Stanley Beresford "Donn" Reynolds (June 26, 1921 – August 16, 1997) was a Canadian

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer and yodeler most widely known for his Bavarian style of yodeling. Often referred to as Canada's "king of the yodelers",Library and Archives Canada Sep 1997
King of the yodelers Donn Reynolds dead at age 76 Reynolds established two yodeling world records. He recorded 38 singles and six albums throughout a performing career spanning over 40 years.

Biography

Early years (1921-1936)

Donn Reynolds was born in St. Vital, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on June 26, 1921. His parents, William Reynolds and Ethel Smith, migrated from England to Canada in 1907 after their marriage in 1905. He was youngest of three children, with older sisters Dora and Connie. Influenced by

Harry Hopkinson Harry Hopkinson (8 June 1902 – 4 March 1979), also known as Austin Layton and Harry Torrani, was a British music hall performer, a soprano and songwriter who has been credited as one of the world's greatest yodelers. He was billed as the ...

(aka Harry Torrani), a popular British yodeler during the 1930s, Reynolds taught himself to sing and play guitar at 10 years of age. He first achieved local notoriety in 1936, winning a local radio ( CKY Winnipeg) sponsored talent contest. By the age of 16, Reynolds had formed a band performing local clubs and theatres as "The Yodeling Ranger". Donn married his first wife Catherine Tompkins in Vancouver in 1944, they had a daughter named Diane. , page 299

Military (1937-1945)

Through his father's encouragement, Reynolds headed for British Columbia in 1937 to work as a deckhand for Canadian Pacific Railway Coast Service aboard passenger steamships along the western coasts of Canada and the United States. Traveling with his guitar, he was popular for entertaining passengers and crew with frequent impromptu performances aboard each ship. After Canada's declaration of war in 1939, Reynolds became a Merchant Mariner in the

Canadian Merchant Navy Canada, like several other Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth nations, created the Canadian Merchant Navy () in a large-scale effort during World War II. A total of 12,000 men and women served in Canada's Merchant Navy. By war's end, 1,500 Can ...

with

Canadian Pacific Steamships CP Ships was a large Canadian shipping company established in the 19th century. From the late 1880s until after World War II, the company was Canada's largest operator of Atlantic and Pacific steamships. Many immigrants travelled on CP ships fr ...

. In 1941 he enlisted in the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

assigned to deep-sea rescue operations in the Northern Pacific

Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...

. During service in the RCAF, Reynolds' vocal talent caught the attention of senior officers as he was often heard singing and yodeling throughout the ship. They facilitated his reassignment to the "Joe Boys", a Canadian military entertainment unit touring throughout Western Canada and Alaska performing for Canadian, American, British and Australian troops where he remained until the end of the Pacific campaign in 1945.

Australia (1946-1948)

Upon completing his military service, Reynolds moved to New Zealand through an offer to tour the Kerridge Odeon circuit under contract with R.J. Kerridge. Success of the tour extended to Australia in early 1947 where he joined Western Cinemas Limited as a featured vaudeville performer in his own travelling hillbilly variety show and debuted over Australian radio performing weekly for Bob Dyer's ''Dude Ranch'' on 2FC. His appearances featured a heavy black beard he had grown for an acting role in the Australian film ''Eureka Stockade'' produced by

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in west London, England. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on th ...

. The same year, Reynolds joined Willard (Bill) Ferrier's Famous Hillbillies along with budding Australian artists Johnny Ashcroft, The McKean Sisters, Dusty Rankin, and Billy Blinkhorn. Their shows were the first in Sydney to present a strictly all country music format. Alongside pioneers

Tex Morton Tex Morton (born Robert William Lane in Nelson, New Zealand, also credited as Robert Tex Morton; 30 August 1916 – 23 July 1983 Sydney, Australia) was a pioneer of New Zealand and Australian country and western music, vaudevillian, actor, tel ...

and

Slim Dusty Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon, referred to universally as Australia's Ki ...

, Reynolds was among Australia's earliest popular country music recording artists releasing several sides in 1947 for the Australian

Columbia Graphophone Company Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd. was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1917 as an offshoot of the American Columbia Phonograph Company, it became an independent British-owned company in 1922 in a managem ...

on the

Regal Zonophone Regal may refer to: Companies * Regal Beloit, usually referred to as Regal, an American manufacturer of electric motors * Regal Cinema (disambiguation), several cinemas of that name * Regal Cinemas, a major American theater chain * Regal Cinem ...

label. Gaining popularity around the country, he became known as "Canada's Yodelling Cowboy" and regularly featured on national radio shows such as ''Cavalcade with

Jack Davey John Andrew Davey (8 February 190714 October 1959), known as Jack Davey, was a New Zealand-born singer and pioneering star of Australian radio as a performer, producer, writer and host from the early 1930s into the late 1950s. Later in his caree ...

