Wonderful Grand Band
| Company type | Ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music, Comedy |
| Founded | 1978 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
| Headquarters | St. John's , Canada |
Area served | Canada |
| Products | Music albums, Television series |
The Wonderful Grand Band is a Canadian ensemble combining music and comedy, established in 1978 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
History
Originating in 1978, the band featured comedians Greg Malone and Tommy Sexton among its members. Their first album, titled The Wonderful Grand Band, was released in 1979.
Their self-titled musical variety television series was broadcast on CBC Television. It began as The Root Seller, airing six episodes in 1978, before being rebranded as The Wonderful Grand Band, running for 40 episodes between 1980 and 1983. The cast included Ron Hynes, Sandy Morris, Ian Perry, Glenn Simmons (who was later succeeded by Steve Annan), Kelly Russell (replaced by Jamie Snider), Rocky Wiseman (followed by Paul Stamp), alongside Malone and Sexton. The program blended both original compositions and traditional tunes with contemporary comedic sketches and satire, often including commentary on the CBC itself.
In 1981, the band followed up with their second album, Living in a Fog.
A reunion tour took place in 2009 throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, coinciding with the release of two DVDs featuring twelve episodes from their television series. Another reunion occurred in August 2012 during a Ron Hynes concert prior to his throat cancer treatment.
On December 7, 2017, the group issued a new recording of "Babylon Mall" to commemorate the Avalon Mall’s 50th anniversary, featuring vocals by Mark Critch from CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Members
Current Members
- Sandy Morris – acoustic and electric lead guitars, backing vocals (1978–1983, 1997, 2009–present)
- Greg Malone – comedian (1978, 1979–1983, 1997, 2009–present)
- Glenn Simmons – lead vocals, guitars, bass guitar, backing vocals (1978–1982, 1997, 2009–present)
- Jamie Snider – lead vocals, fiddle, guitars, mandolin (1980–1983, 1997, 2009–present)
- Paul "Boomer" Stamp – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1981–1983, 1997, 2009–present)
- Ian Perry – bass guitar, guitars, backing vocals (1978–1982, 1997, 2009–present)
Former Members
- Bryan Hennessey – bass guitar, harmonica (1978) (deceased 2021)
- Bawnie Oulton – backing vocals (1978) (deceased 2010)
- Kelly Russell – fiddle, mandolin, dulcimer, backing vocals (1978–1980)
- Rocky Wiseman – drums (1978–1981) (deceased 2018)
- Steve Annan – guitars (1982–1983) (deceased 2010)
- Howie Warden – bass guitar (1982–1983)
- Kevin McNeil – drums (1982)
- Ron Hynes – lead vocals, guitars, mandolin, banjo, backing vocals (1978–1983, 1997, 2009–2015) (deceased 2015)
- Tommy Sexton – vocals, comedian (1979–1983) (deceased 1993)
- Cathy Jones – comedian (1982–1983)
- Mary Walsh – comedian (1982–1983)
Discography
Refer also to List of songs by the Wonderful Grand Band.
- Wonderful Grand Band (1978)
- Living in a Fog (1981)
External links
- Wonderful Grand Band official website