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Rita MacNeil

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Rita MacNeil
MacNeil at the National Arts Centre in 2009
MacNeil at the National Arts Centre in 2009
Background information
Born(1944-05-28)May 28, 1944
Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedApril 16, 2013(2013-04-16) (aged 68)
Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1975–2013
LabelsVirgin Records
Websiteritamacneil.com

Rita MacNeil CM ONS (May 28, 1944 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian singer and songwriter from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island. Her biggest hit, "Flying On Your Own", was a crossover Top 40 hit in 1987 and was covered by Anne Murray the following year, although she had hits on the country and adult contemporary charts throughout her career. In the United Kingdom, MacNeil's song "Working Man" was a No. 11 hit in 1990.[1]

In 1990, she was the bestselling country artist in Canada, outselling even Garth Brooks and Clint Black. She was also the only female singer ever to have three separate albums chart in the same year in Australia.[2]

Through her career MacNeil received five honorary degrees, released 24 albums, won three Juno Awards, a SOCAN National Achievement Award,[3] four CCMA awards, eleven ECMA awards, was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and was named to the Orders of Nova Scotia and Canada.[4]

On the eighth anniversary of her death, April 16, 2021, it was announced that Rita MacNeil would be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame posthumously in May of that same year.[5]

Personal life

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

MacNeil was born in Big Pond to Catherine and Neil J. MacNeil.[6] She was born with a cleft lip and palate.[7] MacNeil was the fifth of eight siblings;[7] she had three brothers and four sisters.[8] Her father owned a local store and was a carpenter,[9] and her mother worked in the family store.[10]

As a young girl, MacNeil was molested by her great-uncle who lived down the road from the family home. For many years she kept this to herself, only revealing it for the first time in her autobiography,[11] recalling years of sexual abuse and noting that he had done everything short of raping her.[12] She noted that the sexual abuse eventually ended, unsure whether it was because someone had found out about it or that her family moved away from Big Pond. She called it a point in her life that profoundly affected her because it was a traumatic passage out of innocence.[13]

1950s

[edit]

In the mid-1950s MacNeil's parents sold their store and began a big move that would take them to Sydney, then to Toronto.[14] MacNeil's father worked as a carpenter, her mother worked at Eaton's, and her sister Mary worked at a local grocery store.[15] Alcoholism, already a large part of her parents' life, became worse in Toronto, especially with her mother's desire to move back to Cape Breton. After a terrible night of drinking and fighting,[16] MacNeil's older brother Malcolm ('Malkie') arrived in Toronto, and he and Mary convinced their parents that it was time to move back to Cape Breton, which they soon did.[17]

1960s

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By the summer of 1960 MacNeil was itching to get away to the city to start making a name for herself. She had just finished Grade 11 when she took a summer job in Toronto, along with her friend Carolyn Tobin, working for CNR.[18][19] Upon returning to Sydney in the fall, MacNeil knew she wanted nothing more than to begin her singing career, and with her parents' support she moved right back to Toronto to get started.[19]

Like her mother, MacNeil worked for Eaton's, in the Customer Account Services Department[20] By 1964 she had begun taking voice lessons.[21] She had also met a man she described as Sicilian, with jet black hair, brown eyes and very white teeth.[22] She began dating this man although he had told her his parents wanted him to marry a Sicilian woman. She became pregnant in 1965; frightened and unsure of the future, she returned to her parents, who cared for and supported her.[23]

On April 15, 1966, MacNeil gave birth to her daughter Laura.[24] She also started struggling with her weight, which fluctuated from 119 to 183 pounds.[25] That summer MacNeil decided to continue working toward her singing goals as she made a life for her daughter. Leaving Laura with her parents, she returned to Toronto[26] and her Eaton's job.[27]

That fall she met David Langham. By spring 1967 she had married Langham in a small ceremony that included the bride's sister, the groom's brother, and a minister. In her autobiography she wrote that she wore a royal-blue suit and a pink pillbox hat, while Langham wore a suit.[28] The newlyweds moved Laura into their Toronto home in August 1967.[29]

Langham and MacNeil left Toronto in the summer of 1968, purchasing a 78-acre farm in the village of Dundalk.[30] MacNeil's second child, Wade, was born there on April 30, 1970.[31]

