Myrna Lorrie

Lorrie, Myrna

Myrna (Lorraine) Lorrie (b Petrunka). Singer, songwriter, guitarist, b Cloud Bay, near Thunder Bay, Ont, ca 1941. She began singing at 12 on CKPR radio (Fort William, now Thunder Bay) and at 14 recorded 'Are You Mine?' with Buddy DuVal. Released under the Abbott label, the song (written by Lorrie, DuVal, and Don Grashey) was a major country music hit in Canada and the USA in 1955. Lorrie toured in both countries with Hank Snow and others through the 1950s, then discontinued her career until 1963. The Myrna Lorrie Show, launched in 1964, was a leading touring troupe in Canadian country music for five years, during which time such Lorrie singles as 'Tell Me Not to Go,' 'Turn Down the Music,' and 'Changing of the Seasons' (all for Columbia) were popular.

Lorrie was a guest performer on many CBC TV country shows including, 1966-8, 'Don Messer's Jubilee,' and served as co-host for CBC (Halifax) TV's 'Countrytime' 1970-4 (with Don Tremaine) and for the nationally syndicated Toronto TV series 'Nashville Swing' 1977-81 (with, in turn, Tom Kelly and Tom Bresh). Though less active during the 1980s, she released the cassette recording Blue Blue Me (Sibley SIBC-8901) in 1989; the title tune, a Lorrie song, was a hit in Canada that year, followed by 'Sometime' in 1990. Her other recordings include the earlier LPs Myrna Lorrie (Harmony HE-90055) and It's Countrytime (CBC LM-87/MCA 7009). She received the 1970 and 1971 Juno Awards as best female country singer and the 1977 Big Country Award for outstanding performance by a female singer. In 1989 she was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.