Sharon, Lois & Bram (also known as Sharon, Bram & Friends, Sharon & Bram or Sharon & Randi) are a Canadian children's music group founded in Toronto, Ontario, 1978. The group's original lineup consisted of Sharon (née Trostin) Hampson, Lois Ada (née Goldberg) Lilienstein, and Bramwell "Bram" Morrison.

Group formation

Sharon Hampson, Lois Lilienstein, and Bram Morrison began their singing careers as individuals, and met while performing for the "Mariposa in the Schools" program. The three performers quickly discovered that they shared a common philosophy about creating quality music for people of all ages. In 1978, with $20,000 borrowed from family and friends, they recorded their first album '' One Elephant, Deux Éléphants'', released by Elephant Records and distributed by A&M. The folk-style album, with its eclectic musical mix, became one of the fastest-selling children's albums ever produced in Canada.Patch, Nick. "Playing in the park with Sharon, Lois and Bram". ''Toronto Star'', May 13, 2016. page E7. Producer

Bill Usher Bill Usher is a Canadian drummer and percussionist. During the 1970s he was a member of the rock group Truck. Background He played on Bob McBride's ''Sea of Dreams'' album that was released in 1973. He produced artist Mark Rust, whose recordin ...

contributed to their singing style. Usher was looking for a more energetic twist to children's music and a shift away from the previous traditional folk style. He sought out songs that drew upon various musical styles, such as rock'n roll,

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, and calypso. Sharon, Lois & Bram's appeal crossed a variety of demographics.

Career

During the 1980s, the trio starred in ''

The Elephant Show ''The Elephant Show'' (from the second season onward, ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show'') is a Canadian preschool television show. The series premiered on CBC on October 8, 1984, and ended on February 26, 1989, after 65 episodes over five s ...

'' on CBC. The series was later aired in reruns on the U.S.

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

network

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

, through 1996. Each 30-minute installment featured episode-length storylines, in addition to songs and sketches, featuring the trio alongside a human-sized elephant puppet, and children's entertainer,

Eric Nagler Eric Nagler (born June 1, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician and television personality known primarily for his work on Canadian children's television series such as ''The Elephant Show'' and ''Eric's World''. Biography Initi ...

. Special guests, which included

Louis Del Grande Louis Del Grande (born March 23, 1943) is a Canadian-American television writer and actor. He is best known for starring in the Canadian mystery/comedy series '' Seeing Things''. Early life Del Grande was born and raised in Union City, New Jersey ...

Jayne Eastwood Jayne Eastwood (born December 17, 1946), also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is best known for her film roles as Anna-Marie Biddlecoff in the comedy film ''Finders Keepers'' (1984), Judy the Wai ...

Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and ''Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), ''W ...

Kate Kate name may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American autho ...

and

Anna McGarrigle Anna McGarrigle, CM (born December 4, 1944) is a Canadian folk music singer and songwriter who recorded and performed with her sister, Kate McGarrigle, who died in 2010. Early life Anna McGarrigle studied at the École des beaux-arts de Montré ...

Murray McLauchlan Murray Edward McLauchlan, (born 30 June 1948) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player. He is best known for his Canadian hits "Farmer's Song," "Whispering Rain," and "Down by the Henry Moore". Early life Mc ...

Ann Mortifee Ann Mortifee, (born 30 November 1947) is a Canadian singer, composer and librettist, author, storyteller, and keynote speaker. Her music blends folk, musical theatre, pop, sacred and world music. She is a member of the Order of Canada, the highes ...

Fred Penner Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner (born November 6, 1946) is a Canadian children's entertainer and musician known for the song " The Cat Came Back" and his television series, ''Fred Penner's Place'', which aired on CBC in Canada from 1985 to 199 ...

Jan Rubeš Jan Ladislav Rubeš CM (6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czech-Canadian bass opera singer and actor. Life and career Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, to Ružena (née Kellnerová) and Jan Rubeš. Not long after World War II, ...

Sneezy Waters Sneezy Waters (born Peter Hodgson; March 1, 1945) is a Canadian folk musician, singer, songwriter and actor who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Hank Williams Sr. in the play and film ''Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave''. He also w ...

The Nylons The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, best known for their covers of pop songs such as The Turtles' " Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight ...

