Willy Mitchell facts for kids
Willy Mitchell (born Percy Williams; 1953) is a talented Canadian First Nations musician. He became well-known in the 1970s, touring and recording music with his band, the Desert River Band. Willy Mitchell also helped organize the Sweet Grass Festival in 1980, which brought together many amazing Inuit and First Nations musicians from all over Canada in Val-d'Or, Quebec.
Early Life and Music
Willy Mitchell, whose birth name is Percy Williams, was born in Malone, New York, in 1953. His parents were from the Algonquin and Mohawk nations. He grew up in Kitigan-Zibi, a community in southern Quebec, raised by his grandmother. She gave him the nickname "Willy," which he uses as his stage name.
In 1968, Willy Mitchell started his first band, called the Northern Lights Group. They began touring and performing in northern Quebec. After an incident in 1969, Willy received some money. He used this money to buy a special Fender Telecaster Thinline guitar. After getting better, he formed a new band, the Desert River Band. He even wrote a song called "Big Police Man" about his experience.
The Desert River Band and Sweet Grass Festival
Willy Mitchell and the Desert River Band performed live on a TV show called New Faces in Ottawa in 1970. After that, they started touring a lot, sharing their music with many people.
Willy also spent four years studying at Manitou Community College in La Macaza, Quebec. This college was just for First Nations students. There, he learned about traditional plants, photography, and how to make films.
In 1980, Willy Mitchell and Janine Poirier Macdonald worked together to create a special event called the Sweet Grass Festival. This festival celebrated First Nations and Inuit music. Many talented musicians performed, including Willie Dunn, Roger House, Willie Thrasher, and Morley Loon. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Northern Service recorded these performances. Later, they released an album called Sweet Grass Music in 1982.
In the 1990s, Willy Mitchell released several of his own albums. Today, he lives in Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec.
