Stanley Beresford "Donn" Reynolds (June 26, 1921 – August 16, 1997) was a Canadian

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer and

yodeler Yodeling (also jodeling) is a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or "chest voice") and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. The English word ''yodel'' is derived from ...

most widely known for his Bavarian style of yodeling. Often referred to as Canada's "king of the yodelers",Library and Archives Canada Sep 1997
King of the yodelers Donn Reynolds dead at age 76 Reynolds established two yodeling world records. He recorded 38 singles and six albums throughout a performing career spanning over 40 years.

Biography

Early years (1921-1936)

Donn Reynolds was born in

St. Vital, Winnipeg St. Vital (french: Saint-Vital) is a ward and neighbourhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Located in the south-central part of the city, it is bounded on the north by Carrière Avenue; on the south by the northern limit of the Rural Municipal ...

, Manitoba, Canada on June 26, 1921. His parents, William Reynolds and Ethel Smith, migrated from England to Canada in 1907 after their marriage in 1905. He was youngest of three children, with older sisters Dora and Connie. Influenced by

Harry Hopkinson Harry Hopkinson (8 June 1902 – 4 March 1979) professionally also known as Austin Layton and Harry Torrani, was a British music hall performer, a soprano and songwriter who has been credited as one of the world's greatest yodelers. He was b ...

(aka Harry Torrani), a popular British yodeler during the 1930s, Reynolds taught himself to sing and play guitar at 10 years of age. He first achieved local notoriety in 1936, winning a local radio (

CKY CKY may refer to: * CKY (band), American rock band, formerly "Camp Kill Yourself" ** ''CKY'' (video series), named after the band **CKY crew, people involved in the video series and related projects *CKY-DT, a television station in Winnipeg, Manito ...

Winnipeg) sponsored talent contest. By the age of 16, Reynolds had formed a band performing local clubs and theatres as "The Yodeling Ranger"., page 299

Military (1937-1945)

Through his father's encouragement, Reynolds headed for British Columbia in 1937 to work as a deckhand for

Canadian Pacific Railway Coast Service The Canadian Pacific Railway Coast Service, also known as the British Columbia Coast Steamships (BCCS), was a division of Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), which began operating Pacific coastal shipping routes in the late 19th century. The develop ...

aboard passenger steamships along the western coasts of Canada and the United States. Traveling with his guitar, he was popular for entertaining passengers and crew with frequent impromptu performances aboard each ship. After Canada's declaration of war in 1939, Reynolds became a Merchant Mariner in the

Canadian Merchant Navy Canada, like several other Commonwealth nations, created the Canadian Merchant Navy () in a large-scale effort during World War II. 184 ships are involved in merchant shipping activity in the Canadian shipping industry. History An informal me ...

with

Canadian Pacific Steamships CP Ships was a large Canadian shipping company established in the 19th century. From the late 1880s until after World War II, the company was Canada's largest operator of Atlantic and Pacific steamships. Many immigrants travelled on CP ships fr ...

. In 1941 he enlisted in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

assigned to deep-sea rescue operations in the Northern Pacific

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...

. During service in the RCAF, Reynolds' vocal talent caught the attention of senior officers as he was often heard singing and yodeling throughout the ship. They facilitated his reassignment to the "Joe Boys", a Canadian military entertainment unit touring throughout Western Canada and Alaska performing for Canadian, American, British and Australian troops where he remained until the end of the Pacific campaign in 1945.

Australia (1946-1948)

Upon completing his military service, Reynolds moved to New Zealand through an offer to tour the

Kerridge Odeon Sir Robert James Kerridge (30 October 1901 – 26 April 1979) was a New Zealand businessman, cinema proprietor, film distributor, tourism promoter and entrepreneur. Kerridge was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 30 October 1901. He develop ...

circuit under contract with R.J. Kerridge. Success of the tour extended to Australia in early 1947 where he joined Western Cinemas Limited as a featured vaudeville performer in his own travelling hillbilly variety show and debuted over Australian radio performing weekly for

Bob Dyer Robert Neal Dyer OBE (May 22, 1909 – January 9, 1984) was a Gold Logie-award-winning American-born vaudeville entertainer and singer, radio and television personality, and radio and television quiz show host who made his name in Australia. Dy ...