'', ''National Fair'', ''Malvern Star Show'', and ''RAAF Digger Sessions''. He earned money playing theaters and halls in towns across New South Wales where people had heard him on the radio and travelled with Goldwyn Brothers Circus billed as the "Yodelling Cowboy". In October 1948, Reynolds became the voice of Australia's iconic

Peters Ice Cream Peters Ice Cream is an Australian ice cream brand, now a subsidiary of European food firm Froneri. It was originally developed by an expatriate American, Frederick (Fred) Augustus Bolles Peters in 1907, using his mother's recipe. History Pete ...

as the "Peter's Singing Cowboy". His signature five tone yodel garnered recognition as a regular feature of the Peters Pals radio show syndicated from Melbourne's

3XY Magic 1278 (official List of radio station callsigns in Victoria, callsign: 3EE) is a commercial radio station in Melbourne, Australia owned by Nine Entertainment, and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. History 1935–1991: 3XY 1935 ...

United States (1949-1958)

Eager to extend his recent Australian popularity to America, Reynolds departed for Hollywood California in 1949 headlining "Red Barn Roundup" hoedowns with Dusty Ellison at the Avodon Ballroom in Los Angeles. His first U.S. single, "Texas Yodel", was declared a

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

"Bullseye of the Week" on July 2, 1949, prompting appearances throughout California's vaudeville theaters and dance halls. The song was covered by Wesley Tuttle on Capitol Records later that same year. Forming a band in 1950, Reynolds toured the southwestern U.S. as "Donn Reynolds & his Westerners" drawing further attention upon winning the "World Open Yodelers Contest" on September 1, 1950 (awarded by Wilf Carter at the

Pacific National Exhibition The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is a nonprofit organization that operates an annual 15-day summer fair, 12-day winter fair, a seasonal amusement park, and indoor arenas in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The PNE fair is held at Hastings ...

, Vancouver, BC) and later claiming the U.S. National Yodeling Championship in 1956 (awarded by Connie B. Gay in Washington, DC). During a trend that saw American R&B record labels expanding into country music, Reynolds signed with

Art Rupe Arthur Newton Rupe (born Arthur Goldberg; September 5, 1917 – April 15, 2022) was an American music executive and record producer. He founded Specialty Records, known for its rhythm and blues, blues, gospel and early rock and roll music reco ...

Specialty Records Specialty Records was an American record label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe. It was known for rhythm and blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, and recorded artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd P ...

in January 1952. Recording sessions were held at John Keating Studios in Seattle, WA which remained unreleased until appearing on his 2013 compilation "Portrait of a Yodeler". Later that summer, Reynolds teamed up with western swing band leader Eddie Cletro, recording several singles for Lariat Records at the renowned

Radio Recorders Radio Recorders, Inc. was an American recording studio located in Los Angeles, California. During the 1940s and 1950s, Radio Recorders was one of the largest independent recording studios in the world. Notable musicians recorded at Radio Recorde ...

studio in Hollywood. From 1950 through late 1956, Reynolds traveled the U.S. working in radio broadcasting while regularly appearing on stage and television across the country. Featured appearances include the

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' is a radio and later television country music show that was broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana; during its heyday from 1948 to 1960, it helped to launch the careers of some ...

, WLS

National Barn Dance ''National Barn Dance'', broadcast by WLS (AM), WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the ''Grand Ole Opry''. ''National Barn Dance'' also set the stag ...

, WWVA Jamboree, KRLD Big D Jamboree, Hollywood Theatre, WSAZ Saturday Night Jamboree,

Herb Shriner Herbert Arthur "Herb" Shriner (May 29, 1918 – April 23, 1970) was an American humorist, radio personality, actor, and television host. Shriner was known for his homespun monologues, usually about his home state of Indiana. He was frequently co ...

's " Two for the Money", Valley View Park (with

Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...