1970s

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MacNeil longed to return to the city and convinced Langham to sell the farm, and in the fall of 1970 they moved to Etobicoke, just outside the City of Toronto. Growing restless in her marriage, MacNeil made one last attempt to save her relationship by moving back to Cape Breton with her family in 1975.[32] It wasn't enough and she returned to Toronto on her own; for a year she tried to develop her career further while sorting out her feelings. She returned to Cape Breton in spring 1976,[33] became severely depressed, and left again, this time taking her children on her move to Ottawa where, as a single mother, she took jobs cleaning houses and became a welfare recipient.[34] By summer 1979 MacNeil and Langham had filed for divorce.[35]

Career

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1970s

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MacNeil was first introduced to the women's movement in 1971 and it was pivotal to her music career.[36] In 1972 she wrote the song "Born a Woman," which expressed her feelings about how women were being portrayed by men and in the media.[37] Her mother Catherine died that year after being ill for some time, and at her funeral Rita sang a song she had written, "Who Will I Go to See," which she included on her first album.[38]

In 1975 MacNeil released her first album, Born A Woman, a tribute to those fighting for women's rights across the country.[32] By 1979, her career had taken off. She performed for International Women's Day in Sydney, Cape Breton; realizing she could do her music in Cape Breton, she moved back to Nova Scotia.[39] During the move she realized that her interests extended beyond the women's movement to include places she loved. She wrote songs like "Black Rock," "Rene," "Brown Grass," "My Island Too,"[40] and "Old Man," which was about her father.[41]

Research done by historians Steve Hewitt and Christabelle Sethna on documents from the now-defunct Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service have revealed accounts of the force having spied on feminists, including MacNeil, during the 1970s.[42]

"Working Man"

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"Working Man" was sparked by a visit to the Princess Colliery in Sydney Mines, prompted by the stories of the miners' daily hardships.[43] In her autobiography she notes that the tour guide was suffering from throat cancer, and she had remembered her mother's struggles with it, and as he talked the melody for the song began in her head, complete with lyrics.[44] The song, which peaked at number 11 in the UK charts, became a worldwide sensation and the unofficial anthem for coal miners everywhere.[1]

1980s

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In 1981 MacNeil released her second album. Part of the Mystery, which included some of the songs she had written upon returning to Cape Breton: "Part of the Mystery," "Old Man," "Black Rock," and the first release of "Working Man."[45] The work leading up to the album's release was immense; to ensure that it would be picked up, MacNeil and friends formed Big Pond Publishing and Production Limited in 1980, which today is run by her son Wade.[46] In 1983 MacNeil released her third album, I'm Not What I Seem.[47]

In 1985 MacNeil was invited to sing at the Canadian Pavilion in Japan, at Expo '85.[48] Upon her return home she taped her first television special for CBC, Celtic Fantasy, at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.[49] Unfortunately the successful year ended in heartache when MacNeil's father died in early December.[50]

After MacNeil had performed several times at Expo '86 in Vancouver,[51] the media began encouraging everyone to go and see her sing.[52] Vancouver was a long way from home, and out of MacNeil's homesickness came "She's Called Nova Scotia."[53]

MacNeil was selected along with John Gracie to tape a pilot episode for a CBC television series called View From the Heart,[54] a variety show similar to her later series Rita & Friends. After travelling to Nashville to record "Flying on Your Own" and "Fast Train to Tokyo," MacNeil learned the show would not go ahead. The press suggested Macneil's appearance had adversely affected her chances; a newspaper headline of the time read 'Fat lady with cleft lip not marketable: So says CBC Toronto'.[55]

Not letting this disappointment get her down, MacNeil was ready to release her fourth album, Flying on Your Own, but record companies were unwilling to pick it up, so she decided to release it under her own record label, Lupin Production. Upon the release, sales in the Maritimes skyrocketed. At the same time she filmed a movie called Candy Mountain, in which she played the small role of a singer named Winnie. By February 1987 Virgin Record Canada and A&M Records Canada had taken over the sales of Flying on Your Own, which had sold 22,000 copies. Sales reached 40,000, eventually hitting Gold Record status,[56] and selling 75,000 copies by the end of 1987. MacNeil also won her first Juno Award in 1987 for Most Promising Female Vocalist.[57]

In 1988 MacNeil received an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick, and released two more albums, Now the Bells Ring and Reason to Believe, which was written for her mother.[58] At the same time Flying on Your Own surpassed 120,000 sales, reaching platinum status. By November 1988, Reason to Believe had reached platinum status.[59]

MacNeil's success was evident. Fellow Canadian singing icon Anne Murray covered the song "Flying on Your Own", on her 1988 album As I Am.[60]