's ''Dude Ranch'' on 2FC. His appearances featured a heavy black beard he had grown for an acting role in the Australian film ''Eureka Stockade'' produced by

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...

. The same year, Reynolds joined Willard (Bill) Ferrier's Famous Hillbillies along with budding Australian artists

Johnny Ashcroft John Lewis Ashcroft FAIHA (1 February 1927 – 19 May 2021) was an Australian country music and folk entertainer, singer, songwriter, and musician, who also recorded pop, skiffle, jazz, and disco as his alter ego, the Baron. He was married to ...

, The McKean Sisters, Dusty Rankin, and Billy Blinkhorn. Their shows were the first in Sydney to present a strictly all country music format. Alongside pioneers

Tex Morton Tex Morton (born Robert William Lane in Nelson, New Zealand, also credited as Robert Tex Morton; 30 August 1916 – 23 July 1983) was a pioneer of New Zealand and Australian country and western music, vaudevillian, actor, television host and ...

and

Slim Dusty Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon and one of the country's most awarded stars, ...

, Reynolds was among Australia's earliest popular country music recording artists releasing several sides in 1947 for the Australian

Columbia Graphophone Company Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd. was one of the earliest phonograph, gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1917 as an offshoot of the American Columbia Records, Columbia Phonograph Company, it became an independent British-owned ...

on the

Regal Zonophone Regal may refer to: Companies * Regal Beloit, usually referred to as Regal, an American manufacturer of electric motors * Regal Cinema (disambiguation), several cinemas of that name * Regal Cinemas, a major American theater chain * Regal Cinemas ...

label. Gaining popularity around the country, he became known as "Canada's Yodelling Cowboy" and regularly featured on national radio shows such as ''Cavalcade with

Jack Davey John Andrew Davey (8 February 190714 October 1959), known as Jack Davey, was a New Zealand-born singer and pioneering star of Australian radio as a performer, producer, writer and host from the early 1930s into the late 1950s. Later in his caree ...

'', ''National Fair'', ''Malvern Star Show'', and ''RAAF Digger Sessions''. He earned money playing theaters and halls in towns across New South Wales where people had heard him on the radio and travelled with Goldwyn Brothers Circus billed as the "Yodelling Cowboy". In October 1948, Reynolds became the voice of Australia's iconic

Peters Ice Cream Peters Ice Cream is an Australian ice cream brand, now a subsidiary of European food firm Froneri. It was originally developed by an expatriate American, Frederick (Fred) Augustus Bolles Peters in 1907, using his mother's recipe. History The c ...

as the "Peter's Singing Cowboy". His signature five tone yodel garnered recognition as a regular feature of the Peters Pals radio show syndicated from Melbourne's

3XY Magic 1278 (official callsign: 3EE) is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment Co, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. History 1935–1991: 3XY 1935–1967 3XY began broadcasting on 8 Sept ...

United States (1949-1958)

Eager to extend his recent Australian popularity to America, Reynolds departed for Hollywood California in 1949 headlining "Red Barn Roundup" hoedowns with Dusty Ellison at the Avodon Ballroom in Los Angeles. His first U.S. single, "Texas Yodel", was declared a

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

"Bullseye of the Week" on July 2, 1949, prompting appearances throughout California's vaudeville theaters and dance halls. The song was covered by

Wesley Tuttle Wesley Tuttle (born December 30, 1917, in Lamar, Colorado; died September 29, 2003) was an American country music singer. He was raised in California and took up music at age four, relearning to play the guitar and ukulele after losing all but ...

on Capitol Records later that same year. Forming a band in 1950, Reynolds toured the southwestern U.S. as "Donn Reynolds & his Westerners" drawing further attention upon winning the "World Open Yodelers Contest" on September 1, 1950 (awarded by Wilf Carter at the

Pacific National Exhibition The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is a nonprofit organization that operates an annual 15-day summer fair, 10-day winter fair, a seasonal amusement park, and indoor arenas in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The PNE fair is held at Hastings ...

