Ray Legere

Raymond (Ray) Legere was born September 20, 1965, in Amherst, Nova Scotia. His mother was a pianist and his father, who played fiddle and banjo, taught him to play the mandolin when he was ten years old. His focus at this time was old-time fiddle tunes, later learning some Louvin Brothers’ songs with older friends and listening to American bluegrass pickers.{{cite web|url=https://bluegrasstoday.com/fiddler-ray-legere-honored-by-home-province/ |title=Fiddler Ray Legere honoured by home province

|work=Bluegrass Today |date=December 4, 2019 |access-date=October 31, 2021}}[http://www.cumberlandnewsnow.com/news/local/2016/9/8/ray-legere-to-be-inducted-into-nb-countr-4635917.html "Ray Legere to be inducted into NB Country Music Hall of Fame"]. Amherst News Citizen Record, September 8, 2016{{cite book|author1=Neal Walters|author2=Brian Mansfield|title=MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide|url=|year=1998|publisher=Visible Ink|isbn=978-1-57859-037-7}}{{cite book|title=Jazz Education Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g3MJAQAAMAAJ|year=2003|publisher=International Association for Jazz Education|page=37}}

In the summer of 1982, when he was sixteen, Legere was called unexpectedly to fill in for Bill Monroe of the Blue Grass Boys when the famous mandolinist became ill before a concert in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. Legere saw this as a unique opportunity to play with fiddle player Kenny Baker and with the Blue Grass Boys. He also learned the valuable lesson that the show must go on when Bill Monroe returned to the stage to perform a few hours after his surgery.

As a young man, Legere played in the Mountain Meadow Bluegrass Band in the late 1970s.{{cite book|author1=Vladimir Bogdanov|author2=Chris Woodstra|author3=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|title=All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LdxCPLZAExsC&pg=PA637|year=2003|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-0-87930-760-8|pages=637–}} In 1987, he joined the Lonesome River Band.{{cite book|title=Appalachian Journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NwgSAAAAYAAJ|year=1992|page=427}}

In 1990, Legere played fiddle on the album The Lynn Morris Band.{{cite book|author1=Kurt Wolff|author2=Orla Duane|title=Country Music: The Rough Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Jorozp1yp4C&pg=PA241|year=2000|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1-85828-534-4|pages=241–}}{{cite book|title=Disc Collector|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aCraAAAAMAAJ|year=1990|page=27}} In 1992 he toured with Michelle Shocked.[https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/13/arts/review-pop-the-past-without-nostalgia.html "Review/Pop; The Past Without Nostalgia"]. New York Times, By JON PARELES October 13, 1992

In 1998, Larry LeBlanc of Billboard magazine named him as one of Canada's leading bluegrass musicians."Bluegrass Enjoys Popularity of Grassroots, Indie Population"{{cite book|title=Billboard|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_rg4EAAAAMBAJ|date=April 11, 1998|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_rg4EAAAAMBAJ/page/n24 1]–|issn=0006-2510}} In 2012 he performed at the Canso Stanfest.[http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/112789-stanfest-gets-dazzling-start "Stanfest gets dazzling start"]. Chronicle Herald, By Stephen Cooke July 1, 2012 -

Legere joined the Celtic fusion ensemble Bowfire, and recorded on their self-titled CD, which was released in 2003. He toured with this group for several years.[https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-bowfire-group-strings-on-fire-by-greg-henry-waters.php?width=1067 "The Bowfire Group: Strings On Fire"]. All About Jazz, By Gref Henry Waters. May 23, 2008[http://www.allmusic.com/album/bowfire-mw0001327155 " Bowfire Bowfire"]. AllMusic, Review by Rick Anderson

In 2014 Legere played mandolin on Jared Lutes' album A Matter of When. and played fiddle on the album Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band."Echoes"{{cite book|title=Bluegrass Unlimited|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zaopAQAAIAAJ|year=2008|publisher=Bluegrass Unlimited}} Volume 42. His band Acoustic Horizon performed at the 2015 Tottenham Bluegrass Festival.[http://newtectimes.com/?p=17992 "Bluegrass music in a natural setting – and summer has arrived!"]. New Tecumseth Times, June 25, 2015 Legere also performed in the third video of the United Breaks Guitars trilogy.{{cite book|author=Patricia Swann|title=Cases in Public Relations Management: The Rise of Social Media and Activism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K6jmAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA254|date=February 18, 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-06027-6|pages=254–}}

Leger performed with the band Grasstic Measures on the 2016 festival circuit; that year he was also inducted into the New Brunswick Country Hall of Fame.

