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.
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 ...
in the play and film ''Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave''. He also works as a stagehand at the
National Arts Centre in his home town of
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Ontario.
Biography
He began performing in Ottawa coffeehouses in his late teens and was a member of several local rock bands, including The Children (which included
Bruce Cockburn) and A Rosewood Daydream, appearing with the latter at
Expo '70, in Osaka, Japan. Taking the stage name Sneezy Waters he performed during the 1970s as a street musician in Ottawa and appeared as a soloist and with his Excellent Band at folk festivals and nightclubs elsewhere in the country.
[ Sneezy has toured extensively in Canada (including several Arctic communities), Japan, Hong Kong, Laos, Thailand, India, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. He cites influences as far flung as Woody Guthrie, ]Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
, Philip Glass
Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Lennon, and Willie P. Bennett.
From 1977 to 1990, he assumed the role of 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 ...
in the runaway hit ''Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave''. The play portrays an 'imaginary concert' that the legendary US country singer might have given New Year's Eve 1952 in Canton, Ohio, had he not died en route. It was premiered in November 1977 at the Beacon Arms Hotel, Ottawa, and then presented on tour throughout Canada and in the USA until 1982. It was also staged at the O Kanada cultural exhibition in Berlin in 1983. Waters gave some 300 stage performances as Williams, and also appeared in the film adaptation of the show, a made-for-Canadian-TV-movie that first aired 31 December 1980.This Country in the Morning
''This Country in the Morning'' was a nationally broadcast Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio from 1971 to June 27, 1975. Peter Gzowski was the host from 1971 to 1974.
After the show
During the summer of 1975, the show was replaced ...
'', '' The Entertainers'', '' Variety Tonight'', ''Let's Sing Out'', ''The Family Brown Show'', ''Café Hibou'', '' Canada After Dark'', ''The Bob McLean Show'', '' Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show'', ''Ninety Minutes Live
''90 Minutes Live'' was a Canadian television late-night talk show, which aired on CBC Television from April 19, 1976, to May 12, 1978. The program aired weekday evenings at 11:30 p.m.
Hosted by Peter Gzowski, the program was patterned after ...
'', ''The Alan Thicke Show
''The Alan Thicke Show'' was a Canadian daytime talk show hosted by Alan Thicke. A replacement for '' The Alan Hamel Show'', which ran from 1976 to 1980, it aired on CTV between 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Car ...
'', '' The Tommy Hunter Show'', '' The Twilight Zone'' (" Love Is Blind") and ''Super Country Superstars''.[
He has shared the stage with a number of musicians, including Joan Armatrading, ]John Hammond Jr.
John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942 in New York City) is an American singer and musician. The son of record producer John H. Hammond, he is sometimes referred to as John Hammond Jr.
Background
Hammond is a son of record producer and tal ...
, Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
, and Martin Mull.[ He performed a number of concerts with fiddler Zeke Mazurek in Mt. Tabor.]["Fans fill Mt. Tabor for Zeke Aid 2"]
''Country Live'', Oct 05, 2010
Sneezy Waters was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1997.
Discography
*1975 ''Sneezy Waters, Robert Armes, Bent Stump String Band, John Allison'' (CBC Radio Canada – LM 423) ''(features four Sneezy recordings)''
*1978 ''You've Got Sawdust on the Floor of Your Heart'' (Sneezy Waters Records – SW5)
*1981 ''Sneezy Waters Sings Hank Williams'' (Sawdust Records - SW6) ''(1999 CD release: Borealis Records BCD122)''
*1997 ''A Letter Home'' (Watershed Music – WM5)
*2011 ''Sneezy Waters'' (sneezywaters.com)
*2017 ''Sneezy Waters And His Very Fine Band LIVE'' (sneezywaters.com)
References
External links
* https://www.discogs.com/artist/2925111-Sneezy-Waters
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waters, Sneezy
1945 births
Living people
Musicians from Toronto
Male actors from Toronto
Canadian country singer-songwriters