, Vancouver, BC) and later claiming the U.S. National Yodeling Championship in 1956 (awarded by

Connie B. Gay Connie Barriot Gay (August 22, 1914 – December 3, 1989) was renowned as a "founding father" and "major force" in country music. He is credited for coining the country music genre, which had previously been called hillbilly music. Gay was the f ...

in Washington, DC). During a trend that saw American R&B record labels expanding into country music, Reynolds signed with

Art Rupe Arthur Newton Rupe (born Arthur Goldberg; September 5, 1917 – April 15, 2022) was an American music executive and record producer. He founded Specialty Records, known for its rhythm and blues, blues, gospel and early rock and roll music reco ...

Specialty Records Specialty Records was an American record label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe. It was known for rhythm and blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, and recorded artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd P ...

in January 1952. Recording sessions were held at John Keating Studios in Seattle, WA which remained unreleased until appearing on his 2013 compilation "Portrait of a Yodeler". Later that summer, Reynolds teamed up with western swing band leader Eddie Cletro, recording several singles for Lariat Records at the renowned

Radio Recorders Radio Recorders, Inc. was an American recording studio located in Los Angeles, California. During the 1940s and 1950s, Radio Recorders was one of the largest independent recording studios in the world. Notable musicians recorded at Radio Recorder ...

studio in Hollywood. From 1950 through late 1956, Reynolds traveled the U.S. working in radio broadcasting while regularly appearing on stage and television across the country. Featured appearances include the

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of th ...

, WLS

National Barn Dance ''National Barn Dance'', broadcast by WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the ''Grand Ole Opry''. ''National Barn Dance'' also set the stage for other ...

WWVA Jamboree The ''Wheeling Jamboree'' is the second oldest country music radio broadcast in the United States after the ''Grand Ole Opry''. The Jamboree originated in 1933 in Wheeling, West Virginia on WWVA (AM), WWVA, the first radio station in West Virginia ...

, KRLD Big D Jamboree, Hollywood Theatre, WSAZ Saturday Night Jamboree,

Herb Shriner Herbert Arthur "Herb" Shriner (May 29, 1918 – April 23, 1970) was an American humorist, radio personality, actor, and television host. Shriner was known for his homespun monologues, usually about his home state of Indiana. He was frequently co ...

's " Two for the Money", Valley View Park (with

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...

), and his own regular TV show as "The TV Rangers" on WGAL-TV. By 1956, Reynolds had settled in Cumberland, Maryland as a resident broadcaster for WCUM and host of its weekly ''Alleghany Jubilee'' variety show. He opened a local record shop "The Record Corral" specializing in country and spiritual music. In late 1956 Reynolds traveled to the U.K., being among the earliest artists to have recorded in London's

Lansdowne Studios Lansdowne Studios was a music recording studio in Holland Park, London, England, which operated between 1958 and 2006. Background The studio was located at Lansdowne Road, Holland Park, within Lansdowne House, a Grade II listed eight-storey bu ...

with British producer

Denis Preston Sidney Denis Preston (''né'' Prechner, 16 November 1916 – 21 October 1979) was a British record producer, recording studio owner, radio presenter and music critic. He was particularly influential in the British jazz and associated skiffl ...

. Twelve songs were recorded for

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

under engineering expertise of

Joe Meek Robert George "Joe" Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer, sound engineer and songwriter who pioneered space age and experimental pop music. He also assisted in the development of recording practices like over ...

featuring prominent backing musicians

Jack Fallon Jack Patrick Fallon (October 13, 1915 – May 22, 2006) was a British jazz bassist born in Canada. Fallon played violin and studied with London Symphony Orchestra founder Bruce Sharpe before making double-bass his primary instrument in 1935 when ...