MacNeil was given one of the Canadian music industry's highest honours, the Procan award, now known as Socan.[61][62]

In 1989 MacNeil received another honorary doctorate, from St. Mary's University.[63] She also filmed another television special, Flying on Your Own, for CTV,[64] and released another album, Rita, which she recorded in Vancouver.[65]

1990s

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In 1990 MacNeil was nominated for three Juno awards: Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Country Vocalist of the Year; she won Female Vocalist.[66][67]

Her album Rita won Album of the Year at the 1990 Canadian Country Music Awards, and at the East Coast Music Awards along with Female Vocalist of the Year.[68] She also filmed her first Christmas special for CTV, Now the Bells Ring,[69] and saw her Christmas album, Now the Bells Ring, reach triple-platinum status and Flying on Your Own reach double-platinum status.[70]

In 1991 MacNeil won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Juno Awards, followed by Female Vocalist, Album of the Year (Home I'll Be), and Song of the Year ("Home I'll Be"), at the East Coast Music Awards. She was also awarded the Socan Award for Highest Airplay of a Song ("We'll Reach the Sky Tonight").[71] MacNeil also set out on a European tour, which included what she considered a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity performance at the Royal Albert Hall.[72]

By the fall, MacNeil had won the fan choice for Entertainer of the Year, as well as the award for top-selling album, at the Canadian Country Music Awards.[73]

In the spring of 1992 MacNeil was given the Order of Canada. Upon receipt of this award, she was asked to sing "We'll Reach the Sky Tonight" on Canada Day, during the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada.[74][75]

IN 1993 MacNeil won the East Coast Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year and received honorary doctorates from St. Francis Xavier University and Mount St. Vincent University.[76]

1993 World Series
MacNeil was invited to Toronto's SkyDome to sing "O Canada" at Game 2 of the World Series. Following the performance, a Toronto journalist made comments about the physical conditions of the Philadelphia Phillies players. In retaliation, a local Philadelphia newspaper took aim at MacNeil stating: "Towns that need forklifts to transport their O Canada singer to home plate, should think twice before describing Phillies as unfit." The journalist further wondered whether MacNeil was paid for her performance by the pound or the note or in Jenny Craig Certificates.[77] In her autobiography MacNeil notes that no retraction or apology was ever issued by the journalist or the newspaper. When asked later if she would sing for another World Series game, she answered true to her humorous self: "Yes, I'd do it, but only if they drive me out onto the field on a forklift."[78]

In her continuing struggles with weight and shopping for clothing in sizes above 26, MacNeil attempted to launch a clothing line, but stores didn't seem interested in carrying the line and shoppers weren't interested in her style. She hoped to get stores to carry sizes up to 32 and Penningtons considered sizes up to 26, but the 'Rita Line' garnered no interest.[79]

Rita's Tea Room in Big Pond, Nova Scotia

More successful was Rita's Tea Room, which opened in 1986. Originally a one-room schoolhouse where she lived, it was expanded in 1993 to include the foyer, gift shop, kitchen, and additional rooms.[80][81] In later years MacNeil performed summer concert series in the tea room, which included dinner and a show. Upon her death, her former bandmates continued to perform shows during the summer months.[82]

MacNeil received another honorary doctorate in 1994 from the University College of Cape Breton.[83] MacNeil was given the opportunity to host a television variety series from 1994 until 1997 called Rita & Friends. The show was produced by CBC Toronto in Studio 40. The first show brought in 1.7 million viewers.[84] By 1996 the show had been moved from its popular Friday-night slot to Wednesday nights, and was eventually cancelled.[85]

MacNeil won a Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Variety Program in 1996.[86] She was nominated for the same award in 1994, but did not win, and in 1995 was nominated for Best Performance in a Variety Program for her Christmas special, Once Upon a Christmas.[87]

MacNeil wrote a memoir, On a Personal Note with Anne Simpson in 1998 and it was published by Key Porter Books.[88] She was interviewed by CTV journalist Sandie Rinaldo in a one-hour documentary based on her autobiography, Rita MacNeil: On a Personal Note.[89]

2000s

[edit]

MacNeil produced her final television Christmas special in 2000 for CTV, which included performances by Natalie MacMaster, John McDermott, The Barra MacNeils, Jamie Salé, and David Pelletier, with a special performance by Patti LaBelle.[8]

In 2003 MacNeil filmed a television special titled Rita MacNeil presents The Men of the Deeps, a one-hour special showcasing the coal mining choir The Men of the Deeps.[90] She produced a television special one year later in 2004 called Rita MacNeil's Cape Breton, featuring Jimmy Rankin, Ashley MacIsaac, and The Men of the Deeps.[91]

MacNeil released her second book, Christmas at Home with Rita MacNeil, in 2003. The book shared memories of Christmas in Cape Breton, as well as family recipes and song lyrics. The book also included a copy of her 2003 Christmas album, Late December.

