April Wine frontman Myles Goodwyn dead at 75
Originally from Woodstock, inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame in 2010
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Legendary Canadian singer Myles Goodwyn, the frontman for April Wine and originally from Woodstock, is dead.
He was 75 years old.
The Canadian Hall of Fame singer’s death was confirmed by publicist Eric Alper, who said that the cause of death and funeral details would not be shared at this time, citing a request for privacy from Goodwyn’s family.
Goodwyn earned a place in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and on Canada’s Walk of Fame, following a distinguished career as a singer. Guitarist and leader of the multi-platinum selling rock band April Wine.
“Myles Goodwyn’s voice is as distinctive and immediately recognizable as his songwriting skills are prolific,” Alper said Sunday on the social-media site X.
Godwyn, was born in Woodstock on June 23, 1948, and formed the band with original members David Henman (guitar), Ritchie Henman (drums) and Jim Henman (bass). He also pursued a solo career when the band was on hiatus in the 1980s and wrote two books (the 2016 memoir Just Between You and Me and the 2018 fiction novel Elvis and Tiger.)
He had just played a show in Florenceville-Bristol, north of Woodstock, on Oct. 21.
Pearl Black, the director of programming for the Carleton Victoria Arts Council, said she was shocked to hear the news of Goodwyn’s passing.
“It has only been 43 days since he played for us,” she said. “A lot of people said it was the best shows we ever had, and we were looking forward to having him come back in the future.”
Black said Goodwyn made comments from the stage about being born in Woodstock.
“Someone yelled ‘welcome home’ during the show, and he made a comment that while he was born in Woodstock he considered Nova Scotia his home,” she said, adding Goodwyn told the audience his family left the Woodstock area for Nova Scotia shortly after his birth.
She said Goodwyn was “absolutely wonderful” and put on a show the audience would never forget.
“I kept thinking it was amazing to hear him, to hear an artist of that caliber in Florenceville-Bristol, he was a rock and roll legend. And, to hear his stories.”
Stacey Clark-Montgomery, vice president of sales and marketing for Sabian in Meductic near Woodstock, said the cymbal company was saddened to hear of Goodwyn’s passing.
“As one of the founding members of April Wine, Myles led the band from their Maritime roots to the International stage and global success,” she wrote in an email. “SABIAN always felt a close connection to Myles and April Wine through our long-time endorser Jerry Mercer who was the powerhouse drummer of the band. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family.”
— with files from Postmedia News
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