(bass), Danny Levan (violin), Sandy Brown (clarinet), and

Al Fairweather Alastair Fairweather (12 June 1927 – 21 June 1993) was a British jazz trumpeter, born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Educated at the city's Royal High School and Edinburgh College of Art, Fairweather served his National Service in Egypt. In 194 ...

(trumpet). Other U.K. appearances included BBC TV shows ''Bid for Fame'', ''Fancy Free'', ''

In Town Tonight ''In Town Tonight'' is a BBC radio programme that was broadcast on Saturday evening from 1933 to 1960 (except for a period of 26 weeks in 1937 when ''The BBC presents the ABC'' was broadcast instead). It was an early example of a chat show, o ...

'', '' Six Five Special'', ''

Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...

with Gerry Wilmot'', and as

Davy Crockett David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of Re ...

in the Irish musical ''The Adventures of Davy Crockett''. Impressed with Reynolds’ talent, Preston arranged a U.S. record deal through his connections with

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

. Less than a year after arriving in the U.K. Reynolds returned to the U.S. in 1957 for recording sessions at Nashville's historic RCA McGavock Studio under direction of

Wesley Rose Wesley Rose (born February 11, 1918 – April 26, 1990) was an American music industry executive and record producer. Biography The son of songwriter Fred Rose, he was born in Chicago and studied to become a chartered accountant. He eventu ...

(

Acuff-Rose Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. was an American music publishing firm formed in 1942 by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Acuff-Rose's honest behavior towards their writers set them apart from other music publishing firms ...

). Accompanied by

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...

on guitar,

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with t ...

on piano, and famed

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

backup singers

The Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocal ...

, the singles Rose of Ol' Pawnee, Bella Belinda, All Alone, and

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is a song written by songwriter Fred Rose. First recorded by Elton Britt in 1946, then made more popular by Roy Acuff in 1947, the song has been covered by many artists, including Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Russell, ...

were released on the MGM label. The singles were well received by

and

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

reviews while promoted through moderate radio play and a tour across the U.S. featuring guest appearances on

The Milt Grant Show ''The Milt Grant Show'' was a Washington, D.C. teen dance party program aired on WTTG from 1956 to 1961. It was hosted by former radio deejay Milt Grant (1923–2007), who recognized the untapped potential of the teen rock and roll music marke ...

(WTTG-TV) and Buddy Deane's Bandstand (WJZ-TV) in December 1957. Donn Reynolds - El Circo Price de Madrid (1960)

Europe (1959-1961)

With the U.K. release of his earlier EMI studio recordings on the

Pye Nixa Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...

label, Reynolds returned in 1959 embarking on a European promotional tour of England, Sweden, Germany, Morocco, and Spain headlining performances at the Bavarian Grand Ole Opry, Liseberg Rondo, Circus Sarrasani, El Circo De Madrid, and

Victoria Palace Theatre The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station. The structure is categorised as a Grade II* listed building. History Origins The theatre began life as a small conc ...

. Four songs were released in the U.K. on the Pye Records EP "The Donn Reynolds Song Bag" followed by four singles released in Denmark on

Metronome Records Warner Music Sweden AB (previously Metronome Records) is a Swedish record company and label, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. Metronome Records was established in 1949 by Anders Burman, Lars Burman, and Börje Ekberg and was based in Stockholm ...

coinciding with his tour dates there. In March 1960 Reynolds signed with Rank Records Ltd. to record his first LP album. Recording sessions began in May with sound engineer John Timperley at London's Olympic Studio using the industry's first transistorised control desk built by Dick Swettenham. Shortly after, the collapse of Rank Records Ltd. prevented the album's release with all recorded material subsequently being turned over to Reynolds. During a performance in

Mildenhall, Suffolk Mildenhall is a market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. The town is near the A11 and is located north-west of Ipswich, the county town.Ordnance Survey (2006). ''OS Explorer Map 226 - Ely & Newmarket''. . The large Royal Air Force stati ...