The Shuffle Demons The Shuffle Demons are a Canadian jazz fusion band from Toronto. Early career The band were formed in 1984 by saxophonist Richard Underhill in collaboration with a variety of Toronto-area jazz musicians including Mike Murley, Dave Parker and ...

, and many more, also appeared on each 30-minute episode. A second series, titled ''

Skinnamarink TV ''Skinnamarink TV'' is a children's television show created by Richard Mortimer. The series originally aired on The Learning Channel programming block on Ready Set Learn in the United States and CBC Television in Canada. It was created by Lynn Har ...

'', featured a different format and two new puppet characters. The series ran for 52 episodes on the CBC in Canada and

The Learning Channel TLC is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. First established in 1980 as The Learning Channel, it initially focused on educational and instructional programming. By the late 1990s, after an acquisition by the ow ...

in the United States from 1997 to 1999. In 1995, the trio was asked by a collective of Western Canada planetariums to produce a "Laser Sharon, Lois & Bram" multi-media presentation, so that children could be introduced at an early age to the

Solar System The Solar System Capitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar ...

, by way of education through entertainment. ''Make A Wish with Sharon, Lois & Bram'' premiered in June 1995 for extended runs in Vancouver's

H. R. MacMillan Space Centre The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, is an astronomy museum located at Vanier Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The museum was opened on October 28, 1968 containing a Planetarium Star Theatre. Today the museum includes an exhibit gallery an ...

and Toronto's

McLaughlin Planetarium The McLaughlin Planetarium is a former working planetarium whose building occupies a space immediately to the south of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, at 100 Queen's Park. Founded by a grant from philanthropist Colonel R. Samuel McLaughlin ...

. Also, in 1995, the traditional song, "Old John Braddelum", from their album, '' One Elephant, Deux Éléphants'' (1978), appeared in the feature-film ''

Billy Madison ''Billy Madison'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Tamra Davis. It stars Adam Sandler in the title role, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Norm Macdonald, Darren McGavin, Mark Beltzman, and Larry Hankin. The film was written by Sandl ...

'', starring Adam Sandler. In 1996, Sharon, Lois & Bram were appointed as spokespersons for UNICEF Canada's 50th Anniversary Year Celebration. In 2000, following her husband's death, Lilienstein retired from touring with the group, which from that point on often performed as Sharon, Bram & Friends, with "friends" referring to life-size animal puppets. Lilienstein continued to play benefit shows and record with the group. The duo continued to tour and are currently represented by Jeff Andrusyk at JMA Talent. In 2005, Bram announced that he had been found to have a benign tumor which was causing deafness in one ear. He underwent an experimental procedure to prevent further hearing loss. On May 4, 2008, Sharon, Lois & Bram reunited on stage at the

Toronto Jewish Film Festival The Toronto Jewish Film Festival (TJFF) is an annual film festival held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is described as the largest Jewish film festival in the world. The festival was founded in 1993. One of its founders, Helen Zukerman, is the f ...

, for a rare performance featuring all three singers and a viewing of ''25 Years of Skinnamarink''. On May 10, 2014, the "Sharon, Lois & Bram Playground" was dedicated at June Rowlands Park in midtown Toronto. The playground naming was originally proposed by Toronto Councillor

Josh Matlow Josh Matlow (born November 27, 1975) is a Canadian politician who has served on the Toronto City Council representing Ward 12 Toronto—St. Paul's since 2010. Matlow ran as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in the 2002 Dufferin—Peel—Wel ...

. The ceremony was attended by roughly 2,000 people and included a welcome by Matlow, followed by several musical numbers by Sharon, Lois & Bram and short words of congratulations from various key individuals throughout the trio's career. The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of an elephant-shaped park sign.

Lois' death

Sharon and Bram at the 2017 Peterborough Folk Festival

Lois Lilienstein (born Lois Ada Goldberg on July 10, 1936, in Chicago) died on April 22, 2015, aged 78, at her home in Toronto. According to her son David, the cause of death was endometrial cancer. In addition to David, Lilienstein is survived by her granddaughter, Tessa.

