Vern Cheechoo

Vern Cheechoo is a Cree folk and country singer-songwriter from Canada.Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, [https://www.timminstoday.com/local-news/moose-cree-singers-new-album-will-be-dedicated-to-his-late-wife-3980471 "Moose Cree singer's new album will be dedicated to his late wife"]. Timmins Today, July 24, 2021. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award nominee for Best Aboriginal Recording, receiving nods at the Juno Awards of 2000 for his solo album Touch the Earth and Sky,"Juno nominees". Victoria Times-Colonist, March 10, 2000. and at the Juno Awards of 2003 for The Right Combination, an album recorded as a duo with Lawrence Martin."The 2003 Juno Awards nominees". Hamilton Spectator, February 13, 2003.

Originally from Moose Factory, Ontario, he is the son of Sinclair Cheechoo, an influential Cree fiddle player.Xavier Kataquapit, "Native musicians have 'right combination'". Timmins Daily Press, May 25, 2002. His siblings, Archie Cheechoo and Thelma Cheechoo, were also musicians.

He released his debut album Lonesome & Hurting in 1993.Lenny Stoute, "Cheechoo plays it achingly straight". Toronto Star, March 4, 1993. He supported the album with several concert dates as an opening act for Bruce Cockburn.Robert Reid, "Urgent as ever: Hardworking Bruce Cockburn rips through his library of songs". Waterloo Region Record, May 10, 1994. The album's title track was featured in an episode of Northern Exposure, he was featured in a 1993 episode of the CBC Television music performance series Ear to the Ground,Greg Kennedy, "Warm introduction to Native country-music artist". Edmonton Journal, November 30, 1993. and he appeared in the 1996 film Dance Me Outside performing songs from the album in concert.

Touch the Earth and Sky, his second album, was released in 1999. In addition to his Juno Award nomination, Cheechoo and John Switzer won the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Producer/Engineer for their work on the album,Gordon Kennedy, "Fiddler performs at native awards". Sudbury Star, November 30, 2000. and they also performed a song at the ceremony."George Leach and Sandy Scofield double winners at Aboriginal Music Awards". Whitehorse Star, November 27, 2000.

Although Cheechoo and Martin were lifelong friends and frequent collaborators, who were in a high school band called Veil's Universe,Trevor Terfloth, "Variety spice of life: Music key part of Treaty 9 celebration". Timmins Daily Press, August 5, 2005. the 2003 album The Right Combination represented their first time directly releasing an album as a duo. In addition to the Juno nomination, the album was nominated for Best Group or Duo and Best Country Album at the 2003 Aboriginal Music Awards."Saskatonians nominated at Aboriginal music awards". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, September 18, 2003.

He has continued to perform, most notably at a 2016 mining conference in Timmins where he performed an unannounced reunion show with Martin,Frank Giorno, [https://www.timminstoday.com/local-news/surprise-timmins-musical-reunion-of-cheecho-and-martin-at-the-days-inn-4-photos-273190 "Surprise Timmins musical reunion of Cheecho and Martin at the Day’s Inn"]. Timmins Today, April 2, 2016. but has not released another album since The Right Combination. He has been employed for a number of years as director of lands and resources for the Mushkegowuk Council.Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, "Mushkegowuk chiefs, Ontario ministers meet in Timmins". Canadian Press, December 3, 2021. In 2021 he announced plans to record and release his fourth album, which would be dedicated to the memory of his late wife Karen, although no further news about the release of the album has been announced as of January 2023.

His son Colin Cheechoo is a musician, who was formerly associated with the band Breach of Trust.Abby Cote, [https://ammsa.com/publications/windspeaker/breach-trust-scores-hat-trick-awards "Breach of Trust scores a hat trick at awards"]. Windspeaker, 2002.