Stompin' Tom Connors: 1936-2013

By Richard K. Barry

Canadian country music legend Stompin' Tom Connors has died at the age of 77. It's hard to explain the place of Mr. Connors in Canadian culture. I've lived here for over 30 years and I'm not sure I get it. Maybe I get it a little bit, especially when I visit smaller towns up north. 

One of his more famous songs, perhaps his most famous, is "The Hockey Song." The Globe and Mail called it a different kind of national anthem and a gift to Canada's national sport. One thing it certainly will always be is a great way to get a crowd going. 

If you're not from Canada and don't know the man's work, titles like "Sudbury Saturday Night," "Bud the Spud," and "Big Mufferaw Joe" might give you a sense. 

He was a strongly patriotic individual who once boycotted the Junos (Canada's national music awards) to protest artists who conducted most of their business in the United States being nominated for Junos in Canada. He called these sorts "border jumpers."

Canadians are sometimes embarrassed by their own patriotism, though not Stompin' Tom. 

Here is some American talk show host with an introduction.