Don Ramsay was a

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is at the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The Ojibwe, the indigenous Anishinaabe inhabitants of ...

personality who had a 45-year career primarily on CJIC radio and

CJIC-TV CJIC-TV was a television station in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The station was in operation from 1954 to 2002 as a private affiliate of CBC Television. History CJIC began broadcasting on Channel 2 on November 28, 1954, owned by Hyland Broa ...

. Ramsay became well known as "your old saddle pal" and as "the dean of

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, o ...

History

Beginning in 1941 at the age of 18, Ramsay spent his years on the air in Sault Ste. Marie introducing listeners to country music through programs such as ''Riding the Range'', ''Country Gospel'' and ''Sunday on the Range''. Ramsay's efforts to promote "

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

", "hillbilly", and "

old-time music Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dancing, clogging, and buck dancing. It is played on acoustic instruments, generally centering on a combinati ...

" genres were a part of the early movement to bring country music more into the mainstream. In 1952, Ramsay was one of 35 founding members of the Country Music Disc Jockey Association, the forerunner of the

Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...

. On

, he hosted and sang on the weekly program ''Down Yonder Ranch'' from 1956 to 1959. This show featured a wide variety of local and celebrity performers of the day. Beginning in 1953, Ramsay began hosting what became one of the longest-running programs on Sault Ste. Marie radio, his annual New Year's Eve ''Salute To Hank Williams''. The program ran until 1986 and the final show featured guest appearances by Audrey Williams and

Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...

Don Ramsay retired from his on-air duties in 1986 but remained active as an adviser to many local artists and touring acts. He also continued to work as the host and MC of many local country music events. Don Ramsay died on September 5, 2001, at the age of 78.

Concert Promoter

As a promoter, Don was responsible for bringing many early country artists to the Sault, some for the first time, including

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

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''. ''Th ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American Country music, country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later s ...

Flatt & Scruggs Flatt and Scruggs were an American bluegrass duo. Singer and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs, both of whom had been members of Bill Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys, from 1945 to 1948, formed the duo in 1948. Flatt and Scru ...

to name a few. Hank Williams appeared in the Sault in 1949 at Ramsay's invitation and performed at two sold-out shows.

Performer

From 1942 to 1948 he was the lead singer and MC of "Don Ramsay's Ramblers".

Awards

* Mr. DJ USA - 1954 * Johnny Cash Award of Merit - 1961. * City of Sault Ste. Marie "Don Ramsay Day" - 1987 * Inducted into the Northern Ontario Country Music Hall of Fame - 1991 * Sault Ste. Marie Award of Merit - 1992

References

Northern Ontario Country Music Hall of Fame Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramsay, Don 1923 births 2001 deaths Canadian country singers Canadian radio personalities Canadian television hosts Musicians from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario 20th-century Canadian male musicians