Boot Records was a Canadian country, bluegrass, and contemporary folk label formed in 1971 in Toronto by

Stompin' Tom Connors Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC (February 9, 1936 – March 6, 2013) was a Canadian country and folk singer-songwriter. Focusing his career exclusively on his native Canada, he is credited with writing more than 300 songs and has rel ...

and his manager, Jury Krytiuk.

Early years

Originally started as a format for Connors' recordings, Boot shortly after began adding other Canadian country artists, including Don Sullivan, the first (and to date) the only Irish singer/songwriter to record an album of his own material in Nashville at 'Studio B' entitled, 'Sullivan Dreams'. A single from Sullivan's album was number 3 on CFGM playlist along with Gordon Lightfoot and Kris Kristofferson at number 1 and number 2. Con Archer, the instrumental group

The Emeralds ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Humphrey and the Dumptrucks Humphrey is both a masculine given name and a surname. An earlier form, not attested since Medieval times, was Hunfrid. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Medieval period :''Ordered chronologically'' * Hunfrid of ...

, Sharon Lowness, Dick Nolan,

Stevedore Steve A stevedore (), also called a longshoreman, a docker or a dockworker, is a waterfront manual laborer who is involved in loading and unloading ships, trucks, trains or airplanes. After the shipping container revolution of the 1960s, the num ...

, and Ted Wesley. In 1973, The Boot Master Concert series was started under the direction of Eleanor Koldofsky, and released LPs by Liona Boyd, Rita MacNeil,

The Canadian Brass The Canadian Brass is a Canadian brass quintet formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, by Charles Daellenbach ( tuba) and Gene Watts ( trombone), with horn player Graeme Page and trumpeters Stuart Laughton and Bill Phillips completing the quin ...

, the pianist Monica Gaylord, and the Ukrainian-born bass Yosyp Hoshuliak. Stompin' Tom would go on to release 29 records during the 70s.

Budget and bluegrass

Cynda, the budget label, reissued LPs by Connors and released LPs by artists of various countries and regions of Canada, the popular Irish-Canadian group Larry McKee and the Shandonairs, and later devoted a division to bluegrass, which included releases by Bluegrass 4,

Bruce County Bruce County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada comprising eight lower-tier municipalities and with a 2016 population of 66,491. It is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, sixth Governor General of the P ...

, Cody, Cross Country Grass,

Dixie Flyers The Dixie Flyers were a Canadian bluegrass band based in London, Ontario, Canada. The band first came together in 1974, and became one of Canada's best known bluegrass bands. Career Original members of the band were guitarist Bert Baumbach, ...

Humber River Valley Boys The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal rivers Ouse and Trent. From there to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between t ...

, Angus Walker,

Dennis LePage Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is sometim ...

and Station Road, Whiskey Jack, as well as Native artists like

Morley Loon Morley Loon (1948 – 1986) was a Canadian First Nations musician, from Mistissini, Quebec. Loon played in several groups, including Red Cedar and Kashtin, but was mostly known for his solo work. He mostly wrote and performed in the Cree la ...

Charlie Panigoniak Charlie Panigoniak (, 7 March 1946 – 6 March 2019), born in Chesterfield Inlet, Northwest Territories in what is now Nunavut, Canada, was an Inuk singer-songwriter and guitarist whose albums reflect on northern life. He began recording in ...

, and

Willie Thrasher Willie Thrasher (born 1948) is a Canadian Inuvialuit musician from Aklavik, Northwest Territories.

1970s releases

Other acts that released on Boot Records in the 1970s were:

Maria Kasstan Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

, Donna and Leroy, Jack Hennig, The McManus Bros, Whiskey Jack, Alex Fraser, Ray Griff,

Joe Firth Joe or JOE may refer to: Arts Film and television * ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle * ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage * ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971 * ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...

, Jack Holland, Ian Tyson, Chris Hennessy, The Cambridge Buskers, Leo Karz Stompers,

Phil Bond Phillip Damone Bond (born July 27, 1954) is a retired American basketball player. Born in Paducah, Kentucky, Bond attended Manual High School in Louisville, where he graduated third in his class of 312 in 1972. He played collegiately for the Uni ...

, John Ham, Par Three,

Mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

(Ireland), Lincoln, Joyce Seamone, De Danann (Ireland), Gerry O'Kane (Ireland),

Barley Bree Barley Bree was a Northern Irish-Canada, Canadian band active from 1973 to 1995. It was formed in Northern Ireland in 1973, by Nicky Bryson, Buncrana fiddler P.V. O'Donnell, Seamus O'Hagan (Cookstown), and Jimmy Sweeney, a nephew of Tommy Makem ...

(Ireland), The Bushwackers Band (Australia), John Boland and Beothuck, The Molly McGuires, and Ray Smith. ''In the early 70's'' - Irish Singer and songwriter Don Sullivan Recorded in Nashville (Mark Altman Producer). Don Sullivan is, to date, the first and only Irish man to have recorded an Album of his own songs in Nashville Tennessee ''with 'Hall of Famers, Lightning Floyd Chance, Hargis 'Pig' Robbins - the Jordanaires and Charlie , McCoy.''

1980s releases

The 1980s saw a little more diversity, maintaining many of the 1970s artists and also adding: Lynn Larabie, Kelly Kavanagh, Wiz Bryant, Blackstrap (Canada),

Kelita Haverland Kelita may refer to: * Kelita (biblical figure) Kelita may refer to: * Kelita (biblical figure), minor character from the Old Testament * ''Kelita'' (bee), a genus of bees in the family Apidae * ''Kelita'' (plant), a genus of plants in the family ...

, The Schryer Triplets,

(Canada), Ted Woloshyn, Richard Gulley,

The Ladies Choice Bluegrass Band ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speak ...

, Mendelson Joe, Ryan's Fancy,

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standar ...

, Barry Smith and Inuk singer

Legacy

The label became mostly inactive by the end of the 1980s.

References

External links

* Stompin' Tom/Boot Records websit

* Stompin' Tom Live on YouTub

* Stevedor Steve – Newfie Screech on YouTub

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boot Records Record labels established in 1969 Canadian independent record labels Canadian country music record labels Bluegrass record labels Folk record labels Juno Award winners Defunct record labels of Canada