), and his own regular TV show as "The TV Rangers" on WGAL-TV. By 1956, Reynolds had settled in Cumberland, Maryland as a resident broadcaster for WCUM and host of its weekly ''Alleghany Jubilee'' variety show. He opened a local record shop "The Record Corral" specializing in country and spiritual music. In late 1956 Reynolds traveled to the U.K., being among the earliest artists to have recorded in London's Lansdowne Studios with British producer Denis Preston. Twelve songs were recorded for

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

under engineering expertise of

Joe Meek Robert George "Joe" Meek (5 April 1929 – 3 February 1967) was an English record producer and songwriter considered one of the most influential sound engineers of all time, being one of the first to develop ideas such as the recording studio a ...

featuring prominent backing musicians Jack Fallon (bass), Danny Levan (violin), Sandy Brown (clarinet), and Al Fairweather (trumpet). Other U.K. appearances included BBC TV shows ''Bid for Fame'', ''Fancy Free'', '' In Town Tonight'', '' Six Five Special'', ''

Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...

with Gerry Wilmot'', and as

Davy Crockett Colonel (United States), Colonel David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American politician, militia officer and frontiersman. Often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier", he represented Tennesse ...

in the Irish musical ''The Adventures of Davy Crockett''. Impressed with Reynolds’ talent, Preston arranged a U.S. record deal through his connections with

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

. Less than a year after arriving in the U.K. Reynolds returned to the U.S. in 1957 for recording sessions at Nashville's historic RCA McGavock Studio under direction of

Wesley Rose Wesley Rose (born February 11, 1918 – April 26, 1990) was an American music industry executive and record producer. Biography The son of songwriter Fred Rose, he was born in Chicago and studied to become a chartered accountant. He eventu ...

( Acuff-Rose). Accompanied by

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

on guitar,

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with ...

on piano, and famed

Elvis Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's sexuall ...

backup singers

The Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vo ...

, the singles Rose of Ol' Pawnee, Bella Belinda, All Alone, and

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" is a song written by songwriter Fred Rose. First recorded by Elton Britt in 1946, then made more popular by Roy Acuff in 1947, the song has been covered by many artists, including Hank Williams Sr., Johnny Russe ...

were released on the MGM label. The singles were well received by

and

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...

reviews while promoted through moderate radio play and a tour across the U.S. featuring guest appearances on The Milt Grant Show (WTTG-TV) and Buddy Deane's Bandstand (WJZ-TV) in December 1957.

Europe (1959-1961)

With the U.K. release of his earlier EMI studio recordings on the

Pye Nixa PYE or Pye Records is an independent British record label. It was first established in 1955 and played a major role in shaping rock 'n' roll and pop music history. The Pye name was dropped in 1980 due to trademark issues, after which it produced ...

label, Reynolds returned in 1959 embarking on a European promotional tour of England, Sweden, Germany, Morocco, and Spain headlining performances at the Bavarian Grand Ole Opry, Liseberg Rondo, Circus Sarrasani, El Circo De Madrid, and

Victoria Palace Theatre The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham in 1911 and was the last London theatre he designed before his retirement. The building was designated ...

. Four songs were released in the U.K. on the Pye Records EP "The Donn Reynolds Song Bag" followed by four singles released in Denmark on

Metronome Records Warner Music Sweden AB (previously Metronome Records) is a Swedish record company and label, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. The Swedish division of WMG is a successor to Metronome Records, which was established in 1949 by Anders Burman, Lar ...

coinciding with his tour dates there. In March 1960 Reynolds signed with Rank Records Ltd. to record his first LP album. Recording sessions began in May with sound engineer John Timperley at London's Olympic Studio using the industry's first transistorised control desk built by Dick Swettenham. Shortly after, the collapse of Rank Records Ltd. prevented the album's release with all recorded material subsequently being turned over to Reynolds. During a performance in

Mildenhall, Suffolk Mildenhall is a market town in the civil parishes in England, civil parish of Mildenhall High, in the West Suffolk District, West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The town is near the A11 road (Great Britain), A11, and is n ...

, England, Reynolds met Audrey Williams of the British performing trio, "The Three Skylarks". They married September 17, 1960, in

Poulton-le-Fylde Poulton-le-Fylde (), commonly shortened to Poulton, is a market town in Lancashire, England, situated on the coastal plain called the Fylde. In the 2021 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 18,115. There is evidence of human habitatio ...

, England after which Audrey changed her name to Cindy Reynolds in response to media confusion with another famous

Audrey Williams Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (February 28, 1923 – November 4, 1975) was an American musician known for being the first wife of country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams, the mother of Hank Williams Jr., and the grandmother of Hank W ...

(wife of

Hank Williams Sr. Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...

). Cindy later parted from The Three Skylarks to travel with Reynolds, combining vocal talents in duet performances during the remainder of his European tour. What was to have been a two-week working honeymoon tour of Spain actually lasted six months as Spanish audiences thrilled to their performances and persuaded the newlyweds to remain in their country several months longer.

