Al Cherny
Canadian, 1932 - 1989
BornMedicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
DiedMississauga, Ontario, Canada
SchoolCanadian
BiographyThere is little documented information about Al Cherny’s life, however it is known that he was born Albert Peter Chernywech on 1 November 1932 in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and died 23 August 1989. Cherny began playing the fiddle and violin at an early age, beginning with Ukrainian folk tunes, and performed frequently throughout his career, including with the Western Round Up and in the CKNX-broadcasted Barn Dance show, where he performed with The Golden Prairie Cowboys. In his early years, Cherny performed with several groups in Medicine Hat before relocating in the 1950s to Wingham, Ontario, a small town west of Toronto, to participate in the Barn Dance show. Cherny’s professional fiddling career took an important turn in 1960, when he performed at the Annual Old Time Fiddle Contest in Shelburne, Ontario and was named both North American Open (Old-Time) Champion and Novelty Class Champion. Cherny’s double championship win in this year marked a first for Canadian fiddlers. In 1961, Cherny began performing on the show Country Hoedown, which aired on the CBC in Toronto, and later became a regular fixture on the network’s The Tommy Hunter Show. Among his notable live performances include a Montréal appearance in which he played for Prince Philip at the Commonwealth Conference, supported by the Montréal Symphony Orchestra. Cherny also worked as a recording artist during this time, producing a number of singles and eventually several albums under various labels, including his first full release in 1960. He also toured extensively throughout his career, both nationally and abroad. Cherny is known in his playing for being upbeat, active, and spontaneous, and for his practice being rooted in both Ukrainian folk music and classical violin music. Cherny succumbed to throat cancer in 1989 at the age of 56.
