One of the iconic figures in Canadian music, Charles Thomas “Stompin’ Tom” Connors, was a country and folk singer-songwriter.
Tom Connors had as hard childhood as one could have, experiencing poverty, homelessness, and the rigours of the child welfare system.
Connors wrote his first song, “Reversing Falls Darling,” at age 11. At 15, he began playing the guitar. He left his adopted home at age 15 and hitchhiked across Canada.
Connors began singing professionally in 1964 at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, Ontario.
He was first referred to as “Stompin’ Tom” when he was introduced before a performance at the King George Tavern in Peterborough, Ontario, on July 1, 1967, Canada’s 100th birthday. The name “Stompin’ Tom” referred to his tendency to stomp his boot while singing to establish the rhythm of his songs.
Stompin’ Tom became a Canadian icon and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the East Coast Music Awards, the Toronto Musician’s Union and SOCAN. He also has his star on the Canadian Walk of Fame.
The town of Erin is where he spent the last years of his life, eventually passing due to natural causes at the age of 77 in 2013. He was subsequently buried at Erin Union Cemetery.
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