Maurice Bolyer (December 1, 1920 – August 18, 1978), born Maurice Beaulieu, was a composer and musician known as "Canada's King of the Banjo".
["Funeral Services for King of Banjo"]
''Lethbridge Herald'', August 22, 1978 page 36 Although proficient in a variety of string instruments and piano, he is best known for his work on the banjo.
Early life
Bolyer was born in
Edmundston
Edmundston () is a city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada. Established in 1850, it had a population of 16,437 as of 2021.
On January 1, 2023, Edmundston amalgamated with the village of Rivière-Verte, New Brunswick, Rivière-Verte and ...
, New Brunswick, Canada, into a French-speaking family.
["Banjo Player Maurice Bolyer Regular with Tommy Hunter"]
''Lethbridge Herald'', November 24, 1972 page 30 He learned to play the piano as a young boy; after learning to play fiddle, guitar and mandolin, he began playing banjo in his late teens.
Career
Beginning in the 1940s, Bolyer appeared regularly on Canadian radio stations
CKCW (Moncton, New Brunswick) and
CKNX (Wingham, Ontario). Boyler joined the
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
program ''
The Tommy Hunter Show'' in 1963, continuing with the show when it moved to television in 1965.
Bolyer also appeared as a guest on the
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...
and
Arthur Godfrey
Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer. At the peak of his success, in the early to mid-1950s, Godfrey was heard on radio and seen on television up to six days ...
shows in the United States.
In 1975 Bolyer signed with RCA Canada.
Bolyer was inducted posthumously into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989.
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame
See also
* Banjo Hall of Fame Members
Notes
1920 births
1978 deaths
Canadian banjoists
Canadian country musicians
Musicians from Edmundston
Acadian musicians
20th-century Canadian male musicians
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