Prairie Oyster 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, ...

group from

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. They were named Country Group or Duo of the year six times by both the

Canadian Country Music Association The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) was founded in 1976 as the Academy of Country Music Entertainment to organize, promote and develop a Canadian country music industry. The groundwork for the association began on June 3rd, 1973 when a g ...

(CCMA) and the

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...

s. The band also won the Bud Country Fans' Choice Award from the CCMA in 1994. They have four No. 1 country singles in Canada, with an additional 12 singles reaching the Canadian Country Top 10. Eight of their albums have been certified

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platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

by the

Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...

, including the 1992 CCMA Album of the Year '' Everybody Knows''. While no formal announcement seems to have been made, the band is no longer touring nor are they maintaining their web site. Front-man Russell deCarle has been touring solo to promote a new album. Guitarist Keith Glass released his own solo album in 2013 and has been touring on his own as well as backing up other artists, such as

Lynn Miles Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn (v ...

Biography

Prairie Oyster formed in 1974 in

. As a trio, consisting of singer/bassist Russell deCarle (born 31 May 1954), guitarist Keith Glass (born 1952) and steel guitarist Dennis Delorme, they toured and performed on television, but did not record. The band's name is taken from a slang term for bison, cattle, or sheep testicles. (See also the Wikipedia article on

Rocky Mountain Oysters Rocky Mountain oysters or mountain oysters, or meat balls, also known as prairie oysters in Canada (french: animelles), is a dish made of bull testicles. The organs are often deep-fried after being skinned, coated in flour, pepper and salt, and ...

.) They subsequently broke up in 1978. In 1982, the band reunited, adding fiddler

John P. Allen John Polk Allen (born May 6, 1929, Carnegie, Oklahoma) is a systems ecologist, engineer, metallurgist, adventurer, and writer. Allen is a proponent of the science of biospherics and a pioneer in sustainable co-evolutionary development. He is the ...

, keyboardist Joan Besen and drummer John Adames to the lineup. Bruce Moffat soon replaced Adames, and the group released its debut album, '' Oyster Tracks'', in 1986 on

Stony Plain Records Stony Plain Records is a Canadian independent record label, which specializes in roots music genres such as country, folk, and blues. The label has released more than 300 albums. History Stony Plain was founded by Holger Petersen and Alvin Jahns ...

. The album found its way to

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 ...

executive Joe Galante, who signed the group after seeing them perform. RCA wanted the band to change their name, but they were already too well known. Prairie Oyster was named Country Group or Duo of the Year at the Juno Awards in 1986 and 1987. Their first album for RCA, '' Different Kind of Fire'', was released in 1990 in both Canada and the United States. On the success of the album, Prairie Oyster was named the CCMA Group or Duo of the Year in 1990 and 1991. They also won the Juno Award for Country Group or Duo of the Year in 1991. All four singles released reached the top 15 in Canada, including the top 5s "Goodbye, So Long, Hello," "

I Don't Hurt Anymore "I Don't Hurt Anymore" is a 1954 song by Hank Snow. It was written by Don Robertson and Jack Rollins. Prairie Oyster version Canadian country music group Prairie Oyster covered the song on their album '' Different Kind of Fire''. Their rendi ...

" and "Something to Remember You By." The band didn't do as well in the United States however, with the highest-charting single peaking at No. 62. "Goodbye, So Long, Hello" was the CCMA Single of the Year in 1990. The following year, "Lonely You, Lonely Me" was named Song of the Year by the CCMA. In March 1991, the band received a nomination from the

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...

for Top New Group or Duo. Prairie Oyster's third album, '' Everybody Knows'', was released in 1991. The album featured four top 10 singles in Canada: "Did You Fall In Love with Me," "One Precious Love," "Will I Do (Till the Real Thing Comes Along)" and "Everybody Knows." Unfortunately, only one single charted in the U.S., "One Precious Love" (#51). Prairie Oyster won several CCMA Awards in 1992, including Album of the Year for ''Everybody Knows'', Song of the Year for "Did You Fall In Love with Me," as well as their third straight win as Group or Duo of the Year. The Juno Awards also awarded them Country Group or Duo of the Year for the fourth time. The band's fourth album, '' Only One Moon'', was released in Canada on

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

in 1994. It would also go on to become their most successful. The first single, " Such a Lonely One," was also their first No. 1 in Canada. Two more singles released from the project also reached the top of the Canadian Country chart, " Don't Cry Little Angel" and the

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...

. Additional singles "Louisiette," "Black-Eyed Susan" and "Ancient History" all reached the top 10. They were named Group or Duo of the Year by the CCMA in 1994, 1995 and 1996, and won the Bud Country Fans' Choice Award in 1994. The Juno Awards also recognized Prairie Oyster as the Country Group or Duo of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. Their fifth album, '' Blue Plate Special'', was released in 1996. The first song released from the disc, " Unbelievable Love," reached No. 1. "One Way Track" was also a top 5, but follow-up singles peaked outside the top 10. Bohdan Hluszko replaced Bruce Moffat as the drummer on the album. The following year, Hluszko was fired from the band after

coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

. With the 1998 release of their sixth album, '' What Is This Country?'', the group returned to the top 10 with the songs "Canadian Sunrise" (#5) and "Keep On Dreaming (#9). Charlie Cooley filled in as drummer for the band. Cooley is the father of Canadian actor

Ryan Cooley Ryan Hadison Cooley (born May 18, 1988) is a Canadian consultant and former actor. He is best known for his role as James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' which he starred in from 2001 until 2007. He also studied thea ...

. The band released their first

greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

album, '' String of Pearls: A Greatest Hits Collection'', in 2000. The only song released from the project was "Man in the Moon," which had been re-recorded as a duet with

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singer-songwriter

Jenny Whiteley Jenny Whiteley is a Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter. She was a member of the band Heartbreak Hill, and released several solo albums of folk music. She has won two Juno Awards for her music. Early life and family Whiteley grew up ...

