Hagood Hardy

{{Short description|American-born Canadian musician (1937–1997)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Hagood Hardy

| image = Gordon_F._Henderson_gives_Hagood_Hardy_the_Harold_Moon_Award.jpg

| caption = Gordon F. Henderson (left) presents Hardy the Harold Moon award (from RPM magazine)

| birth_name = Hugh Hagood Hardy

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1937|02|26}}

| birth_place = Angola, Indiana, United States

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|01|01|1937|02|26}}

| death_place = Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

| other_names =

| known_for =

| occupation = Composer, arranger, musician

| instrument = Piano, vibraphone, percussions

| nationality =

}}

Hugh Hagood Hardy, {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|CM}} (February 26, 1937 – January 1, 1997) was a Canadian composer, pianist, and vibraphonist. He played mainly jazz and easy listening music.{{cite book|author=Elaine Keillor|title=Music in Canada: Capturing Landscape and Diversity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P4rf9W02vv0C&pg=PT283|date=18 March 2008|publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP|isbn=978-0-7735-3391-2|page=283}} He is best known for the 1975 single, "The Homecoming"{{cite magazine|author=Martin Melhuish|title=Striving for Success without Leaning on Government|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qCQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT60|date=2 October 1976|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=60–|issn=0006-2510}} from his album of the same name, and for his soundtrack to the Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea films.

Early life

Hardy was born in Angola, Indiana. His mother was an American citizen. Hardy came to Canada as an infant settling in Brantford and grew up in Oakville, Ontario. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College, Toronto, and studied music privately in Toronto with Gordon Delamont. As a young man he participated in bebop jam sessions on Gerrard Street in Toronto. In the 1960s he played vibraphone in the bands of Martin Denny, Gigi Gryce, Herbie Mann, and George Shearing.

Career

Hardy performed with Herbie Mann on the latter's 1961 recording Herbie Mann at the Village Gate. The session includes the jazz standard "Comin' Home Baby" and the Gershwin classic, "Summertime". This version of "Summertime" was later "covered" by the 1990's rock group Sublime in their hit song "Doin' Time."

Hardy released a number of singles in the early 1970s. His single "Just a Little Lovin'" appeared on the RPM Adult Contemporary chart in 1971,[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=7747& "Adult Contemporary"]. RPM Magazine - Volume 15, No. 23, Jul 24, 1971 and "The Garden Path" was on the chart in 1972.[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=8414& "Adult Contemporary"]. RPM Magazine - Volume 17, No. 19, Jun 24, 1972 Hardy's tune "The Homecoming" was used 1972 as music to a TV commercial for Salada tea. It was later included on an album of the same name.[https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-homecoming-mw0000203254 "Hagood Hardy The Homecoming"]. AllMusic Review by Shawn M. Haney

Hardy set up an independent record label, Isis, through his Toronto company, Hagood Hardy Productions, and released "The Homecoming" as a single in 1975.{{cite magazine|author=Claude Mill|title='The Homecoming' makes it over Five Year Pull|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8UQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT31|date=5 February 1977|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=31–|issn=0006-2510}}{{cite magazine|title=Hardy sets up Indie Label|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54|volume= 86|date=18 May 1974|issue=20|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|page=54|issn=0006-2510}} It climbed the charts, rising to 14 in Canada,{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4036a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4036a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4036a|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1975-10-25 |access-date=2019-06-08}} and in the US number 41 on the pop and number 6 on the easy listening charts, and was certified Gold in Canada,[https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/3925474-little-canadian-radio-and-music-history-lives-in-burlington/ "Little: Canadian radio and music history lives in Burlington"]. Hamilton Spectator, Aug 07, 2013 by Joan Little where it reached number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4048&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4048.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4048|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1975-10-13 |access-date=2019-06-12}}

Hardy won Juno Awards in 1976 and 1977 as instrumentalist of the year, and in 1976 as composer of the year.{{cite magazine|author=Martin Melhuish|title=Juno 1977 |magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ayMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA76|date=23 April 1977|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=76–|issn=0006-2510}} He was named instrumental artist of the year by Billboard magazine.[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hagood-hardy-emc "Hagood Hardy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228012529/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/hagood-hardy-emc/ |date=2014-02-28 }} at The Canadian Encyclopedia.

Hardy wrote the scores for the 1982 film Mazes and Monsters, the 1985 film Anne of Green Gables and the sequel, Anne of Avonlea.[https://torontolife.com/culture/movies-and-tv/anne-superfan-review-saleema-nawaz/ "We asked an Anne of Green Gables superfan to review the first episode of CBC’s new TV series"]. Toronto Life, By Saleema Nawaz | March 21, 2017

In 1992, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.

In the 1995 provincial election he was the candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party in the riding of York South and faced local MPP and Premier of Ontario Bob Rae. The Ontario Liberals faltered in the election, and Hardy lost to Rae.

Personal life and death

His great-uncle was Arthur Sturgis Hardy, a Liberal politician who served as Ontario's fourth premier from 1896 to 1899.

Hardy died from lymphoma on January 1, 1997, at the age of 59. He was survived by four children.[https://newspaperarchive.com/tags/hagood/?pci=2&ndt=by&py=1993&pey=2014&pep=the-homecoming&plo=truro-halifax&ob=1/ "Partiers Bring in New Year; Deaths of two arts icons sound more sober note"]. Brandon Sun, January 2, 1997, Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

Selected discography

with Herbie Mann

Herbie Mann at the Village Gate (Atlantic, 1961)
Herbie Mann Returns to the Village Gate (Atlantic, 1961 [1963])
Right Now (Atlantic, 1962)
Brazil, Bossa Nova & Blues (United Artists, 1962)

Solo albums

Stop 33 (RCA Victor, 1967)
Montage (GRT, 1972)
The Homecoming (Attic, 1975)
Maybe Tomorrow (Attic, 1976)
Tell Me My Name (Attic, 1977)
Reflections (Attic, 1978)
As Time Goes By (Attic 1980)
The Christmas Album (Attic, 1980)
Love Me Closer (Attic, 1982)
Chasing a Dream (Duke Street, 1983)
Night Magic (Duke Street, 1985)
Hagood Hardy (Duke Street, 1986)
In My Heart (Duke Street, 1992)
Morocco (Sackville, 1989)
After Hours (Isis, 1995)
Alone (Isis, 1995)
Between Friends (Isis, 1996)
My Song (Channel, 1996)

References

{{OCC|3020}}
[http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pub=Hansard&doc=121&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=35&Ses=2#7571 Canadian Parliament Citation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090917120759/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?pub=Hansard&doc=121&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=35&Ses=2#7571 |date=2009-09-17 }} in Hansard of Parliament of Canada

External links

{{IMDb name|id=0362649|name=Hagood Hardy}}
{{discogs artist|Hagood Hardy}}
[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hagood-hardy/ Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca]

Category:1937 births

Category:1997 deaths

Category:American emigrants to Canada

Category:Canadian male composers

Category:Deaths from cancer in Ontario

Category:Deaths from lymphoma

Category:Ontario Liberal Party candidates in Ontario provincial elections

Category:American easy listening musicians

Category:Members of the Order of Canada

Category:People from Oakville, Ontario

Category:Trinity College (Canada) alumni

Category:University of Toronto alumni