A Bit Of History
I believe the first thing I remember in life is standing in a wood crib with my drawers drenched and looking at a bush rat peepin it's head out of a crack in our little board shack in the back stix of the Caribou a region in the interior of British Columbia Canada. How old I was I don't really recall but it was a short time after our move from Meadow Lake Saskatchewan where I was born. According to Mom and Dad my zeal for singing came around the same time as learning to walk as friends and neighbors would drop by my little cribbed domain and hear me screech out a tune, encouraged by mother I suspect. So shortly after the time of starting school I was rehearsed enough to start gigging with the local dance bands..blistered fingers and all from the wash board neck of my out of kilter guitar. Musical things proceeded a bit as Mom and I got on a radio show.. twice a month I believe... with her doing most the harmony parts do to my lack in counter part as I strummed and crooned out old favorites of the day. At the age of eleven I got awarded a spot to sing on the Grand Old Opry Show that came to Prince George B.C. the result of placing second in a B.C search for talent contest... second that is to old friend and fellow singer/songwriter Gary Fejellgarrd. It was a mighty exciting highlight to say the least meeting and hearing George Jones, Ferlin Husky, Kitty Wells, and Webb Pierce and others.
Getting in …
A Bit Of History
I believe the first thing I remember in life is standing in a wood crib with my drawers drenched and looking at a bush rat peepin it's head out of a crack in our little board shack in the back stix of the Caribou a region in the interior of British Columbia Canada. How old I was I don't really recall but it was a short time after our move from Meadow Lake Saskatchewan where I was born. According to Mom and Dad my zeal for singing came around the same time as learning to walk as friends and neighbors would drop by my little cribbed domain and hear me screech out a tune, encouraged by mother I suspect. So shortly after the time of starting school I was rehearsed enough to start gigging with the local dance bands..blistered fingers and all from the wash board neck of my out of kilter guitar. Musical things proceeded a bit as Mom and I got on a radio show.. twice a month I believe... with her doing most the harmony parts do to my lack in counter part as I strummed and crooned out old favorites of the day. At the age of eleven I got awarded a spot to sing on the Grand Old Opry Show that came to Prince George B.C. the result of placing second in a B.C search for talent contest... second that is to old friend and fellow singer/songwriter Gary Fejellgarrd. It was a mighty exciting highlight to say the least meeting and hearing George Jones, Ferlin Husky, Kitty Wells, and Webb Pierce and others.
Getting into the sixties and high school brought with it the opportunity to meet other musicians and got to do some recording and with the group The Explorers that recorded the Harlan Howard song "Nashville Rebel" which soon became a hit on the local radio stations and got us on into the club and concert scene. The song writing eventually got me doing some live things for CBC Radio and Recorded a CBC compilation album with Claire Lawrence producing. It was a pleasure to work with people such as Doug Edwards, Sherry Ulrich, Cat Hendricks, Wayne Basset etc. and got quit excited about the first royalty checks. Later Harlan Smith recorded a song Gary and I wrote called "Unniversal Girl" which made it onto the top area of the Canadian charts so I got a bit more encouraged with the writing and the group "Chilco" that I was with at the time, did about fifty percent original stuff and recorded some more things at Little Mountain Sound in Vancouver. After meeting Joan and getting married a short time after, I ventured off into the single thing and then eventually started doing a duo with her and with our Born Again experience from the Lord our creator, we recorded two gospel LP's "Daystar" and "Movin in" which led to some nominations at the B.C. Country Music Awards and kept us fairly busy with festivals, rodeos, churches, banquets and various functions. With it was a welcome relief to the burden of molded mainstream confinements and now enabled us to perform our own styles and have more diversity without the load of the top forty stuff of the dance or club scene.
The experience of playing a lot of diverse stuff from "Blood Sweat and Tears", Chicago, Charlie Danials Band Lenny Breau or stuff by Phil Driscol, Janny Grein, Carol King etc. captured my interests and stirred the drive and zeal to variables in writing and portraying the styles I liked the most. I never have been pro country, pro folk or rock or whatever else the list contains ....from classical to "Hanks done it that way" always got my interest in some way. I had a lot of folks try to squeeze me into a vien of music but to me the lyric content and the memo is the fulcrum point of it all and whatever arena you want to throw it well the substance is what remains any way. Music and song to me is a gift and a tool and thank God that it's variables and diversities keep the listening as a message to the heart, mind, soul and strength of the hearer and it's a great to have somebody come and tell you that the song did something for them or helped them in some way other than just being entertained by the emotional equipment or hype that's done.
Joan and I have been married for thirty seven years now and have raised three children Tallon, Angela and Chelsea who in turn have their own quiver of arrows making us grandparents of six and proud as punch needless to say and I think I get touched more by hearing any one of them sing a tune than all the pro's put together..except for the Angels of course..but then again that's a different league and area we'll need to learn all over again. Exciting eh
Contact: Frank Penner 3002 Fridlington Road, Quesnel B.C. Canada, V2J-6M7
Phone: 250-747-0914
Email: scm.frankpenner@hotmail.com or scm.frankandjoan@gmail.com
Albums available: Sweet Fashioned Lady by Frank Penner available on CD and Cassette
Daystar by Frank and Joan Penner available on Vinyl, CD and Cassette
Cowboy's King by Frank Penner available on CD and Cassette
Movin In by Frank and Joan Penner available on CD Cassette and Vinyl