MacNeil was featured in a 2004 episode of Trailer Park Boys, in which she and her band were forced to harvest marijuana at gunpoint.[92]

MacNeil was awarded the Order of Nova Scotia in 2005.[93] She was also awarded the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2005 East Coast Music Awards.[94]

Flying On Her Own, a play based on MacNeil's life and featuring many of her songs, premiered at Live Bait Theatre in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2000. Written by Canadian playwright Charlie Rhindress, it was subsequently produced by Neptune Theatre in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2002 and published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2008.

2010s

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MacNeil's final concert tour was in December 2012, 'Sharing Christmas: Rita MacNeil with Special Guest Frank Mills.' Her last television appearance was December 6, 2012 on George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos.[95] MacNeil's last known stage performance was just over a month before her death, on March 9, 2013 during East Coast Music Week. MacNeil was also given 25th Anniversary Award at the 2013 East Coast Music Awards Gala.[94]

A 25th album was released following MacNeil's death titled Traveling On. It is a memorial album containing some of MacNeil's most cherished songs, hand-picked by her son Wade, her close family and friends, and thousands of fans who gave input via social media.[96]

MacNeil was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in September 2013.[97]

MacNeil was recognized at the 2014 East Coast Music awards with the Directors Special Achievement Award.[98][99]

A biography of MacNeil, I'm Not What I Seem, by Charlie Rhindress, was published by Formac in October 2016 and became a best seller in Nova Scotia and PEI.

Death

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MacNeil died on April 16, 2013, from complications of surgery after a recurrent infection.[100][101] Early reports from the Globe and Mail that MacNeil contracted an infection while in the hospital were not correct, and the newspaper later printed a correction.[102]

Discography

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Main article: Rita MacNeil discography

Television

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Notable television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Celtic Fantasy herself CBC Special
1986 View from the Heart herself (host) Unaired pilot
1989 Flying on Your Own herself CTV Special
1990 Now the Bells Ring herself Christmas Special
1994–1997 Rita and Friends herself (host)
1994 Royal Canadian Air Farce herself episode 2.4
1997 Big Sky herself TV Mini-series
1998 On A Personal Note herself CBC Documentary
1998 Rita MacNeil's Celtic Celebration herself CTV Special
2000 Rita MacNeil's Christmas herself Christmas Special
2003 Rita MacNeil presents The Men of the Deeps herself (host) CTV Special
2004 Rita MacNeil's Cape Breton herself CTV Special
2004 Trailer Park Boys herself Season 4 Episode 8 Working Man
2005 Vicki Gabereau Show herself guest performance
2012 The Hour herself
2012 George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight herself Episode 54

Awards

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Juno

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Year Category Result
1987 Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year Won
1989 Best Female Vocalist Nominated
Composer of the year Nominated
Album of the Year (Reason to Believe) Nominated
1990 Best Female Vocalist Won
Best Country Female Vocalist Nominated
Album of the Year (Now the Bells Ring) Nominated
Album of the Year (Rita) Nominated
1991 Best Country Female Vocalist Won
Best Female Vocalist Nominated
Best Album (Home I'll Be) Nominated
1993 Best Female Vocalist Nominated
1994 Best Female Vocalist Nominated
1995 Best Female Vocalist Nominated
1996 Best Female Vocalist Nominated

Gemini

[edit]
Year Category Result
1994 Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series Nominated
1995 Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series Nominated
1996 Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series Won