, England, Reynolds met Audrey Williams of the British performing trio, "The Three Skylarks". They married September 17, 1960, in

Poulton-le-Fylde Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,264. There is evidence of human habitation ...

, England after which Audrey changed her name to Cindy Reynolds in response to media confusion with another famous

Audrey Williams Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (February 28, 1923 – November 4, 1975) was an American musician known for being the first wife of country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams, the mother of Hank Williams Jr. and the grandmother of Hank Willia ...

(wife of Hank Williams Sr.). Cindy later parted from The Three Skylarks to travel with Reynolds, combining vocal talents in duet performances during the remainder of his European tour. What was to have been a two-week working honeymoon tour of Spain actually lasted six months as Spanish audiences thrilled to their performances and persuaded the newlyweds to remain in their country several months longer.

Canada (1962-1969)

In October 1961 Reynolds returned with Cindy to his birthplace of Winnipeg, Manitoba joining the casts of national TV shows

Cross Canada Barndance ''Cross Canada Barndance'' was a Canadian television variety show, which aired on CTV during that network's inaugural season in 1961–62. Produced by Sydney Banks and hosted by Evan Kemp, the show aired live performances by country musicians ...

(CTV) and

Red River Jamboree ''Red River Jamboree'' was a Canadian country music television series which aired on CBC Television from 1960 to 1965. Premise This Winnipeg-produced series was initially broadcast as a local production. In June 1965, it was carried nationally o ...

(CBC). Engaging television appearances promoted interest for Reynolds from Canadian music producers releasing his Rank Records material as ''The Wild One'' LP on the Banff label of Rodeo Records in 1962. The album received largely positive reviews producing two singles "No One Will Ever Know" (reaching No. 10 June 30, 1962) and "The Parting" with moderate airplay across the country. In the spring of 1963, lure of larger audiences and opportunity enticed the couple to head for

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario where they developed a smooth lounge club duet act touring for several years throughout the province. Their performances featured a variety of folk hits and pop standards, garnering significant local attention and praise from fans and media. Collaborating with acclaimed orchestra leader Lloyd Cooper of CBC-TV's ''

Country Hoedown ''Country Hoedown'' was a Television in Canada, Canadian country music television series which aired on CBC Television from 1956 to 1965. Premise Gordie Tapp hosted the series and also performed in sketches portraying characters such as Cousin C ...

'', they released duet recordings as "Donn & Cindy" on

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

and

Sparton Records Sparton Records was a Canadian record company which was based in London, Ontario. History Sparton Records was founded in 1930 by the American electronics company Sparks-Withington Corp., of Jackson, Michigan, which made Sparton radios. It manu ...

. The couple gave birth to their first child Gary in 1964 as demand for their appearances kept them on the road for weeks at a time. Reynolds returned to the country music charts in 1965 with his solo single "

Afraid To be afraid is to have the emotional response of fear to threats or danger. Afraid may also refer to: * "Afraid" (Mötley Crüe song), 1997 * "Afraid" (The Neighbourhood song), 2013 * "Afraid" (David Bowie song), 2002 * "Afraid", a song by Va ...

" (reaching No. 1 February 22, 1965) followed by his second solo album ''The Blue Canadian Rockies'' containing singles "She Taught Me How To Yodel" (reaching No. 2 April 12, 1965), and "Lorelei" (reaching No. 4 November 29, 1965). In 1967 Reynolds released his third solo album ''Springtime in the Rockies'' containing the single "Shut the Door" (reaching No. 36 June 1, 1968). Through increasing popularity of both solo and duet appearances came an offer to tour and record in Bermuda prompting the couples travel to the island country in 1969. Unfortunately for Reynolds, contractual obligations with Arc Records prohibited him from recording the proposed duet album with Cindy and the studio sessions were cancelled. The couple moved to

Brampton Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipalit ...

, Ontario in 1969 where Cindy gave birth to their 2nd child, Scott in 1971 and withdrew from the entertainment industry to pursue a successful marketing career.