• 1991: The Common Denominator (Acoustic Horizon AHM 1015)
• 1993: Back Against the Wind (Acoustic Horizon AHM 1016)
• 1993: Maritime Fiddle Session with guest pianist Kimberley Holmes (Acoustic Horizon AHM 1017)
• 1999: Squirrelly Moves (EMI Canada E21Y 20091)
• 2002: Bluegrass in the Backwoods (Acoustic Horizon AHM 1019)
• 2006: Ready to Jam (Acoustic Horizon AHM)
• 2015: Southern Fiddling in the Kenny Baker Style

• 1992: Music Man (Brakin’ BTCD 001)
• 1992: Powerfolk (Brakin’ BTCD 002)
• 1996:Presence in the Past (Brakin’ BTCD 003)

• 1994: A Decade Later (Acoustic Horizon AMH 1018)
• 1996: River of No Return (Strictly Country SCR 47)[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1996/12/08/best-music-of-1996/ "Best Music Of 1996"]. December 8, 1996|By David Duckman

• 1998: Dick Smith, Mike O’Reilly Band (New Era NE-CD 100)
• 2004: A Honky-Tonk Frame of Mind (New Era NE-CD 200)
• 2005: Life's Road (New Era NE-CD 300)

• 2003: Bowfire (Marquis Records)

• 2011: Story Songs and Toe-tapping Tunes (Acoustic Horizon AHM)

• 2016: Square Dance Town (GM 2016–1)

• 1990: Lynn Morris Band – with Lynn Morris
• 1990: Newmarket Gap, with Wyatt Rice{{cite web| url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-market-gap-mw0000311054 |title=New Market Gap Reiview by Jason Ankeny |website=AllMusic |date=December 20, 2016 }}
• 1995: The Young Mando Monsters Mandolin Artistry, Vol. 1 (VMP-CD0100, 1995) / Raymond Legere – Puddle Jumper and Cruisin’ the Autobahn.
• 1996: The Stanley Tradition: Tribute to A Bluegrass Legacy (Doobie Shea Records – DS-CD-1001) / Ray Legere – Gonna Paint the Town
• 2003: "The Time's Never Been Better", a singer/songwriter album by Pat Moore of Ottawa Canada, also featuring Dick Smith, Steve Pittico, Ken Kanwisher, Mike O'Reilly, Tracy Brown, Marty McTiernan and produced by Al Bragg
• 2004: Blue Roses – with Rita MacNeil[http://www.atlanticseabreeze.com/ItemOne.asp?ID=1708 "Rita MacNeil-CD-BLUE ROSES-In Review"]. Atlantic Seabreeze, By John Gavin, Monday, October 11, 2004
• 2007: Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band – with Bill Emerson/ Ray Legere – Fiddler's Green and There's no room in your heart (Rebel Records)
• 2014: A Matter of When – with Jared LutesBob Mersereau, [http://www.cbc.ca/nb/mt/east-coast-music/2014/03/jared-lutes---a-matter-of-when.html "Jared Lutes – A Matter Of When"]. East Coast Music, Wed, March 12, 2014, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
• 2014:Drop Forge – with Jim Dorrie (2014)[http://www.cbc.ca/nb/mt/east-coast-music/2014/06/music-review-jim-dorie---drop-forge.html "Music Review: Jim Dorie – Drop Forge"]. East Coast Music with Bob Mersereau, CBC New Brunswick. Wed, June 4, 2014.

• 1983 – Winner – Open Mandolin Championship – Woodstock Ontario
• 1986 – Winner – Open Mandolin Championship – Winfield, Kansas
• 1989 – Winner – Old Time Fiddle Championship – Sackville, New Brunswick
• 1990 – Among the top ten – Nashville's Grand Masters Fiddle Championship
• 1990 – Among the top ten – Grand Masters Fiddle Championships – Nepean, Ontario
• 1991 – Among the top ten – Grand Masters Fiddle Championships – Nepean, Ontario
• 1996 – Bluegrass Artist of the year – Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Music Awards
• 1996 – Bluegrass Artist of the Year – East Coast Music Awards
• 2003 – Bluegrass Artist of the Year – Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Music Awards
• 2003 – Bluegrass Artist of the Year – East Coast Music Awards
• 2016 – Inducted into the New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame
• 2019 – Masters – Best Fiddle Player – Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards
• 2019 – Inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame
• 2019 – High Achievement in the Arts – Lieutenant Governor's Award

Legere is a five-time winner of the Eastern Division Bluegrass Awards in the categories of Mandolin and Fiddle Player of the Year, and has been honored with a Masters Award for each.

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.raylegere.com/ Official Website – Ray Legere]
• [https://www.reverbnation.com/raylegere?popup_bio=true Artist Bio]
• [https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/lifestyles/new-brunswick-fiddler-ray-legere-set-to-be-inducted-into-nova-scotia-country-music-hall-of-fame-346927/ New Brunswick fiddler Ray Legere set to be inducted into Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame – Saltwire August 3, 2019]
• [https://bluegrasstoday.com/fiddler-ray-legere-honored-by-home-province/ Fiddler Ray Legere honored by home province – Bluegrass Today December 4, 2019]
• [https://www.kingstheatre.ca/event/ray-legere-the-alan-jeffries-band-2/ Ray Legere & The Alan Jeffries Band – Bluegrass – King's Theatre]
• [https://bluegrasscanada.org/Resources/awards/ccba/retired.php Bluegrass Music Association of Canada – Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards Show Honour Roll Inductees]

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Category:Canadian bluegrass fiddlers

Category:Canadian male violinists and fiddlers

Category:Canadian mandolinists

Category:Musicians from Nova Scotia

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers

Category:21st-century Canadian male musicians

Category:1965 births