ECMA

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Year Category Result
1989 FACTOR Recording of the Year (Reason to Believe) Won
Female Recording of the Year Won
1990 FACTOR Recording of the Year (Rita) Won
Female Recording of the Year Won
Song of the Year (I'll Accept the Rose Tonight) Nominated
1991 Live Artist of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year (Home I'll Be) Won
Country Recording of the Year Nominated
FACTOR Recording of the Year (Home I'll Be) Won
Female Recording of the Year Won
1992 Entertainer of the Year Nominated
1993 Country Recording of the Year Nominated
Entertainer of the Year Nominated
Female Recording of the Year Won
1994 Female Recording of the Year Nominated
1995 Country Recording of the Year Won
Entertainer of the Year Nominated
1996 Country Recording of the Year Nominated
Entertainer of the Year Nominated
Female Recording of the Year Nominated
2000 Female Recording of the Year Nominated
2002 Root/Traditional Group of the Year (with The Men of the Deeps) Nominated
2003 Female Recording of the Year Nominated
2005 Female Recording of the Year Nominated
Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award Won

References

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  1. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 341. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ Ouzounian, Richard (April 17, 2013). "Rita MacNeil: Spirited woman touched many with her songs". Toronto Star. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  3. ^ "2009 Socan Awards | Socan". Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  4. ^ "Rita MacNeil". Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  5. ^ "Singer-songwriter Rita MacNeil to be inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame". Toronto Star. April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  6. ^ MacNeil, Rita; Simpson, Anne (1998). On A Personal Note. Toronto: Key Porter Books. p. 4. ISBN 1-55263-002-1.
  7. ^ a b On A Personal Note. p. 14.
  8. ^ a b "Remembering Rita". Big Pond Publishing. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  9. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 7.
  10. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 24.
  11. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 51.
  12. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 52.
  13. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 53.
  14. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 54.
  15. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 56.
  16. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 63.
  17. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 64
  18. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 75
  19. ^ a b On A Personal Note. p. 76
  20. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 77
  21. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 87
  22. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 82
  23. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 97
  24. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 98
  25. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 99
  26. ^ On A Personal Note. p.100
  27. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 101
  28. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 207
  29. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 109
  30. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 114
  31. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 119
  32. ^ a b On A Personal Note. p. 135
  33. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 138
  34. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 140
  35. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 152
  36. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 125
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  38. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 132
  39. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 151
  40. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 157
  41. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 158
  42. ^ "RCMP spied on Rita MacNeil, feminists in 1970s". CTV News. August 4, 2008. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  43. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 159
  44. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 160
  45. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 163
  46. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 164
  47. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 172
  48. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 181
  49. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 186
  50. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 188
  51. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 190
  52. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 191
  53. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 192
  54. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 193
  55. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 194
  56. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 196
  57. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 197
  58. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 200
  59. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 201
  60. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 202
  61. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 203
  62. ^ "History". Socan. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  63. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 208
  64. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 210
  65. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 212
  66. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 216
  67. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 217
  68. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 218
  69. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 223
  70. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 224
  71. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 226
  72. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 228
  73. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 232
  74. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 239
  75. ^ "Order of Canada". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  76. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 244
  77. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 245
  78. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 246
  79. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 248
  80. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 249
  81. ^ "Rita's TeaRoom". Big Pond Publishing. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  82. ^ "Concerts". Big Pond Publishing. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  83. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 250
  84. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 252
  85. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 261
  86. ^ On A Personal Note. p. 262
  87. ^ "Awards Database". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  88. ^ "On a Personal Note Rita's Autobiography". Big Pond Publishing. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  89. ^ "Rita MacNeil On a Personal Note". SFA Productions. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  90. ^ "Rita MacNeil presents The Men of the Deeps". SFA Productions. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  91. ^ "Rita MacNeil's Cape Breton". SFA Productions. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  92. ^ "Trailer Park Boys: Workin' Man". IMDb. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  93. ^ "Rita MacNeil receives N.S. honour". CBC News, November 1, 2005.
  94. ^ a b "Rita MacNeil, 1944–2013". ECMAs. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  95. ^ "Episode 54". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  96. ^ "Traveling On". Big Pond Publishing. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  97. ^ "Rita MacNeil inducted to Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame". CBC News. July 3, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  98. ^ "ECMA announces Rita MacNeil, Jay Smith, and The Chaisson Trio among 2014 honourary award recipients". ECMAs. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  99. ^ "Rita MacNeil, Jay Smith among honorary ECMA recipients". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  100. ^ "Canadians pay tribute to Rita MacNeil | CTV Atlantic News". Atlantic.ctvnews.ca. February 20, 2005. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
  101. ^ "Rita MacNeil dies at 68 after surgery; son says she had been planning summer concerts". Toronto Star, April 17, 2013.
  102. ^ "Rita MacNeil did not have hospital-acquired infection, health officials say". The Globe and Mail. April 26, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.

Further reading

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