Bill Houston

BIO:

Placing his song,“Ojibway Country” in the giant IMAX film "NORTH OF SUPERIOR", had the effect of greatly boosting Bill’s professional music career and launching him out of the serenity and security of his Northwestern Ontario hometown, Sioux Lookout. Bill took up residence in Toronto where for almost a decade he wrote music for radio and television, while appearing on programs such as "Canadian Express", "This Country in the Morning", "Canada AM" and "Kaleidoscope". Between 1971 and 1973, fellow singer/songwriter Tom Kelly performed several of Bill's songs while hosting the popular coast to coast television show, "Singalong Jubilee". Bill also composed material for films, documentaries and commercials as well as contributing the song “Railroad Town” to Sylvia Tyson’s "Touch the Earth" compilation L.P., about which CBC’s Bruce Steele wrote:

"…this song was a perfect evocation of the feelings we all had aboard the train in the Northern Ontario wilderness. A number of musicians stuffed themselves into the small train compartment to help Bill out on this one including Tom Kelly, Bill Garrett and "Curly Boy Stubbs".

Also during his time in Toronto, Bill put out two 45 RPM singles, established a music publishing business, and in 1975, after developing his own small record company, released his first full length album "The King of White Otter Lake" produced by Shelby Gregory and containing the by then famous song "Ojibway Country" from the IMAX film "NORTH OF SUPERIOR".

That first album also featured the title song "The King of White Otter Lake" which tells the tale of Jimmy McQuat, a persistent and ingenious man who single-handedly built a "log castle" on the shore of White Otter Lake between Atikokan and Ignace, ON. The legend of Jimmy grew and the song became Bill’s most published and reproduced work. In addition to being performed on CBC television's nationwide "Singalong Jubilee" and on Canada's popular "Tommy Hunter Show", “The King of White Otter Lake” even made it into public school courses of study where like Ian Tamblyn’s “Woodsmoke and Oranges”, it is used to teach not only music but geography, history and comparative literature as well.

In spite of his success in Toronto and although his artistic vision had expanded to include the world, Bill realized his roots were in that great reservoir of the human spirit, the north. He decided to return. Marriage, two children and full time work grounded him in the city of Thunder Bay where he continued to write music and perform as opportunities arose.

Years later a series of events conspired to draw him back into the national music scene. In 1995, former Toronto roommate Grit Laskin did a cover version of Bill’s hit “Ojibway Country” on his CD "A Few Simple Words". Bill had also been receiving persistent requests for the re-release of “The King of White Otter Lake”. He had separated from his wife, so the time seemed right to get back into the action. He contacted musician/producer George Gregorovich and asked him if he would consider working with him on an album of new songs that would also contain up-dated versions of "Ojibway Country" and "The King Of White Otter Lake". George agreed to come on board, along with another longtime friend Joe Heath, who contributed much needed financial support to the project.

Together with George and a host of talented Thunder Bay musicians, including musician/arranger Sean Mundy, Bill released an 11 song CD "North of Superior" in 1997. Backed by a six piece band, he was quickly booked into venues all over Northwestern Ontario. People were eager to hear the mix of old and new material and to welcome him back to the stage.

Today Bill continues to play for appreciative audiences at house concerts, fundraisers, cafes, schools and festivals. But now, with only a small portion of the songs he has written available to the public, he has released a third album "Bring Back The Music" produced by the highly esteemed Paul Mills (Stan Rogers, Ron Hynes). Simultaneously, the long overdue re-issue of the classic 1975 vinyl album "The King Of White Otter Lake" containing the original recordings of "Ojibway Country" and "The King Of White Otter Lake", has been released in CD format.

QUOTES:

“His music is open and clear and somehow, uniquely Canadian country - even Canadian north country - in feel. He is a newcomer in a long line of Canadian songwriters in the contemporary folk tradition; people like Ian Tyson, Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell…”
Richard Flohil, The Canadian Composer NO. 63, 1971

“Bill’s voice is clear and strong, his delivery is honest - no pretensions - and there’s a friendliness that draws the listener in to share the experience.”
George Gregorovich, 1997

“ My goal as an artist is to continue to excel in my songwriting and to demonstrate that the best artistic expression always transcends mere geography and history. I come originally from Canada's far north but my songs are really about people everywhere and they are written to stand the test of time. I've come a long way since 1971 and my songwriting has undergone many changes, yet my voice remains clear and my artistic vision strong. My easel is Canadian but my canvas is the world".
Bill Houston, 2008