. Prairie Oyster re-surfaced in 2006 with the release of their latest album, '' One Kiss'', on

Open Road Recordings Open Road Recordings, a division of RGK Entertainment Group Ltd., is a Canadian record label specializing in country music. it was established by Ron Kitchener in 2003 and distributed through Universal Music Canada. The label also owns an American ...

. So far the album has produced three singles, "Sweet Sweet Girl to Me" (written and originally recorded by

Don Gibson Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson wrote such country standards as " Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoy ...

), "Too Bad For Me," and a cover of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's "I Threw It All Away." The group continues to tour and perform at music festivals and clubs in Canada and the United States. Prairie Oyster was inducted into the

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, ...

in 2008. In 2011 the band was presented with a SOCAN National Achievement Award. The band is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

Solo Projects

Russell deCarle currently tours and records with his solo group The Russell deCarle Trio, which play an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, country & western, Latin music, R&B and western swing. The current configuration of deCarle's band features him playing rhythm guitar instead of bass. In 2012, deCarle released his first studio album, "Under the Big Big Sky." The studio album was released by

Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...

. In 2015, one of deCarle's concerts was professionally recorded and later released as "Live At Loud Mouse Studios." Music critics have compared deCarle's solo recordings to other eclectic

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, ...

and

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

acts such as

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. He is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song "Wicked Game", as well as other songs such as "Blue Hotel", "Baby D ...

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

The Mavericks The Mavericks are an American country music band from Miami, Florida. The band consists of Raul Malo (lead vocals, guitar), Paul Deakin (drums), Eddie Perez (lead guitar), and Jerry Dale McFadden (keyboards). Malo and Deakin founded the band in ...

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. Active since 1980, he has recorded 13 albums and relea ...

Raul Malo Raúl Francisco Martínez-Malo Jr. (born August 7, 1965, in Miami, Florida), known professionally as Raúl Malo, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. He is the lead singer of country music band The Mavericks and the ...

and

Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") are an American rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional music such as cumbia, ...

. Keith Glass currently performs with Canadian folk artist Lynn Miles and also with his group Keith Glass & the Bad Dogs. In addition to working as a songwriter and producer, Glass is a music historian who wrote the liner notes for

The Box Tops The Box Tops is an American rock band formed in Memphis in 1967. They are best known for the hits " The Letter", "Cry Like a Baby", "Choo Choo Train," and " Soul Deep" and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period. They perform ...

CD box set release entitled "The Original Albums 1967–69," which was released in January 2015 by

Raven Records Raven Records was an Australian record label that specialised in retrospectives and reissues or recordings by American, British and Australian artists. Raven Records was established in 1979 by Glenn A. Baker, Kevin Mueller and Peter Shillito ...

Discography

;Albums *1986 '' Oyster Tracks'' *1990 '' Different Kind of Fire'' *1991 '' Everybody Knows'' *1994 '' Only One Moon'' *1996 '' Blue Plate Special'' *1998 '' What Is This Country?'' *2000 '' String of Pearls: A Greatest Hits Collection'' *2006 '' One Kiss''

Solo discography

*2013 ''Bad Dog'' Keith Glass *2012 '' Under The Big Big Sky'' Russell deCarle *2015 ''

Live at Loud Mouse Studios Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

'' Russell deCarle *2017 ''Alone in This Crowd'' Russell deCarle

Awards & Nominations

Awards

Canadian Country Music Awards *1990 Group or Duo of the Year *1990 Single of the Year, "Goodbye, So Long, Hello" *1991 Group or Duo of the Year *1991

SOCAN The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collects ...

Song of the Year, "Lonely You, Lonely Me" *1992 Group or Duo of the Year *1992 SOCAN Song of the Year, "Did You Fall In Love with Me" *1992 Album of the Year, ''Everybody Knows'' *1994 Bud Country Fans' Choice Award *1994 Group or Duo of the Year *1995 Group or Duo of the Year *1996 Group or Duo of the Year Juno Awards *1986 Best Country Group or Duo"Prairie Oyster, BMG, Hope to Turn U.S. Tide with New 'Moon'"
''Billboard'', 30 April 1994 *1987 Best Country Group or Duo *1991 Best Country Group or Duo *1992 Best Country Group or Duo *1995 Best Country Group or Duo *1996 Best Country Group or Duo SOCAN Awards *2011 National Achievement Award

Nominations

* 1990 Top New Vocal Duo or Group

References

External links

Prairie Oyster
Official Site
Official site for Prairie Oyster singer Russell DeCarle

Official site for Prairie Oyster guitarist Keith Glass

Prairie Oyster
Fan Club
Prairie Oyster
at

MapleMusic Recordings Cadence Recordings, formerly MapleMusic, is a Canadian independent record label founded by Andy Maize, Jeff Maize, Mike Alkier, Evan Hu, Lorique Mindel and Grant Dexter in 1999 and based in Toronto, Ontario. Other investors include Gary Slaigh ...

The Box Tops liner notes essay by Keith Glass
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prairie Oyster Musical groups established in 1974 Musical groups disestablished in 1978 Musical groups reestablished in 1982 Musical groups from Toronto Canadian country music groups Open Road Recordings artists Juno Award winners 1974 establishments in Ontario 1978 disestablishments in Ontario 1982 establishments in Ontario Canadian Country Music Association Fans' Choice Award winners Canadian Country Music Association Group of the Year winners Canadian Country Music Association Song of the Year winners Canadian Country Music Association Single of the Year winners Fontana North artists Canadian Country Music Association Group or Duo of the Year winners Canadian Country Music Association Album of the Year winners