Updates - for what's new go to David Francey News
David Francey's CD Right of Passage wins a JUNO!!!
Four nominations and three JUNOs in only 6 years! David was honoured to recieve a JUNO in the Roots and Traditional - Solo category in Calgary this year.
He was also very pleased to be part of the JUNO cup this year where he played goal on the NHL team. David Francey wins Canadian Folk Music Award
We are pleased to announce that on December 1st 2007 that David Francey received a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Singer - Contemporary. He was nominated in three categories - Best Album, Best Singer, Best Songwriter
David Francey wins USA Songwriting Competition, Golden Quill Award and is voted one of WUMB's top 100 Artists of the past 25 years!
David Francey gained considerable recognition this year, first by winning a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Singer of the year, he then won the USA Songwriting Competition for Best Folk Song, The Golden Quill Award for songwriting at this year’s 18th Annual Porcupine Awards and was voted one of the top 100 folk artists of the past 25 years by WUMB out of Boston
David Francey Releases his seventh CD!
Right of Passage is David Francey’s much anticipated, all new, all original material CD. The first
since Waking Hour in 2004. An exquisite new CD!
Right of Passage is an intimate recording of thirteen original David Francey tunes, backed by a stellar cast of musicians. Craig Werth, Geoff Somers, Shane
Simpson and Julia Davie joined David at Signal Path
Studio in the beautiful town of Almonte, Ontario. The time spent in the studio was joyful. The sessions were filled
with excitement as the new songs were captured one by one. The CD reflects the passion and emotion with which David
views his world.
"The songs on this album address the different paths my
life has taken, both good and bad. Some were written from experience gained aboard an Algoma Central ore carrier.
Some were written about people I met out on the road or the places I ended up. Some are memories recalled and described.
All deal with transitional moments in life, mileposts on the hopefully long march where we all earn our 'right'
of passage." David Francey
In their Featured Artists of the Month, the IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) gave David a ***** (5 out
of 5 Stars) for their rating saying his rootsy folk songs exhibit outstanding lyrics
David Francey's list of achievements keeps on growing.
The list of artists covering David's songs continues to grow. The Rankin Family returns to the concert stage in 2007 in their first cross-Canada, 22-city tour in over eight years. David's song
"Sunday Morning" off the "Waking Hour" is on their new CD and was put out as a single.
Filmmaker, Tony Girardin recorded a very special documentary titled
"Hoppy the Deer". David narrates this special tale, I (Beth Girdler) appear in my capacity as wildlife
biologist and our good friends Terry Tufts, Geoff Somers and Kate Murphy provide the great music that supports
this movie. Hoppy the Deer airs on CBC TV this December 25 at 7am and 11am ET and at 10am, 1pm and 4pm Boxing Day.
Once again, David's song "Skating Rink" is part of Hockey Day in Canada as the official
theme song.
David hosted a two hour CBC
Radio 2 special on October 27th 2006. The special was called Voices Of The
Celts - A Family Reunion.
David won Best Male Songwriter for his song Greenfields in the 2006 International Acoustic Music Awards.
David recently released two new CDs, Carols for a Christmas Eve and The First Set, both out on Laker Music and available from Festival Distribution
Hot on the heels of consecutive JUNO awards in the Roots
and Traditional Album of the Year - Solo category for
both Far End of Summer and Skating Rink,
David's fourth CD, Waking Hour earned him yet another nomination in the same category! David's song "Saints and Sinners"
from his debut CD, Torn Screen Door, took first place in the folk category of the 2004 USA
Songwriting Competition. David has also been the proud
recipient of the Penguin
Eggs Magazine's Album
of the Year award for Skating
Rink, Far
End of Summer and Waking
Hour. This January David appeared on CMT in the television
documentary, Four Strong Winds, celebrating Canadian singer/songwriters and their impact on the world of popular
music. David's song "Skating Rink" aired during the 2004 nationwide CBC broadcast of the Canadian Heritage Classic Hockey Game and aired before the Montreal vs Toronto game
as part of Hockey
Day in Canada.
Waking Hour,
was recorded in Nashville with veteran performers Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch and Fats Kaplin. This collection of
original Francey tunes shares the simple recording style of David's first three CDs but adds a driving rhythm provided
by these amazing Nashville artists. Waking Hour appears on the Jericho Beach Music label in Canada and is on Red
House Records in the U.S.
David's songs have been performed by artists worldwide. Del
McCoury, James Keelaghan, Raylene Rankin and Harvey Reid, among others, have each recorded Francey tunes. Four
choirs, Toronto's Common Thread, Kingston's Open Voices, Vancouver's Solidarity Notes and the Seattle Labor Chorus
have performed works by David and his songs are being taught to school children in classrooms across Canada.
