From Fresh Water - Album

Stanley Allison Rogers November 29 1949 – June 2 1983 Was A Canadian Folk Musician And Songwriter. Rogers Was Noted For His Rich Baritone Voice And His Traditional-Sounding Songs Which Were Frequently Inspired By Canadian History And The Daily Lives Of Working People Especially Those From The Fishing Villages Of The Maritime Provinces And Later The Farms Of The Canadian Prairies And Great Lakes. Rogers Died In A Fire Aboard Air Canada Flight 797 On The Ground At The Greater Cincinnati Airport At The Age Of 33. Rogers Was Born In Hamilton Ontario The Eldest Son Of Nathan Allison Rogers And Valerie Née Bushell Rogers Two Maritimers Who Had Relocated To Ontario In Search Of Work Shortly After Their Marriage In July 1948. Although Rogers Was Raised In Binbrook Ontario He Often Spent Summers Visiting Family In Guysborough County Nova Scotia. It Was There That He Became Familiar With The Way Of Life In The Maritimes An Influence Which Was To Have A Profound Impact On His Subsequent Musical Development. He Was Interested In Music From An Early Age Reportedly Beginning To Sing Shortly After Learning To Speak. He Received His First Guitar A Miniature Hand-Built By His Uncle Lee Bushell When He Was Five Years Of Age. He Was Exposed To A Variety Of Music Influences But Among The Most Lasting Were The Country And Western Tunes His Uncles Would Sing During Family Get-Togethers. Throughout His Childhood He Would Practice His Singing And Playing Along With His Brother Garnet Six Years His Junior. While Rogers Was Attending Saltfleet High School Stoney Creek Ontario He Started To Meet Other Young People Interested In Folk Music Although At This Time He Was Dabbling In Rock And Roll Singing And Playing Bass Guitar In Garage Bands Such As "Stanley And The Living Stones" And "The Hobbits". After High School Rogers Briefly Attended Both McMaster University And Trent University Where He Performed In Small Venues With Other Student Musicians Including Ian Tamblyn Chris Ward And Fellow Hobbit Nigel Russell. Russell Wrote The Song "White Collar Holler" Which Rogers Sang Frequently On Stage. Rogers Signed With RCA Records In 1970 And Recorded Two Singles "Here's To You Santa Claus" In 1970 And "The Fat Girl Rag" In 1971. In 1973 Rogers Recorded Three Singles For Polygram "Three Pennies" "Guysborough Train" And "Past Fifty." In 1976 Rogers Recorded His Debut Album Fogarty's Cove Released In 1977 On Barnswallow Records. The Album's Subject Matter Dealt Almost Entirely With Life In Maritime Canada And Was An Immediate Success. Rogers Then Formed Fogarty's Cove Music And Bought Barnswallow During The Production Of Turnaround Allowing Him To Release His Own Albums. Posthumously Additional Albums Were Released. Citation Needed Rogers' Songs Often Had A Celtic Feel Which Was Due In Part To His Frequent Use Of DADGAD Guitar Tuning. He Regularly Used His William 'Grit' Laskin Built 12-String Guitar In His Performances. His Best-Known Pieces Include "Northwest Passage" "Barrett's Privateers" "The Mary Ellen Carter" "Make And Break Harbour" "The Idiot" "Fogarty's Cove" And "White Squall". Rogers Died Alongside 22 Other Passengers Most Likely Of Smoke Inhalation On June 2 1983 While Traveling On Air Canada Flight 797 A McDonnell Douglas DC-9 After Performing At The Kerrville Folk Festival. The Airliner Was Flying From Dallas Texas To Toronto And Montreal When A Fire Of Unknown Ignition Source Within The Vanity Or Toilet Shroud Of The Aft Washroom Forced It To Make An Emergency Landing At The Greater Cincinnati Airport In Northern Kentucky. There Were Initially No Visible Flames And After Attempts To Extinguish The Fire Were Unsuccessful Smoke Filled The Cabin. Upon Landing The Plane's Doors Were Opened Allowing The Five Crew And 18 Of The Passengers To Escape But Approximately 60 To 90 Seconds Into The Evacuation The Oxygen Rushing In From Outside Caused A Flash Fire. Rogers Had Initially Been One Of The Passengers To Escape But He At Some Point Re-Entered The Plane To Assist In The Effort To Help Others Escape. Rogers' Legacy Includes His Recordings Songbook And Plays For Which He Was Commissioned To Write Music. His Songs Are Still Frequently Covered By Other Musicians And Are Perennial Favourites At Canadian Campfires And Song Circles. Members Of Rogers' Band Including His Brother Garnet Rogers Continue To Be Active Performers And Form A Significant Part Of The Fabric Of Contemporary Canadian Folk Music. Following His Death He Was Nominated For The 1984 Juno Awards In The Category For Best Male Vocalist. That Same Year He Was Posthumously Awarded The Diplôme D’Honneur Of The Canadian Conference Of The Arts. In 1994 His Posthumous Live Album Home In Halifax Was Likewise Nominated For Best Roots And Traditional Album. Stan's Son Nathan Rogers Is Also An Established Canadian Folk Artist With A Voice And Lyrical Acumen Similar To His Father's. He Has Released Two Critically Acclaimed Solo Discs And Tours Internationally As A Solo Act And In The Trio Dry Bones. read less