Later events

Since Lilienstein's death, Hampson and Morrison have continued to perform as Sharon & Bram. In 2018, Sharon & Bram announced a farewell tour. In May 2019, a children's picture book based on the group's hit song " Skinnamarink" was announced for a September 2019 release. In April 2020, a Sharon, Lois & Bram YouTube channel launched with ''Sharon's Great Big Life'', a new YouTube series premiering on April 7. The show features Sharon reminiscing about her life on tour, such as filming ''

'' and ''

'', and each weekly episode will include previously-unseen photos and videos, and a look at Sharon's current life in Toronto. A trailer to promote the web series was released prior to the launch of the show. Season 1 will include 8 episodes.

Awards and honours

The group won the Juno Award for Best Children's Album for three of their albums: '' Smorgasbord'' (1980), ''

Singing 'n' Swinging ''Singing n Swinging'' is the third album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1980. Releases The album has been re-designed and re-released once throughout the trio's career. Originally the album was tit ...

'' (1981), and ''

'' (2000). These three albums had record sales exceeding 100,000 copies in Canada alone. Three more of their albums achieved the same successful records sales: '' Mainly Mother Goose'', '' In the Schoolyard'', and '' Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show Record''. The group's influence on children's records extended beyond Canada, with their international sales exceeding 2.5 million dollars in 1991. In 1996, Sharon, Lois, and Bram each received an

Honorary Degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

Doctor of Humane Letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...

(DHL) from

Mount Saint Vincent University Mount Saint Vincent University, often referred to as the Mount, is a public, primarily undergraduate, university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and was established in 1873. Mount Saint Vincent offers undergraduate programs in Arts, S ...

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

. In 2002, the three were made members of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

. The Chicago-born Lois was named an Honorary Member of the Order, as a non-Canadian. Video of the ceremony appears on the 25-year anniversary movie ''25 Years of Skinnamarink''. In 2002, all three received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. In October 2009, the trio received the Estelle Klein Award from the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF) for their significant contributions to Ontario's folk music community. The event weekend included a short video presentation of their life's work and an interview by Richard Flohil. In 2012, all three received the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

Television awards

''The Elephant Show'' *

Parents' Choice Award The Parents' Choice Award was an award presented by the non-profit Parents' Choice Foundation to recognize "the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels." It was considered a "prest ...

Hall of Fame - Classics Award and Silver Honors Video for Preschool to Kindergarten, 1991 *Ace Award Nomination - Best International Children's Programming Series, 1990 * Gemini Awards Nomination - Best Performance in a Variety, Comedy or Performing Arts Show, 1989 *National Telemedia Council Special Recognition Award - Excellence in Children's Programming, 1988 *National Telemedia Council Finalist - Best Performers in a Variety of Performing Arts Program or Series, 1988 *Parents' Choice Gold Award - Children's Television, 1986 and 1987 *30th Annual Intentional Film & TV Festival of New York Silver Medal - Television Entertainment Children's Program, 1987 *Parents' Choice Gold Award -Remarkable Home Video, 1987 ''Candles, Snow & Mistletoe'' *Gemini Awards Nomination - ''Candles Snow & Mistletoe'' Best Children's Program or Series, 1995

Discography

Filmography

* ''Sharon, Lois & Bram Downtown Toronto'' (1979) * ''Jungle Jam'' (1980) * ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

'' (1982) * ''

Today's Special ''Today's Special'' is a Canadian children's television program produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario, originally broadcasting 120 episodes from 1981 to 1987. Much of the series was set in a department store, based on Simpson's then-flags ...

'' as Special Guests (1983 and 1985) * ''Live at Young People's Theater'' (1983) * ''

Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show ''The Elephant Show'' (from the second season onward, ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show'') is a Canadian preschool television show. The series premiered on CBC on October 8, 1984, and ended on February 26, 1989, after 65 episodes over five s ...

'' (TV Series 1984–1989) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram at Toronto Metro Zoo'' (1985) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Sleepover'' (

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

Video; 1986) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Treasure Island'' (A&M Records Video; 1986) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Back By Popular Demand – Live at Young People's Theater Downtown Toronto (1987)'' (A&M Records Video; 1987) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Who Stole the Cookies?'' (A&M Records Video; 1988) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Soap Box Derby'' (A&M Records Video; 1988) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Live! In Your Living Room – Live at Young People's Theater Downtown Toronto (September 1984)'' (A&M Records Video; 1989) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Concert'' (

Cineplex Odeon Films Cineplex Odeon Films (later known as Odeon Films) was the film distribution unit of the Canadian cinema chain Cineplex Odeon Corporation. The company was originally named Pan-Canadian Film Distributors. In 1998, the company was sold off to Allianc ...