World records (1970-1985)

Throughout the 1970s, Reynolds maintained a healthy Canadian solo career featuring regular appearances on national television such as Country Hoedown (CBC), Carl Smith's ''Country Music Hall'' (CTV), ''

Don Messer's Jubilee ''Don Messer's Jubilee'' was a folk musical TV variety show produced at station CBHT in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was broadcast by CBC Television nationwide from 1957 until 1969, after almost two decades in various formats on CBC radio. T ...

'' (CBC) and releasing his fourth LP album ''Songs of the West'' in 1974 before the birth of his 3rd son, Chad in 1976. National notoriety set the stage for a defining moment in Reynolds' career, when on November 27, 1976 he established a world record, yodeling non-stop for 7 hours and 29 minutes (

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

1976). The accomplishment generated a surge of Canadian media attention including an appearance on

Take 30 ''Take 30'' (also expressed as ''Take Thirty'') was a Canadian television newsmagazine series, which aired on CBC Television from 1962 to 1984 for 2,500 episodes. An afternoon series originally designed as a "women's show", the series gradually ev ...

(CBC-TV) that saw Reynolds perform outside, atop the

CN Tower The CN Tower (french: Tour CN) is a concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway c ...

, ''

The Bob McLean Show ''The Bob McLean Show'' was a Canadian talk show television series which aired on CBC Television from 1975 to 1981. Premise CBC Television created this series in 1975 to replace '' Elwood Glover's Luncheon Date'' whose host had left the network ...

'' (CBC-TV), and U.S. concerts with

Claude King Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain". Biography King was born in Keithville in southern Caddo Parish south ...

in New York. Renewed public acclaim inspired Reynolds to release his fifth LP album ''King of the Yodelers'' on

Quality Records Quality Records was a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels. They also released recordings by Canadian artists. The company operated between 1950 and 1985 with offices in Toron ...

in 1979. With persistent devotion to promoting the art of yodeling, Reynolds earned a second entry into the Guinness Book of Records, when on July 25, 1984 he became the world's fastest yodeler, achieving 5 tones (3

falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...

) in 1.9 seconds. The event was captured on the Canadian television show ''Pizazz!'' (Global-TV) and featured by

Ripley's Believe it or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' feat ...

publications depicting Reynolds in cartoon form. Reynolds once again found himself amid a stir of media frenzy including appearances on ''The

Tommy Hunter Thomas James Hunter, CM, O.Ont (born March 20, 1937) is a Canadian country music performer, known as "Canada's Country Gentleman". Career In 1956, he began performing as a rhythm guitarist on the CBC Television show, '' Country Hoedown''. ''T ...

Show'', ''The

Alan Thicke Alan Thicke (born Alan Willis Jeffrey; March 1, 1947December 13, 2016) was a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is the father of singer Robin Thicke. In 2013, Thicke was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. Thicke was be ...

Show'', ''Claim to Fame'' (CTV-TV), ''Daytime Challenge'' (CBC-TV), ''

Canada AM ''Canada AM'' was a Canadian morning television news show that aired on CTV from 1972 to 2016. Its final hosts were Beverly Thomson and Marci Ien, with Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports. The program aired on weekdays, and ...

'' (CTV-TV), ''That's Life'' (Global-TV), ''Tempo Ontario'' (CKCO-TV), performances with Claude King in Brampton, Ontario and with

Ronnie Hawkins Ronald Cornett Hawkins (January 10, 1935 – May 29, 2022) was an American singer-songwriter, long based in Canada, whose career spanned more than half a century. His career began in Arkansas, United States, where he was born and raised. He ...

for the Toronto Musician's Association.

Later years (1986-1997)

By the late-1980s, demand for Reynolds' appearances declined with lack of national exposure or new material. He struggled amidst a country music industry progressing toward more modern sound as promoters offered less work and little interest in his now obscure talent. Reynolds' worldwide fame waned to local popularity and guest appearances, although feature stories and interviews with Reynolds continued to circulate throughout national publications including ''

International Musician ''International Musician and Recording World'' was a magazine published from 1975 to 1991. Originally launched in the UK, editions were created for the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Foundation ''International Musician and Recording ...

