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various live venues throughout the Ottawa Valley, Western Quebec and beyond.
Bob King would also go on to head up his own group: Bob King and The Country Kings, a group that would also feature his wife Marie King, whose career in the Ottawa Valley and throughout Quebec would blossom into stardom under her husband’s management and guidance.
THE STARS COME TO THE OTTAWA VALLEY While Bob King, The Happy Wanderers, Orval Prophet, Mac Beattie & His Melodiers, and others were the main ‘homegrown’ attractions during the 50’s and early 60’s, Ken Reynolds was expanding on his duties for radio sta- tion CFRA by promoting major shows starring Nashville’s hit-makers of the day. At the time, most of these “package shows” featuring star-studded lineups were staged at the Ottawa Auditorium (located then at the corner of O’Connor and Argyle streets), the Coliseum building at Lansdowne Park, and the old Capitol Theatre (located at the corner of Bank and Queen streets).
Among some of the more spectacular shows staged during the early years at these venues included a May 7, 1951 concert at the Ottawa Auditorium by the immortal Hank Williams. Lefty Frizzell performed November 30,
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1951 at the Coliseum; Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves and The Louvin Brothers headlined a September 16, 1952 package show at the Coliseum; while Webb Pierce and Hank Locklin performed there in December, 1954. Cowboy legend Gene Autry brought his ‘western’ show to the Ottawa Auditorium for two days, September 24-25, 1954; and Johnny Cash made his first Ottawa appearance with a show staged at the Auditorium on April 24, 1957, which also featured Sonny James and Carl Perkins.
April 3, 1957 was also the day that Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Ottawa Auditorium. Tickets for the 5:00pm show were $2.00 and $3.00. The 8:30pm show tickets sold at $2.50 and $3.50. This marked Elvis Presley’s only Can- adian tour which also included stops in Toronto and Vancouver.
IT’S ALL IN THE GENES Another Ottawa Valley country star who quickly became a house- hold name was Almonte-born Ron McMunn (1932-2007). Inspired by the success of The Happy Wander- ers, Ron McMunn formed his own group, The Country Cousins, land- ing a weekly radio show on CJET radio in Smiths Falls. The live show aired Saturday afternoons begin-
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