WORKSHOPS:

Story Songs
Political and Philosophical Songs
Fun Songs
Love Songs
Northwestern Ontario History
Canadiana

CONCERT & FESTIVAL
PERFORMANCES:

House Concert, at Bob & Pirjo's, Barnum Lake ON, 2008
Annual Sea Kayak Symposium, Rossport ON, 2008
Music is Healing Concert Series, Thunder Bay ON, 2008
South Gillies Hall, South Gillies ON, 2008

Live From The Rock Folk Festival, Red Rock ON, 2007
Blueberry Festival, Sioux Lookout, ON, 2007
Summer In The Parks, ("Bill Houston Trio") Thunder Bay, 2007
Grand Opening of The Prevention & Wellness Clinic, Thunder Bay, 2007
Six String Nation Guitar concert, Prosvita Hall, Thunder Bay, 2007
Rock Island Lodge, Wawa, ON, 2007
Nutritional Medicine Today Conference, Royal York, Toronto, 2007
House Concert, Minden, ON, 2007
Serendipity Gardens Cafe and Guest House, Rossport, ON, 2007
House Concert, Marathon, ON, 2007
Old Fort Winter Carnival, Thunder Bay, ON, 2007
Finlandia Hall, Thunder Bay, ON, 2007

Hymers Fall Fair, Hymers, ON, 2006
Green Achers, Wabigoon, ON, 2006
Breathin' In The Wilds Festival, Atikokan, ON, 2006

Hymer's Fall Fair, Hymers, ON, 2005
Songwriter’s Circle, Nolalu, ON, 2005
Live From The Rock Folk Festival, Red Rock, ON, 2005

House Concert tour, Sioux Lookout and Dryden ON, 2004
Breathin' In The Wilds Festival, Atikokan, ON, 2004

Live From The Rock Folk Festival, Red Rock, ON, 2003
Community Folk Cafe, Thunder Bay, ON, 2003

Trout Forest Folk Festival, Ear Falls, ON, 2002
Workshop Coffee House, Thunder Bay, ON, 2002

BOOKING INFO:

Find out how you can have Bill do a concert in your home.

Contact Elly Tose for House Concerts and other bookings:

Elly Tose - Elster Productions
elsterproductions@gmail.com
807-344-0654

HOUSE CONCERT INFO:

To learn how to put on a House Concert in your home - click on the "Links" button at the top of this page. Then scroll way down to "Sites of Interest". By clicking on "A House Concert in your home" or "Acoustic Roof", you will be transported magically to these sites where you will very quickly become an expert on hosting House Concerts.

"NEW DIRECTIONS"

Over the last two years, Bill has added “author” to his list of credits – collaborating with another writer (Jim Farrell) to complete one novel and begin work on a sequel.

It's not unfamiliar territory for him. As a young man he wrote and even set type for his family's newspaper, Sioux Lookout's DAILY BULLETIN. And in the years since, he's been an avid reader and researcher, particularly in the field of biblical archaeology.

Now, he's taken the opportunity to combine interests and skills to produce a whimsical mystery/adventure tale called THE IRISH ARK.

In the book, the world is in crisis; and the discovery near Dublin of what looks like the fabled Ark of the Covenant has dragged Ireland into an uncomfortable international situation. While everyone's attention is fixed on the never-ending news coverage, the principals in the affair find themselves in a pub where they and the patrons discover the startling truth about the Irish Ark.

Publication is scheduled for late Spring of 2012.

Having finished the first novel, Bill and Jim couldn't let the story go and quickly began work on a sequel titled BONES OF THE PROPHET, a 2500-yr-old “cold case” concerning the missing body of a biblical patriarch.

An unlikely band of archaeological adventurers attempt to retrace the steps of a legendary historical figure from the Nile Delta in Egypt to a castle in Spain to a picturesque lake in Northern Ireland. And along the way, they discover as much about themselves as they do about the man whose bones they're hunting.

Bill says he doesn't plan to desert music for the world of literature and claims he has no plans to write “The Ballad Of The Irish Ark”. But no one believes him.

READER ALERT!
The "final" edit of THE IRISH ARK is now available in e-book format for easy on-screen reading. Bill is looking for test readers to give him feedback. Contact him at bhouston@tbaytel.net to receive your pdf copy.

Click for original

Bill's two novels-to-be

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