Canada's Singing Newfoundlander
Our Canada|April/May 2019

He’s been singing the praises of his homeland since the Joey Smallwood era—and he’s still at it!

Michael T. Wall, Native son of NFLD
Canada's Singing Newfoundlander

My name is Michael T. Wall (the T stands for Thomas). I am from a family of nine children. Dad and Mom made eleven. I was born on Country Road, Corner Brook. We moved to the Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville when I was a kid. I went to school there until we moved to Lakeview/ Habour Main in Conception Bay, where I resumed my schooling. I was always interested in singing and sang in many concerts at the little one-room Shamrock School. You could say that’s where I got my start in singing. I worked at odd jobs during the summer holidays, and I saved enough money to buy my first guitar. After hearing Johnny Cash on our radio, I knew right then that’s what I wanted to do. So I went to St. John’s and bought a ticket on Air Canada and headed for Toronto.

Upon arriving in the Big City, I found out Johnny Cash was doing a live concert at Massey Hall. So I decided to go and meet my hero. When I arrived at Massey Hall, I met Johnny’s personal guitar player, Luther Perkins, who introduced me to the “Man in Black,” who is my all-time hero to this day. From that moment on, I was hooked on country music. I called myself “The Singing Newfoundlander” and had special tailor-made stage costumes created with a big, Irish-green map of Newfoundland on the back of all of them. I sang at clubs throughout Toronto, including the famous Horseshoe Tavern and the Caribou Club.

This story is from the April/May 2019 edition of Our Canada.

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This story is from the April/May 2019 edition of Our Canada.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.