'', '' The Canadian Composer'', ''Close Up'', ''

Country Music News ''Country Music News'' was a Canadian monthly periodical published in Ottawa by Larry Delaney and Joanne Delaney. It calls itself "The Voice Of Country Music in Canada". Overview ''Country Music News'' was first published on 1 April 1980. The mag ...

'', and

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

magazines. In 1987, Reynolds signed with

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

, releasing a compilation of his most popular songs titled ''Donn Reynolds – King of the Yodelers''. The album was promoted through performances across Southern Ontario and the Northeastern US, including the Appalachian Jubilee in Pennsylvania, Malton Festival and CKGL Summerfest Jamboree in Kitchener, Ontario. Among later professional appearances, Reynolds frequently starred in the annual

Royal Winter Fair The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF), also known as The Royal, is an annual agricultural fair that is held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the first two weeks of November. It was inaugurated in 1922 in the Coliseum, on the grounds of Exh ...

at the

Canadian National Exhibition The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Exhibition or The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the third Friday of August leading up to and including Canadian Labour Day, ...

in Toronto along with annual performances at the Toronto Musical Festival and

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame honours Canadian country music artists, builders or broadcasters, living or deceased. The artifact collection includes extensive biographical information on the inductees. It is located in downtown Merritt, ...

Jamboree. In April 1990, Reynolds became a member of the

Masonic Order Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

(Flower City Lodge No. 689) providing greater opportunity to serve the children's charities he passionately supported throughout his career. A brief return to the spotlight occurred June 25, 1990 on the BBC-TV show

Record Breakers ''Record Breakers'' was a British children's TV show, themed around world records and produced by the BBC. It was broadcast on BBC1 from 15 December 1972 to 21 December 2001. It was originally presented by Roy Castle with Guinness World Record ...

when Reynolds beat his previous world record for fastest yodel by achieving 5 tones (3 falsetto) in 0.93 seconds., page 28 The feat was later broadcast October 19, 1990 on BBC-TV. As health issues began limiting his ability to travel or perform, Reynolds settled at his home in

, Ontario, Canada with Cindy and their three sons while continuing to work with children's charities. A video documentary highlighting various performances and achievements of Reynolds was entered into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee while numerous audio recordings were entered into Library and Archives Canada. He died in Toronto on August 16, 1997 following complications from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

and was interred in the Meadowvale Cemetery in Brampton, Ontario. In 1998, the "Donn Reynolds Parkette" in Brampton, Ontario, was named in honour of Reynolds. In 2002, Reynolds was honoured with a Canada Barn Dance Pioneer Award and inducted into the Barn Dance Hall of Fame.The Barn Dance Historical Society
Donn Reynolds Barn Dance Pioneer Award

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

Notes

The Mercury (Hobart, Tas) Jan 25, 1950
"Just Saddle and Ride" single release in Australia
The Biz (Fairfield, NSW) Sep 13, 1951
"Texas Yodel" & "The Parting" singles release in Australia
The Biz (Fairfield, NSW) Jul 18, 1953
Australian Regal Zonophone records release in Australia
National Film & Sound Archive Australia
Donn Reynolds Australian media
National Library of Australia
Donn Reynolds Australian recordings
Billboard 17 Jun 1950
MCA Records contract
Billboard 26 Jan 1952
Imperial Records contract (Lou Chudd)
Billboard 20 Nov 1954
CJOB Jamboree
Billboard 29 Jul 1957
MGM Records review
Billboard 16 Dec 1957
HMV Records released in U.K.
Billboard 22 Sep 1962
Record review – "The Wild One"
National Archives Canada
Donn Reynolds Canadian charted singles
Ontario newspaper index
Donn Reynolds in newspaper archives of Ontario