Canadian Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
Angus Walker
Inducted: 2024
Angus Walker – Quebec Region
Angus Reynolds Walker, born on August 27,1939, is a Canadian bluegrass and country musician from Port Hastings, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He has been called "Canada's Prime Minister of Country Music" and "The Cape Breton Rebel".
Walker's music career began at the age of 12, performing at local venues until 1953, when he began to appear with Ron Spencer, Cris and Earl Chisholm as part of the “Radio Rangers” on CJFX Radio in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
After 1956, he appeared as part of the “West Virginia Jamboree Show” and later toured with future Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame alumni Fred McKenna and George Beck as a member of Beck's "Maritime Playboys."
Angus Walker crossed the line between bluegrass and country music all through the 1950’s and 60’s. Along with Vic Mullen on banjo, Brent Williams on fiddle and Harry Cromwell on banjo, he was part of The Birch Mountain Boys. With that band, Angus made several albums of bluegrass music in the 1960’s on the Rodeo and Banff labels which were reissued on “Rosedale” in 2016. After that band broke up, he formed “The CJCH Countrymen” with George Beck on bass, Vic Mullen on fiddle and banjo, Chuck Lohnes on steel guitar and Ross Broughm on lead guitar. They were the house band for the cross-country television show of country music to originate in Halifax – The CJCH Countrymen Jamboree.
In 1963, Walker transitioned to Montreal where he eventually joined Dougal Trineer's band "The Hackamores" with Paul Menard on fiddle, June Davey on bass and Dougal Trineer as lead guitarist and singer. The group backed many of the country records produced in Montreal, released three albums in 1966 and opened for many of Country Music’s greatest super stars at the Montreal Forum during the 1960’s. Visit Angus on his very active Facebook page.
