorite at hockey games. People often mistakenly call it "The Good Old Hockey Game."
Tom stayed friends with Gaëtan Lepine, the bartender from Timmins. They even wrote many songs together! These songs are in a book called 250 Songs by Stompin' Tom: Including All the Words and Chords.
In 1974, Tom had his own TV show on CBC Television called Stompin' Tom's Canada. In this show, he traveled across Canada and met different people. He wrote his song "Maritime Waltz" in only 12 minutes, which is super fast!
Tom was a genuine person. In 1999 and 2009, he received special awards from SOCAN (a group that supports Canadian songwriters) for his achievements in music.
How He Got His Nickname
Stompin' Tom got his nickname because he would stomp his left boot heel to keep time with his music. People started calling him "that stompin' guy" or "Stomper." The name "Stompin' Tom Connors" was first used on July 1, 1967, Canada's 100th birthday. A waiter named Boyd MacDonald introduced him on stage with that name. Everyone loved it, so Tom officially registered it as Stompin' Tom Ltd.
He stomped his foot to keep a strong beat, especially in noisy places. After getting complaints about damaging stages, he started carrying a piece of plywood to stomp on. This "stompin' board" became his trademark! When he stomped a hole in the board, he would show it to the audience and make a joke. He even auctioned off his stompin' boards for charity, with one selling for $15,000 in 2011.
His Favorite Guitar
Tom's favorite guitar was a Gibson Southern Jumbo acoustic guitar. He bought it in 1956 for $80. He used this guitar when he first auditioned in Timmins in 1964. He also used it to write "Bud the Spud" four years later. Even though he stopped using it for performances in 1972, he kept it. His wife, Lena, even had it fixed up for him as a birthday gift.
Helping Other Canadian Artists
Stompin' Tom cared a lot about Canadian talent. He started three record labels to help other Canadian artists, not just himself. These labels were Boot Records (which also had Cynda) and A-C-T.
Some of the artists who released music on his labels include Liona Boyd, Rita MacNeil, The Canadian Brass, and Charlie Panigoniak. He truly wanted to promote Canadian music.
Songs About Canadian History
Stompin' Tom was famous for singing about events in Canadian history. Here are some examples:
| Song | Summary |
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| "Reesor Crossing Tragedy" | A 1969 song about the Reesor Siding Strike of 1963. |
| "Tillsonburg" | About Stompin' Tom working in the tobacco fields of Tillsonburg, Ontario. |
| "Wop May" | About the Canadian pilot Wilfrid R. "Wop" May. |
| "The Bridge Came Tumblin' Down" | A 1972 song about the collapse of the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing. |
| "The Curse of the Marc Guylaine" | A 1973 song about a fishing trawler, Marc Guylaine, and other similar ships that mysteriously sank. |
| "Big Joe Mufferaw" | About the French-Canadian logging legend Joseph Montferrand. |
| "The Martin Hartwell Story" | About the bush pilot Martin Hartwell who survived 31 days in the Northwest Territories. |
| "Algoma Central 69" | About the historical Algoma Central Railway. |
| "The Black Donnellys' Massacre" and "Jenny Donnelly" | Both songs are about the Black Donnellys family. |
| "The Last Fatal Duel" | A 1973 song about Robert Lyon. |
| "Fire in the Mine" | About the Hollinger Mines fire in Timmins, Ontario. |
Personal Life
Stompin' Tom married Lena Welsh on November 2, 1973. Their wedding was even shown live on a TV show called Elwood Glover's Luncheon Date! He said they wanted to share their happy moment with his fans across Canada. Tom had two sons, Taw Connors and Tom Jr.
He always wore his black Stetson hat in public. He even kept it on when he met Queen Elizabeth II in 2002! Buckingham Palace understood, comparing his hat to a religious head covering. However, he did take it off for his televised wedding.