Canada (1962-1969)

In October 1961 Reynolds returned with Cindy to his birthplace of Winnipeg, Manitoba joining the casts of national TV shows Cross Canada Barndance (CTV) and

Red River Jamboree ''Red River Jamboree'' was a Canadian country music television series which aired on CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast ...

(CBC). Engaging television appearances promoted interest for Reynolds from Canadian music producers releasing his Rank Records material as ''The Wild One'' LP on the Banff label of Rodeo Records in 1962. The album received largely positive reviews producing two singles "No One Will Ever Know" (reaching No. 10 June 30, 1962) and "The Parting" with moderate airplay across the country. In the spring of 1963, lure of larger audiences and opportunity enticed the couple to head for

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, Ontario where they developed a smooth lounge club duet act touring for several years throughout the province. Their performances featured a variety of folk hits and pop standards, garnering significant local attention and praise from fans and media. Collaborating with acclaimed orchestra leader Lloyd Cooper of CBC-TV's ''

Country Hoedown ''Country Hoedown'' was a Canadian country music television series which aired on CBC Television from 1956 to 1965. Premise Gordie Tapp hosted the series and also performed in sketches portraying characters such as Cousin Clem which he later r ...

'', they released duet recordings as "Donn & Cindy" on

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

and Sparton Records. The couple gave birth to their first child Gary in 1964 as demand for their appearances kept them on the road for weeks at a time. Reynolds returned to the country music charts in 1965 with his solo single " Afraid" (reaching No. 1 February 22, 1965) followed by his second solo album ''The Blue Canadian Rockies'' containing singles "She Taught Me How To Yodel" (reaching No. 2 April 12, 1965), and "Lorelei" (reaching No. 4 November 29, 1965). In 1967 Reynolds released his third solo album ''Springtime in the Rockies'' containing the single "Shut the Door" (reaching No. 36 June 1, 1968). Through increasing popularity of both solo and duet appearances came an offer to tour and record in Bermuda prompting the couples travel to the island country in 1969. Unfortunately for Reynolds, contractual obligations with Arc Records prohibited him from recording the proposed duet album with Cindy and the studio sessions were cancelled. The couple moved to

Brampton Brampton is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#L ...

, Ontario in 1969 where Cindy gave birth to their 2nd child, Scott in 1971 and withdrew from the entertainment industry to pursue a successful marketing career.

World records (1970-1985)

Throughout the 1970s, Reynolds maintained a healthy Canadian solo career featuring regular appearances on national television such as Country Hoedown (CBC), Carl Smith's ''Country Music Hall'' (CTV), ''

Don Messer's Jubilee ''Don Messer's Jubilee'' was a Canadian folk musical variety show first broadcast on radio and later on television. The radio version aired from produced from 1939 to 1958 in Charlottetown for CBC Radio. The Television version show shot at the st ...

'' (CBC) and releasing his fourth LP album ''Songs of the West'' in 1974 before the birth of his 3rd son, Chad in 1976. National notoriety set the stage for a defining moment in Reynolds' career, when on November 27, 1976, he established a world record, yodeling non-stop for 7 hours and 29 minutes (

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

1976). The accomplishment generated a surge of Canadian media attention including an appearance on Take 30 (CBC-TV) that saw Reynolds perform outside, atop the

CN Tower The CN Tower () is a communications and observation tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 1976, it is located in downtown Toronto, built on the former Railway Lands. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway co ...

, '' The Bob McLean Show'' (CBC-TV), and U.S. concerts with Claude King in New York. Renewed public acclaim inspired Reynolds to release his fifth LP album ''King of the Yodelers'' on

Quality Records Quality Records was a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels. They also released recordings by Canadian artists. The company operated between 1950 and 1985 with offices in Toron ...

in 1979. With persistent devotion to promoting the art of yodeling, Reynolds earned a second entry into the Guinness Book of Records, when on July 25, 1984, he became the world's fastest yodeler, achieving 5 tones (3

falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...

) in 1.9 seconds. The event was captured on the Canadian television show ''Pizazz!'' (Global-TV) and featured by

Ripley's Believe it or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals with bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' ...

publications depicting Reynolds in cartoon form. Reynolds once again found himself amid a stir of media frenzy including appearances on ''The

Tommy Hunter Thomas James Hunter, CM, O.Ont (born March 20, 1937) is a Canadian country music performer, known as "Canada's Country Gentleman". Career In 1956, he began performing as a rhythm guitarist on the CBC Television show, ''Country Hoedown''. ''Th ...

Show'', ''The

Alan Thicke Alan Willis Thicke (né Jeffrey; 1 March 1947 13 December 2016) was a Canadian-American actor, songwriter, and game/talk show host. He was the father of singer Robin Thicke. Thicke was best known for playing Dr. Jason Seaver on the 1980s sitco ...

