2001 Inductees
 

In 1962 Vic joined Don Messcr's Jubilee on CBC and staved for six years. Liter Vic put together his own CBC TV show called Country-time that went on the air in 1970. He also hosted a CBC Radio show called Country Roads. During these years he put together a hand called the Hickorys for the TV show and later a band called Meadowgreen with which he toured the country several years during the 70's and 80's.

Vic was A&R man lot Rodeo Records for many years and looked after the recording of a great many Nova Scotia artists. He also had an extensive recording career of his own with many releases as well as recording with many others as a sideman. He continues full time in music both as a musician and teacher and still tours across Canada each summer.

Fiddlin’ Jim Hamm was born February 28, 1918 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and has lived for many years near Mahone Bay on the South Shore where he is one of the areas best known and beloved musicians. Over the decades Fiddlin’ Jim has had a varied musical career that included touring with Hank Snow in New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec in 1947. He had his own live radio show on CKBW from 1946 to 1949. In the early 1950’s, Fiddlin’ Jim, Ivan Dorey, Champ Johnson and Billy Reid formed a band, The Nova Scotia Plowboys, which recorded several songs on the Rodeo label .In 1956, Fiddlin’ Jim, Ivan Dorey, and Ted Germaine wrote the music for “Sable Island Shore”, which was recorded by The Nova Scotia Plowboys. Later he recorded with Little Buddy Hirtle (“Cabbage Pickin’ Home” and “The Coupon Song” on the Great Eastern label). National exposure included several guest appearances on The Don Messer TV Show on CBC’s, and ATV’s “Up Home Tonight”. In addition, Jim Hamm’s renditions of several traditional Maritime tunes are found in the Nova Scotia Archives, recorded by folklorist Helen Creighton.

The Hillbilly Jewels was formed in 1948 by Joe and Vivian Brown of West Leicester and Amherst, Nova Scotia and George Seymour (aka Randy Stewart) of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. They worked briefly with Don Diamond, an American who soon returned to the United States so the trio started on their own at CJFX Antigonish. The worked the area to sellout crowds with a family show including comedian Tiny played by Joe. In 1949 they moved to CJCB Sydney and in four months received over 4,000 fan letters. They first started signing their monster hit "I Love My Rooster" on CJCB. Later in 1949 they were asked by Tex Curry to appear with name artists coming to the Maritimes such as Grandpa Jones, Elton Britt, etc. However they were going to Newfoundland and were the first country group to entertain in Canada's newest province. They appeared daily on VOCM St. John's and played nightly shows to packed houses including the American service bases. The Jewels next moved to CKNB Campbellton from where they toured New Brunswick and eastern Quebec. In 1950 they moved to Kingston, Ontario and did several tours with The Riders Of The Southern Trails, a band that included their Amherst friend Ron Scott. They were joined on some of these tours by Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper and others from WWVA Wheeling. They later did guest spots on WWVA. By 1951 they were at CFOS Owen Sound and Freddy Lang had joined on fiddle. They soon moved to CHML Hamilton to headline the Main Street Jamboree, Canada's top Saturday night jamboree, which went coast to coast on the Dominion Network. In 1952 Windy Wingrove joined on steel guitar. Freddy Lang left and was replaced on fiddle by Sam Learning who was also an excellent singer. The Jewels recorded for Biltmore and Arrow in Canada and Decca in the United States. After the Jewels disbanded Joe joined The Happy Wanderers for several years and later with his children in The Family Brown. Vivian and Sam were married and have for many years presented the gospel as The Learnings. Randy Stewart passed away several years ago. Joe died in 1986.