Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame






















	10178 - 106 Street Edmonton, AB Canada, T5J 1H4 Phone: 780-951-4564 Fax: 780-423-2844 Email


	Global Country is pleased to announce that the Cantos Foundation in Calgary has acquired the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection as well as the memorabilia and artifacts of Global Country. Global Country received many calls from artists and families who had memorabilia on permanent loan or donation and were strongly urged to leave the collection in Calgary as part of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. In keeping with our mandate to preserve the history of country music and develop new talent and out of respect for the requests we were pleased to honour their desires. We are looking forward to a working relationship with Cantos in the future. After many years of attempting to build a facility here in Edmonton an agreement finally came to fruition with Cantos to be part of the exciting Canadian Music Centre in Calgary. For more details please click on the link to the Cantos Foundation. www.cantos.ca

	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Becomes Part of National Music Centre Vision Cantos Music Foundation acquires Hall of Fame memorabilia to expand existing collection and tell Canada’s national country music story. Calgary, June 24, 2009 As part of its vision to build a national music centre on the site of the King Edward Hotel, Cantos Music Foundation has acquired the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame currently located on the Stampede Grounds. "This acquisition marks a major milestone for Cantos", says Andrew Mosker, Cantos’ executive director. "It allows us to tell an important Canadian music story and brings us one step closer to realizing our vision of creating a national music centre in Calgary’s East Village." Previously owned by Deb Buck, widow of legendary Alberta artist, producer and Hall of Fame founder Gary Buck, the acquisition builds on Cantos’ one-of-a-kind music collection and will be used extensively in programming for children, seniors and everyone in between. A fact Buck says convinced her that Cantos and the Hall of Fame were a perfect fit. "When I spent some time at Cantos and saw the way they use their collection to bring music to children, I knew this is what Gary would have wanted for the Hall of Fame," says Buck. "He wanted the artifacts and memorabilia to teach people, especially children, about country music in Canada and Cantos is the perfect organization to do just that." The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame includes photographs and memorabilia from Canadian Country stars ranging from Hank Snow to Terri Clark as well as people who contributed to growing Canada’s country music scene in other ways. Global Country, an organization that has collected country music memorabilia of its own and displayed them in the Hall of Fame building at Stampede Park, has transferred custodianship of its artifacts to Cantos as well. The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame will be open throughout the 2009 Calgary Stampede July 3-12 at its usual location. Cantos is also currently in discussions with the Canadian Country Music Association to explore opportunities to work together in the future. "The possibilities are limitless," he says. "We’re very much looking forward to working with the country music community in Canada and playing a role in its future as well as in its legacy." Media Inquiries Camie Leard, Manager Marketing, Communications and Public Relations Cantos Music Foundation (403) 543-5122 leardc@cantos.ca
	BACKGROUNDER About Cantos Music Foundation Cantos is a charitable organization whose vision is to be a national catalyst for discovery, innovation and renewal through music. With a world-renowned collection of more than 700 instruments and now the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame collection, Cantos offers extensive community programming to school children, seniors, emerging artists and the general community. Cantos is currently in the process of redeveloping the site of the King Edward Hotel to create a national music centre that will feature a collection that tells Canada’s national music story, a seven-days-week live performance venue, recording studios, performance hall, classrooms and other public spaces. About the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Founded in 1989 by legendary Canadian musician, producer and record-label owner Gary Buck, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame features more than 600 artifacts and memorabilia that tell the rich and colourful tale of country music in Canada. From Ian Tyson’s saddle, to Hank Snow’s sparkly stage suits to Terri Clark’s snakeskin belt, the people and stories of Canadian country music come to life in this collection. About Gary Buck Buck’s career began in Sault Ste Marie where he sang on CKCY radio, initially with Ray Kovisto's band, The Country Caravan. After playing semi-pro baseball, in 1959 he made his first recordings for the Canatal label in Toronto. In 1963 his recording of his song Happy to Be Unhappy was an international hit for the (US) Petal label. Buck was subsequently hailed as newcomer of the year by the US trade magazine Cashbox. Buck starred on CKCO-TV's 'The Gary Buck Show’ from 1967-69 and made several appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. In 1971 he established his own publishing and recording company, Broadland Music. The label's early roster included Don Cochrane, Alex Fraser, Dallas Harms, Patti MacDonnell, Artie MacLaren, Orval Prophet, Ian Tyson, and several others. Buck established Broadland International in Nashville in 1990 with a largely US roster that included George Hamilton IV. Buck continued to produce albums for Hamilton and many Canadian musicians from Broadland's Nashville and Calgary bases until his death in October, 2003.

	Founded by Garry Buck, Country Music Artist from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. The Hall of Fame originally was located in Kitchener/Waterloo, then Swift Current, Saskatchewan and currently Calgary, Alberta.
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