RON
HYNES was born in St. John’s , Newfoundland and raised in Ferryland on the Southern
Shore of the Avalon Peninsula. His first musical influences were the songs of Hank
Williams, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and Bob
Dylan. Ron
began his career as a singer/songwriter in his home province of Newfoundland in the early
seventies plying the coffeehouse circuit thru the Maritimes and Ontario. While on a
theatre tour with the Mummers Troupe in '76 he composed a song called Sonny's Dream that
would go on to become a folk classic recorded by dozens of artists worldwide. RON
was a founding member of the Wonderful Grand Band, a musical comedy show featuring a
six-piece traditional/folk/rock band together with various members of Codco. The group
produced two albums of original work, forty-one half hour TV shows for the CBC plus
specials,and toured the country nonstop during it's six year history. Ron’s
moonlight career as an actor has resulted in two principle theatre roles as Nfld.
Songwriter Johnny Burke in "The Bard Of Prescott Street" and a country legend in
"Hank Williams:The Show He Never Gave", as well as a lead role in the Nfld.
Independent film release A Secret Nation for which his original song, “The Final
Breath” won a Genie award for best song. Ron
is a five time Peoples Choice winner, a three time East Coast Music award winner, a Juno
and CCMA nominee and in 1992 was awarded the Nfld/Labrador Arts Council artist of the year
award. Recent awards include the 1997 MIA awards for Song of the Year (Godspeed) and Male
Artist. Ron
Hynes' songs have been covered worldwide by Valdy, Terry Kelly, Prairie Oyster, The Irish
Desendents, Susan Aglukark, The Good Brothers, The Ennis Sisters, John McDermott, Murray
MacLaughlin, Mary Black, Christie Moore and EmmyLou Harris. Ron
has recorded two original albums for EMI Music Canada(Cryer's
Paradise
and Face
To The Gale),and
recently released 11:11
Nfld. Women Sing,
a collection of songs co-written with Connie Hynes and sung by the province’s best
female artists. That project also received the 1997 MIA Socan Songwriter of the Year
award. Between
writer/performer projects Ron concentrates much of his energy in conducting advanced
workshops, song and tape critique, and creative sessions for new writers in his capacity
as a director and vice-president of the Songwriters Association of Canada. Ron’s
most recent CD release, an independently produced recording, is a collection of all new
material entitled "Standing
In Line In The Rain".
The CD was awarded best new album at the 1998 MIA awards. Ron
spent most of his time in 1998 and ’99 involved in film and television projects,
playing the irrepressable Johnny Shea in the CBC/Rinkrat TV series, Dooley Gardens, and
closed out the decade as the subject of a concert/documentary film entitled Ron Hynes: The
Irish Tour. Curriculum
Vitae 1972…Ron
Hynes "Discovery"…World Records/Audat (Vinyl)…The first album of
completely original material by a Newfoundland artist. 1973..Toured
Ontario and Newfoundland playing soft ballads in loud bars. 1974-1976..In-house
composer for the Mummers Troupe. Composed music and lyrics for East End Story, Dying Hard,
The IWA Show, and The Price of Fish. Wrote “Sonny’s Dream” while touring western Canada in September
’76.There are currently about one hundred cover versions by various artists
worldwide. 1977..Starred
as the famous Newfoundland songwriter Johnny Burke(1851-1930) in The Bard Of Prescott
Street. 1978-1983…Co-founded
The Wonderful Grand Band with Members of Codco and Newfoundland musicians. The band did
six years of television /radio/ touring and two albums. The
Wonderful Grand Band…Clode Sound Living
In A Fog…Grand East Records 1984…Music
and lyrics for the Resource Center for the Arts production of "High Steel",
directed by Mary Walsh. 1985-1986..toured
as a solo concert artist and as a musician/actor with The Best of Codco. 1987…Starred
as Hank in Hank Williams:The Show He Never Gave in Ottawa (York Street Theatre production)
and in St. John’s (resource production directed by Janis Spense) Wrote
and recorded Small Fry:The Ron Hynes Album for Children. 1988…Starred
and hosted "The Island Opry Show", a country showcase at the Opry in PEI that
featured national and international country stars. 1989…
Wrote and produced "The Lost Island Opry" (LSPU Hall)…toured
Newfoundland/Labrador with Hank Williams: The Show He never gave.(Cultural
affairs/Cauldron production) 1990-1991..
Principal role in A Secret nation, winning the Genie for best song (The Final
Breath).Elected vice-president of the Songwriters Association of Canada and signed an
exclusive writers contract with TMP:The Music Publisher. 1992-1997..Signed
with EMI MUSIC CANADA, releasing two critically acclaimed solo recordings, and touring
Canada and the UK/Ireland. Cryers Paradise..1993 Produced by Declan O’Doherty Face To The Gale..1996 Produced by Chad
Irschick August
1997..Released 11:11 Nfld.Women Sing; Songs by
Ron and Connie Hynes. 1998…Released
a new CD only project called Standing In Line In The Rain
and played Johnny Shea in Rinkrat’s new CBC/TV series production, Dooley
Gardens. In
1999 Ron was the subject and star of a concert/documentary film shot in Ireland entitled
Ron Hynes: The Irish Tour, produced by Mary Sexton for Rinkrat Films and directed by
Rosemary House. Management:
Wonderful Grand Music
31 Queen’s Road, St. John’s
Newfoundland, Canada, A1C 2A4 Tel.
709 739 1409 Fax.
709 754 2128 Email.
ron@hynes.net Website.
www.hynesite.nf.net
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