David has performed at all of Canada's major folk festivals along with Denmark's prestigious Tønder Festival,
the Towersey Village Festival in Oxford, England and the Carrying Stream Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has
hosted workshops that included such artists as Jesse Winchester, Dougie MacLean, Garnet Rogers, the Ennis Sisters,
and Ray Bonneville. He has shared workshops with Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Utah Phillips, Oysterband, Kate Rusby,
James Keelaghan, Sylvia Tyson, Karen Savoca, Shooglenifty, Ashley MacIsaac, the Waifs, and numerous others.
Biography
David Francey was born in 1954 in Ayrshire, Scotland, where
as a paper boy he got his first taste of the working life. He learned to read at an early age, and by age eleven
was devouring the newspapers he delivered. This helped establish his interest in politics and world events while
developing the social conscience that forms the backdrop of his songs.
He was twelve when his family immigrated to Toronto. He says he can trace his love of the land, the history, and
the people of his adopted country to weekend family drives exploring southern Ontario. Music played a large part
in these family outings. They sang traditional Scottish tunes as they drove through the Canadian countryside. Dad
and sister Muriel sang melody, while mother and David sang harmonies.
His attachment to Canada grew with travel. He hitched
across the country three times, then thumbed his way to the Yukon. This attachment surfaces in his songs of rail
lines, farms, and the St. Lawrence Seaway. He grew to understand the people while working in Toronto train yards,
the Yukon bush, and as a carpenter in the Eastern Townships. These experiences colour his first CD, Torn Screen
Door, with songs like Hard Steel Mill, Gypsy Boys, and Working Poor and his second, Far End of Summer, with Highway,
Flowers of Saskatchewan and February Morning Drive.
In concert David is a singer and a storyteller who can establish,
in minutes, a personal rapport with his audience. His wry humour and astute observations combined with his openhearted
singing style have earned him a loyal following.
David lives with his wife, artist Beth Girdler and their three children Amy, Julia and Colin in the quiet but charming Lanark Highlands in southern Ontario.
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David with his Mother, Father and Sister, Muriel.
Ayr Scotland |
Age 16, Toronto, Canada |
18, White Pass and
Yukon Railway |
21, Queensland Beech,
Nova Scotia |
Selected Quotes
"…one of Canada's best loved troubadours" Greg Quill, Toronto Star
"Scottish born, Francey is a two-time Juno Award winner
whose straightforward songs tell honest stories of real people and real places. Poetic perception and a keen eye for the heart of the matter are
trademarks of the man and his music. His songs and stories are a direct connection for audiences seeking depth and meaning in the day-to-day" Shelter Valley Folk Festival
connection for audiences seeking depth and meaning in the day-to-day.
"Francey writes songs that feel like they've been sung a million times in a million places by a million voices" Judith Edelman in Puremusic.com
"Francey has made a reputation for himself as one of Canada's most revered folk poets and singers… [His songs]
are small and beautifully crafted pieces of work that have made Francey both a folk festival favourite and something
of a latter-day Canadian poet laureate."
Greg Quill, the Toronto Star
"A consummate craftsman…David Francey is one of the biggest stars of Canadian folk Music"
Words & Music - SOCAN Magazine
"One of Canada's outstanding poets, songwriters, storytellers.
That's David Francey with a lovely little tribute to tonight." Ron
MacLean, Hockey Night in Canada. November 22/03 Following the Canadian
Heritage Classic Hockey Game
"Without a doubt, David Francey is the BEST folk singer/songwriter going in Canada today" Fred's Records, Newfoundland
"Hands-down the best songwriter working in Canada today." the
Times Colonist, Victoria
"he's the closest thing this country has to Woody Guthrie" the
Georgia Strait, Vancouver
"one of today's finest folk-based singer-songwriters" "a working man's poetry" Sing Out
"David Francey is coming into his own in middle age as one of Canada's best songsmiths - and that's not damning
him with faint praise." Daniel Gewertz, The Boston
Herald
"[Francey's] observations pack an emotional wallop… [His] songs connect because they reflect common responses
to life's journeys in a wry, poetic way." The San
Diego Union - Tribune
"the likeliest candidate for all-Canadian folk singer" …" Patrick
Langston, The Ottawa Citizen
"David Francey's songs are lean, whippet-like creations, a bit like the man himself. With not one wasted word
or superfluous line he takes the everyday, often mundane business of living and elevates it into something infinitely
more noble and memorable, the mark of a truly gifted songwriter." Eric
Bogle, Australia
"David is the most exciting new narrative songwriter to emerge in many years"
Brian McNeill, Head of Scottish Music. Royal Scottish
Academy of Music and Drama
"David Francey's voice is a revelation, full and melodious, not to be missed"
The Berlingske Tidende, Denmark
"One of the best shows in our 32 year history! His CDs are great, but he's truly incredible on stage. " Dave Humphreys, Two Way Street Coffee House, Chicago
