The following introduction appeared on
the back cover of the only album
released by Irvin Freese. It was
written by Wilf Carter, the renowned
Canadian country and western singer,
songwriter, guitarist and
yodeller. Known in the United
States as Montana Slim, Carter wrote
over 500 songs and was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in
1971.
Irvin Freese was born in
October 1929 [sic], in a log cabin farm
house on the banks of the Swan River,
and it was in the Birch River community
in Manitoba, that he, his brothers and
sisters got their education in a good
ole country school not too many miles
from home.
Irvin
loved country music and longed for a
guitar, well, ole St. Nick left one on a
Christmas Eve when he was a tousled
headed kid, he loved it and in his own
style he learned to play and sing.
All who heard him liked his voice and
encouraged him to keep at it.
At
a very early age he had to leave school
to help his parents on the farm, but he
soon got the wander bug and headed north
to the mining town of Flin Flon, and
soon went to work for Hudson Bay Mining
and Smelting Co. It is then while
working far below the surface he pieced
the words and music together of the Flin
Flon Song, which he neatly folded and
layed away. Playing the guitar and
singing seemed to slowly fade for more
important things in life, a year or so
passed and he returned home to Birch
River and soon went into business
there. But like most other guys he
met a beautiful country girl and in
October of 1949 they were married.
One
day in 1956 while visiting a friend who
was a D.J. at CKDM Dauphine, Irvin sang
the Flin Flon Song for him, a recording
was made and soon Irvin was on his way
to making more and more records.
Johnny
McKay, who hails originally from
Belmont, Man. was 19 years old when he
backed Irvin on fiddle. He had
played a number of years previous with
Bev Munro and His Pembina Valley
Boys. Johnny also won the Junior
Old Time Fiddlers contest in
Manitoba. Bob Allan, who made his
own steel guitar when he backed Irvin,
now lives in Dauphin, and is station
engineer at Radio CKDM. Lastly,
the bass player was Carl Pallister, and
still makes his home in Portage La
Prairie.
Irvin
has a great album ready for you now,
singing it as only he can sign it, so we
all wish another Canadian great
luck. So, pardner, here is the
best to you and until our trails cross,
good luck.