Standing Up for Canada
In the late 1970s, Stompin' Tom took a break from music. He did this to protest how the Canadian government and music industry weren't supporting Canadian stories and artists enough. He also boycotted the Juno Awards. He felt that artists who mostly worked in the United States shouldn't be nominated for Canadian awards. He called them "turncoat Canadians" and believed they should compete for American awards instead.
To show how serious he was, he sent back his six Juno Awards with a letter explaining his protest. He stayed away from the music scene for 12 years. In 1986, he returned to produce a new album to help Canadian artists. This led to more interest in his music, and he released his comeback album, Fiddle and Song, in 1988.
Appearing on American TV
Stompin' Tom's music is mostly known in Canada. However, his song "The Hockey Song" is sometimes heard in American hockey arenas. It's thought that he preferred his music to stay focused on Canada. When the TV show Late Night with Conan O'Brien filmed in Canada in 2004, Stompin' Tom was a special guest. He led the audience in singing "The Hockey Song." This was one of the few times he performed on American television.
His Books
Stompin' Tom wrote an autobiography called Stompin' Tom: Before the Fame. It tells the story of his childhood, including his time in an orphanage and working on farms. This book became a bestseller. In 2000, he wrote a second autobiography called The Connors Tone.
Death and Memorial
Stompin' Tom Connors passed away on March 6, 2013, at his home in Ballinafad. He died from kidney failure. Flags were lowered to half-mast in Ottawa and Tillsonburg to honor him. On March 9, Hockey Night in Canada broadcast a special tribute to him.
Many people across Canada shared their sadness and respect for Stompin' Tom. A memorial service was held on March 13, 2013, in Peterborough, Ontario. Many musicians and important Canadians attended, including former governor general Adrienne Clarkson. Before he died, Tom had chosen the artists who would perform at his memorial.
| Tribute | Artists |
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| Peterborough Postman, The Blue Berets, The Ballad of Stompin' Tom and The Hockey Song (videos) | Stompin' Tom Connors |
| Fiddle medley of traditional music (The Maritime Waltz) | Billy Macinnis |
| Man in the Black Hat | Tim Hus |
| Little Wawa and Gumboot Cloggeroo (medley) | J.P. Cormier and Dave Gunning |
| Farewell to Nova Scotia | Sylvia Tyson and Cindy Church |
| The Bridge Came Tumbling Down | Dave Bidini |
| Coal Boat Song | Damhnait Doyle |
| So Long Stompin' Tom | Mike Plume |
| I am the Wind | Mark Laforme |
He was buried at Erin Union Cemetery in Erin, Ontario.
Honours and Awards
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Stompin' Tom Connors received many important awards and honors:
- He won several Juno Awards for Country Male Vocalist of the Year and Country Album of the Year in the early 1970s. However, he returned them in 1978 as a protest.
- In 1993, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from St. Thomas University. This inspired his album Dr. Stompin' Tom Connors, eh?.
- In 1996, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, which is a very high honor.
- In 2000, he received a Lifetime Artistic Achievement award from the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.
- He also received honorary degrees from the University of Toronto (2000) and the University of Prince Edward Island (2002).
- In 2009, he received a SOCAN award for Lifetime Achievement.
- In 2014, it was announced that a statue of Stompin' Tom would be placed in downtown Sudbury, Ontario.
In 1993, he chose not to be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
Stompin' Tom was ranked thirteenth on The Greatest Canadian list, making him the highest-placed artist. He was also one of four musicians featured on Canadian postage stamps in 2009.
Film and TV Appearances
Stompin' Tom Connors appeared in several films and TV shows:
- North of Superior (1971) – featured a performance by Tom.
- This Is Stompin' Tom (1972) – included a performance by Tom.
- Across This Land with Stompin' Tom Connors (1973).
- Stompin' Tom's Canada (1974–1975) – his own TV series.
- Stompin' Tom in Live Concert (2006) – a TV special.
Images for kids
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Connors in 2002
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The 2015 bronze statue of Stompin' Tom, with Connors' left hand positioned for chord of C-, one of the major chords in the song Sudbury Saturday Night
