Barrington singer joins Hall of Fame

By Greg Bennett

The Coast Guard

NovaNewsNow.com

Barrington resident Lynne Crowell will join the ranks of Nova Scotia’s country music elite when she is inducted in the provincial country music hall of fame on Sept. 15.

Crowell, who has performed in the area for the last 40 years, was surprised and humbled by the nomination. The first Shelburne County resident to be inducted in the hall of fame, she will join noted artists like Rita MacNeil and Hank Snow on its walls.

She looks at the nomination as an opportunity to leave a legacy of creating music and helpings others at the same time.

“I’ve donated my whole life to helping others and I’ve been able to do it with my music,” she said.

Crowell started her career in the 1960s singing spiritual music. Thirty years ago, she teamed up with Don Randall and Loran Varner to create the band Evergreen, a group that was to remain a constant in her life.

“They are great musicians and the best friends a person could have,” she said.

She has also had a successful career as a solo artist.

She has four complete CDs along with several other smaller recorded projects to her credit and has played as a solo artist at events across the province.

She is a gifted songwriter, penning much of the material on her CDs and was a co-writer on a song commissioned for the South Shore Tourism Association. She was a recipient of the Lighthouse Route Award for her efforts to promote tourism.

Another more recent constant has been the Hank Snow Tribute, now held in August in Bridgewater by the Friends of Hank Snow Society. It is an annual event that Crowell refuses to miss, allowing her to perform with the likes of the Rainbow Ranch Boys and others.

Without the support of her fans, Crowell says her career would have been a short one.

“I have to thank everyone for their support of me,” she said. “I have some fans who are very loyal people.”

Crowell is now working on a fifth CD, which marks a return to her spirtual roots. There are also plans to mark her induction and celebrate her music in Shelburne at a special concert at the Osprey on Nov. 17.

Induction ceremonies for the 10th Anniversary celebrations of the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame are set for Sept. 15, at the Wandlyn Inn in Bridgewater.

Crowell will be joined as one of this year’s inductees by instrumentalist Keith Ross, and duo Roy and Frances Rudolph.