Illinois
"David Francey is the best Canadian folk writer that I have heard in 20 years. I think that he is going to
be a voice in this country for a long time and that his songs will be sung by my great, great, great grandchildren." James Keelaghan, Winnipeg, Manitoba
"words of eloquence, beauty .and charm, hung on a jewel of a voice"
Kieran Kane, Nashville Tennessee
"David's songs are meant to be sung, and the more voices there are singing them, the better they sound. They
are also built to last - so well put together that they are rich in that beauty which is perhaps the most elusive
of all, simplicity ... that kind of economy of expression where the line between craft and art is crossed. " Dugg Simpson, Vancouver Folk Music Festival
"Francey has emerged as one of Canada's most gifted
songwriters." The Montreal Gazette
"Francey is indeed a unique songwriting voice with
few peers" Mike Devlin, Times Colonist
"A former carpenter who has quickly established
himself as one of Canada's most revered folksingers, alongside names like James Keelaghan and Stan Rogers." Martin Kemp, FFWD
"I usually try to catch a song or two from the
opening act to see what they do. When David Francey opened for me, though, it was a whole different ballgame. He
is a riveting performer and writer. I stayed the whole set. I just couldn't pull myself away to go back and tune
up. I'm now a
big fan." Bill Morrissey, Tamworth, New Hampshire
"My favorite songwriter since John Prine" Harvey Reid, York Maine
"one of today's finest folk-based singer-songwriters." Mike Regenstrief, Singout Magazine
"Like country blues legend Mississippi John Hurt,
David Francey… writes in a direct, snapshot style. And, like Hurt, his folk-based songs ought to be
played 100 years from now."
Michael Johnson, Exclaim Magazine.
"David Francey gave an absolutely stunning performance
at Blue Skies Music Festival. He is a brilliant writer and a passionate singer who completely captivated all who
heard him- including the other performers. His songs are beautifully crafted, highly original and superbly played.
David has a talent that is something special- I have no doubt that he will be an important voice in Canadian music
in a very short time." Al Rankin, Artistic Director,
Blue Skies Music Festival
"Francey is regarded as one of the brightest lights on
Canada's roots music scene." Calgary Folk Festival
"Passionate and authentic, David Francey brings
his superb songs to life in spellbinding style." Chris White, Artistic Director, Ottawa Folk Festival
"David Francey finds the poetry in our everyday
lives and the soul in our forgotten places. And better yet, Francey cradles his down-to-earth stories in infectious
melodies that make it impossible to resist singing along." Maria Dunn, Edmonton, Alberta
"David is one of the most talented performers to
have appeared on our stage. He possesses all of what I consider to be the elements necessary to the success of
a contemporary performing songwriter: a passion for the music he creates: great songwriting: beautiful arrangements:
an amazing voice: an engaging and compelling stage presence and finally and perhaps most importantly, a warm, vivid
sense of humour and fun." Paul Symes, Black Sheep
Inn, Quebec
"David Francey has the warmest voice you've heard in years.
The songs he writes are so connected and relevant to the heart & experiences of the working man, you'll listen
as though you've known this singer all your life"
Kate Power, Artichoke Music, Portland OR
"Simple and concise his lyrics unlock the magic
hidden in the ordinary" ... "His tunes are simple and irresistibly singable, while his lyrics exemplify
both the intuitive poet's gift for finding the exact image,and the professional writer's refusal to accept anything
less than honed simplicity." Steve Pedersen, Halifax
Chronicle Herald
"Today a workshop with The Waifs….and
David Francey, a singer-songwriter born in Scotland and hailing from Quebec. The theme is "they call it democracy"….David
Francey is new to me. Good incisive songs, most definitely political, and accompanied by two great players."
Taken from Lee's Tour Diary, 2001. Lee, drummer for Oysterband
"David was a standing ovation success at the Ottawa
Folk Festival. His CD "Torn Screen Door" has been making the rounds of all the folk listeners. His Scottish
accent, especially fine song writing, and a rich voice the likes of James Keelaghan, Bobby Watt, or even Garnet
Rogers makes him one of the most pleasurably listenable performers today. He actually was on stage with Shari Ulrich
and James Keelaghan at a daystage here in Ottawa. As he was singing, they joined in catching him off guard. David
is modest. His smile was huge as the audience then joined in." Dean
Verger, Rasputin's Folk Café, Ottawa, Ontario
"David Francey paints a portrait of Canada with his songs - from small town Sunday mornings, love won and
lost in the big city, down the backroads, across industrial landscapes to the sea - he sings of the stuff that
we (Canadians) are made of." Carl Borgstrom, Artistic
Director, Live! at the Opera House, Orangeville, Ontario
"David has truly mastered the art of storytelling
through song...[he] writes extraordinary songs of ordinary people - songs which are both simple and eloquent at
the same time." Sally Greenberg, Berkeley, CA
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