Video; 1989) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 1 – Mysteries'' (Cineplex Odeon Films Video; 1989) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 2 – Fairy Tales'' (Cineplex Odeon Films Video; 1989) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 3 – Sports Days'' (Cineplex Odeon Films Video; 1989) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 4 – Magic'' (Cineplex Odeon Films Video; 1989) * ''Trick-or-Treat with Sharon, Lois & Bram: Children Under the Sun'' (

Unicef UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

; 1989) * '' Sing A to Z'' (1990)/(1994) / ''ABC's'' (DVD 2003/2004) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 5 – Trunk Troubles'' (Cineplex Odeon Films Video; 1991) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 6 – Making News'' (CFP Video; 1991) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 7 – Summer Fun'' (CFP Video; 1991) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 8 – Animal Pals'' (CFP Video; 1992) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 9 – Out & About'' (CFP Video; 1992) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 10 – Elephant Tales'' (CFP Video; 1993) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Volume 11 – Elephant Chef'' (CFP Video; 1993) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show 1'' (

Columbia House Columbia House was an umbrella brand for Columbia Records' mail-order music clubs, the primary iteration of which was the Columbia Record Club, established in 1955. The Columbia House brand was introduced in the early 1970s by Columbia Records ...

Video; 1993) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show 2'' (Columbia House Video; 1993) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show 3'' (Columbia House Video; 1993) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show 4'' (Columbia House Video; 1993) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show 5'' (Columbia House Video; 1993) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Radio Show'' (A&M Records Video; 1994) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Pet Fair'' (A&M Records Video; 1994) * ''

Candles, Snow & Mistletoe ''Candles, Snow & Mistletoe'' is the 13th album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1993. This holiday album is one of Sharon, Lois & Bram's biggest productions and recordings they worked on during their ...

'' (1994) * ''The Elephant Show: Favorite Songs & Stories'' (1994) * '' Sing Around the Campfire'' (1994) * ''One Elephant Went Out to Play'' (1994) * ''The Toronto Planetarium: Stars & Sun'' (1995) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show Volume One'' ( Malofilm Video; 1996) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show Volume Two'' (Malofilm Video; 1996) * ''Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show Volume Three'' (Malofilm Video; 1996) * ''

'' (TV Series; 1997–1999) * ''Skinnamarink TV: Op-Op-Opposites'' (1998) * ''Skinnamarink TV: Friends Forever'' (1998) * ''Skinnamarink TV: Let's Play Make Believe'' (Video; 1999) / ''Make Believe'' (DVD; 2006) * ''Skinnamarink TV: Runaway Rhythm'' (2000) * ''Skinnamarink TV: A "Fun"derful Day'' (2001) * ''TV Smarts for Kids: Part 1'' (2001) * ''Toddler's Next Steps: ABC & 1-2-3 Songs'' (

St. Clair Entertainment Group The St. Clair Entertainment Group is a discount distributor of music and entertainment CDs and DVDs. History St. Clair Entertainment Group was founded in 1985 as a distributor of music special products in Canada.Pouschine Cook Capital Management ...

; 2003) * ''Toddler's Next Steps: Animal Songs'' (St. Clair Entertainment Group; 2003) * ''Toddler's Next Steps: Nursery Rhymes & Bedtime Songs'' (St. Clair Entertainment Group; 2003) * ''Toddler's Next Steps: Playtime & Funtime'' (St. Clair Entertainment Group; 2003) * ''Toddler's Next Steps: Silly Songs'' (St. Clair Entertainment Group; 2003) * ''25 Years of Skinnamarink'' (2004) * ''The Learn-To Collection: Favorite Children's Classics'' (2005) * ''The Learn-To Collection: Kindergarten Prep'' (2005) * ''The Learn-To Collection 6-Pack'' (2006)

References

External links

* * *
The Canadian Encyclopedia article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharon, Lois, and Bram Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups from Toronto Canadian musical trios Canadian children's musical groups Canadian children's television presenters Juno Award for Children's Album of the Year winners Members of the Order of Canada 1978 establishments in Ontario Jewish Canadian artists