Carroll Baker
artist, singer-songwriter | born 1949
BornMarch 4, 1949 in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada
Biographyby Sarah Davachi
Caroll Ann Baker was born 4 March 1949 in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia but spent much of her childhood in a small fishing village called Port Medway. At the age of 16, Baker and her parents relocated to Toronto, Ontario with the prospect of better work opportunities and to be nearer her older siblings. As the story goes, her first public performance took place at a bar in Oakville, Ontario, where a friend suggested to the band that she accompany them for a song. This initial encounter progressed into a weekly affair and, before long, a tour across southern Ontario. During the tour, Baker was approached by musician Roger Burke to sing at The Hayloft Jamboree near Markham, Ontario; a meeting with musician George Petralia during this performance led to a relocation in 1970 to Thunder Bay, Ontario for the purposes of making a record with producer Don Grashey on his Gaiety Records label. Grashey continued to manage Baker until 1984 and co-composed many of her early songs. In 1975, her career catapulted to relative stardom with the release of a version of Conway Twitty’s “I’ve Never Been This Far Before” and an appearance on the CBC’s 1976 Juno Awards television broadcast. From 1976 onward, Baker’s records were primarily completed in Nashville with the RCA label. Despite having released numerous recordings throughout the 1970s and 1980s, several of which exceeded sales of 100 000 nationally, Baker was particularly known for her live television presence. She appeared on a string of CBC specials and series in the late 1970s and early 1980s and frequented the The Tommy Hunter Show. She was nominated for Juno Awards for 16 consecutive years, receiving the honour three times. She is also the recipient of numerous Big Country Awards and CCMA awards, and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010.
Caroll Ann Baker was born 4 March 1949 in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia but spent much of her childhood in a small fishing village called Port Medway. At the age of 16, Baker and her parents relocated to Toronto, Ontario with the prospect of better work opportunities and to be nearer her older siblings. As the story goes, her first public performance took place at a bar in Oakville, Ontario, where a friend suggested to the band that she accompany them for a song. This initial encounter progressed into a weekly affair and, before long, a tour across southern Ontario. During the tour, Baker was approached by musician Roger Burke to sing at The Hayloft Jamboree near Markham, Ontario; a meeting with musician George Petralia during this performance led to a relocation in 1970 to Thunder Bay, Ontario for the purposes of making a record with producer Don Grashey on his Gaiety Records label. Grashey continued to manage Baker until 1984 and co-composed many of her early songs. In 1975, her career catapulted to relative stardom with the release of a version of Conway Twitty’s “I’ve Never Been This Far Before” and an appearance on the CBC’s 1976 Juno Awards television broadcast. From 1976 onward, Baker’s records were primarily completed in Nashville with the RCA label. Despite having released numerous recordings throughout the 1970s and 1980s, several of which exceeded sales of 100 000 nationally, Baker was particularly known for her live television presence. She appeared on a string of CBC specials and series in the late 1970s and early 1980s and frequented the The Tommy Hunter Show. She was nominated for Juno Awards for 16 consecutive years, receiving the honour three times. She is also the recipient of numerous Big Country Awards and CCMA awards, and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010.
artist, singer-songwriter | 1950 - 1996
Singer-Songwriter and TV Personality | born 1962
