Anne Murray: A Canadian icon

Singer and songwriter Anne Murray is a Canadian icon.
I was lucky enough to see her in Las Vegas in the spring of 1983.

Source: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/anne-murray-emc#

(from EMI Music Canada)

(may be subject to copyright)

It was the first actual concert I saw live. Not only was it in an intimate setting, but it was one of the greatest Canadian singers in history performing for a relatively small crowd.

There on a stage in a casino lounge in Las Vegas in 1983, Anne Murray put on a great show and cemented a relationship with her music I carry to this day.

Going to Disneyland

My mom and sister spent months planning a trip the three of us were taking to Disneyland over the Easter break in 1983. It was a trip put on by Exotic Tours on a motor coach (because they did not like the word bus) that would depart from Lethbridge and go through Idaho, Las Vegas, California, San Diego, Tijuana, then back again.

On our first night in Las Vegas, we arrived relatively early, and our guide suggested we could check out the strip, do some gambling in the casinos, or see a show. She even read out some of the performers. Diana Ross caught the ear of one of the other families, but nothing caught our attention until we heard it – Anne Murray.

So, my sister arranged the tickets and a cab, and the three of us went to see the show.

“Sing ‘Snowbird’”

We arrived early, and found we were sitting in a booth with a couple. We were talking about being Canadian and they just smiled. So I asked where they were from. “Toronto”, they replied. We all laughed. I joked that they seated all the Canadians together.

Soon the show began, and Anne Murray was not just a good singer, but a good host.

At one point she joked, “Someone always yells, ‘Sing ‘Snowbird’’, but no one has tonight, so I think I will.”

We all laughed.

The odd thing was, of all the music that seemed familiar to me, “Snowbird” stood out because we had sung it in Mrs. Sorge’s music class in Grade 6. We even had a sheet of lyrics back then, so I actually found myself singing along with some of the words.

I was only 13, and not into music yet, but I still knew Anne Murray because her songs seemed to be everywhere.

Prolific performer

Anne Murray’s appeal crossed lines from country to pop and adult contemporary music. It all started with “Snowbird”, which topped the charts in Canada and hit number eight in the States. A string of hits followed that permeated Canadian airwaves for the better part of a decade, aided in part by Canadian content regulations.

Some of my favourites were “You Needed Me”, which showcases her talent as a songstress and a balladeer; “Could I Have this Dance,” which was a mainstay at most weddings and, as I recently discovered, part of the movie “Urban Cowboy” starring John Travolta; and “A Little Good News” with its positive message.

There were many more hits that sold millions of records and topped the charts around the world.

Her last Hot 100 song was “Now and Forever (You and Me)” in 1986, which was another one of my favourites. “Now and Forever” also hit number one on the country charts in Canada and the United States.

Consummate professional

In 1985, a group of Canadian artists led by David Foster and Bryan Adams decided they wanted to join the growing tide of artists raising money to help relief efforts in Ethiopia which was suffering a devastating famine with thousands of people starving and dying. They called themselves Northern Lights and recorded a single entitled,  “Tears Are Not Enough”.

It featured virtually every Canadian performer of note including Gordon Lightfoot, Burton Cummings, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Corey Hart, Bryan Adams and – Anne Murray.

About a year later, a documentary on “Northern Lights” aired on CBC and there is a moment that stands out for me. Producer David Foster was working the sound board when Anne Murray sang her two lines, “If we can learn to share, and show how much we care”.

They did a few takes, and Foster was amazed when he realized she had nailed it in her first take. It was part of the show where Foster was talking about getting tired and not realizing how great Anne Murray. He even beat himself up a bit for almost missing that.

The two would actually team up on a record that Foster produced called “Something to Talk About”. He also co-wrote “Now and Forever (You and Me)”, which as mentioned earlier, was Anne Murray’s last chart topper to date.

Parting thoughts

Anne Murray was such a big part of Canadian music, that any fan I am sure has a story. For me, it was seeing her perform live in Las Vegas in 1983. That really began my affinity for Anne Murray that was aided by her consistent presence on Canadian airwaves all through the 1970s and 1980s.

I read her autobiography awhile back. In her book, she admitted her music was probably played too much and people did get tired of her. In addition to all the radio play, she was on television often as well with music specials, mostly on CBC.

Yet, she did know when to retire, and did not linger on, living on her past fame, and the fumes of her many hits.

That may be her greatest legacy too – letting her body of work speak for itself, and it speaks volumes.