Show'', ''Claim to Fame'' (CTV-TV), ''Daytime Challenge'' (CBC-TV), ''

Canada AM ''Canada AM'' is a Canadian morning television news show that aired on CTV from 1972 to 2016. Its final hosts were Beverly Thomson and Marci Ien, with Jeff Hutcheson presenting the weather forecast and sports. The program aired on weekdays, an ...

'' (CTV-TV), ''That's Life'' (Global-TV), ''Tempo Ontario'' (CKCO-TV), performances with Claude King in Brampton, Ontario and with

Ronnie Hawkins Ronald Cornett Hawkins (January 10, 1935 – May 29, 2022) was an American rock and roll singer, long based in Canada, whose career spanned more than half a century. His career began in Arkansas, United States, where he was born and raised. He ...

for the Toronto Musician's Association.

Later years (1986-1997)

By the late-1980s, demand for Reynolds' appearances declined with lack of national exposure or new material. He struggled amidst a country music industry progressing toward more modern sound as promoters offered less work and little interest in his now obscure talent. Reynolds' worldwide fame waned to local popularity and guest appearances, although feature stories and interviews with Reynolds continued to circulate throughout national publications including ''

International Musician International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

'', '' The Canadian Composer'', ''Close Up'', '' Country Music News'', and

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

magazines. In 1987, Reynolds signed with

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

, releasing a compilation of his most popular songs titled ''Donn Reynolds – King of the Yodelers''. The album was promoted through performances across Southern Ontario and the Northeastern US, including the Appalachian Jubilee in Pennsylvania, Malton Festival and CKGL Summerfest Jamboree in Kitchener, Ontario. Among later professional appearances, Reynolds frequently starred in the annual Royal Winter Fair at the

Canadian National Exhibition The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Exhibition or The Ex, is an annual fair that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the third Friday of August leading up to and including Labour Day (Canada), ...

in Toronto along with annual performances at the Toronto Musical Festival and

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame honours Canadian country music artists, builders or broadcasters, living or deceased. The artifact collection includes extensive biographical information on the inductees. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame can ...

Jamboree. In April 1990, Reynolds became a member of the Masonic Order (Flower City Lodge No. 689) providing greater opportunity to serve the children's charities he passionately supported throughout his career. A brief return to the spotlight occurred June 25, 1990 on the BBC-TV show

Record Breakers ''Record Breakers'' was a British children's TV show, themed around world records and produced by the BBC. It was broadcast on BBC1 from 15 December 1972 to 21 December 2001. Format The programme was a spin-off series from '' Blue Peter'' wh ...

when Reynolds beat his previous world record for fastest yodel by achieving 5 tones (3 falsetto) in 0.93 seconds., page 28 The feat was later broadcast October 19, 1990 on BBC-TV. As health issues began limiting his ability to travel or perform, Reynolds settled at his home in

, Ontario, Canada with Cindy and their three sons while continuing to work with children's charities. A video documentary highlighting various performances and achievements of Reynolds was entered into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee while numerous audio recordings were entered into Library and Archives Canada. He died in Toronto on August 16, 1997 following complications from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

and was interred in the Meadowvale Cemetery in Brampton, Ontario. In 1998, the "Donn Reynolds Parkette" in Brampton, Ontario, was named in honour of Reynolds. In 2002, Reynolds was honoured with a Canada Barn Dance Pioneer Award and inducted into the Barn Dance Hall of Fame.The Barn Dance Historical Society
Donn Reynolds Barn Dance Pioneer Award

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

Notes

The Mercury (Hobart, Tas) Jan 25, 1950
"Just Saddle and Ride" single release in Australia
The Biz (Fairfield, NSW) Sep 13, 1951
"Texas Yodel" & "The Parting" singles release in Australia
The Biz (Fairfield, NSW) Jul 18, 1953
Australian Regal Zonophone records release in Australia
National Film & Sound Archive Australia
Donn Reynolds Australian media
National Library of Australia
Donn Reynolds Australian recordings
Billboard 17 Jun 1950
MCA Records contract
Billboard 26 Jan 1952
Imperial Records contract (Lou Chudd)
Billboard 20 Nov 1954
CJOB Jamboree
Billboard 29 Jul 1957
MGM Records review
Billboard 16 Dec 1957

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

released in UK
Billboard 22 Sep 1962
Record review – "The Wild One"
National Archives Canada
Donn Reynolds Canadian charted singles
Ontario newspaper index
Donn Reynolds in newspaper archives of Ontario