Canadian Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
Gene Bretecher
Inducted: 2024
Gene Bretecher ( 1939- 2013 )– WESTERN REGION
Gene Bretecher was not only an excellent banjo and guitar player, but also a wonderful human being. When I was learning the banjo in Winnipeg in the early eighties, I came upon a vinyl album called Banjo Holiday, recorded in 1976 at Sunshine Studios in Winnipeg. Here was a local banjo expert that played all the tunes that I wanted to learn, plus clearly had a sense of whimsy—one of the cuts on the album was Take Back my Heart, I Ordered Liver !
Before he moved from Manitoba to BC, he could be heard playing at numerous festivals and on CBC radio in Manitoba. Gene had drawn inspiration from seeing Bill Monroe in person. He learned then that the four string banjo he had purchased at a pawn shop was not what he needed, made the necessary adjustment, and set off on a life-long passion for the 5- string banjo and bluegrass music.
A stint with Winnipeg’s Northern Gentleman in the 1960s introduced him to a wider Canadian audience, as did his own solo album, the aforementioned Banjo Holiday in 1976. A few years later, he received the “Instrumentalist of the Year” award from theManitoba Association of Country Artists. His banjo (and guitar) playing was featured in a number of television specials for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Gene remained close to the music throughout his life, playing festivals and taking private students at his home.
After his move to BC, he became a member of the Canadian Whitewater band in the Okanagan region until his accidental death by drowning in 2013 while fishing in the Shuswap Lakes. Gene made contributions as a performer and teacher in both Manitoba and BC, and thus has had a pan–Canadian influence.
