featuring Vic Mullen with Daniel Gervais and Byron Myhre

Thursday, January 29, 2009, 4:00-5:30pm, location: 1-16 Triffo Hall (former “south lab”, immediately southwest of the Arts Building/Convocation Hall.

Vic Mullen originally hails from Yarmouth County Nova Scotia, but now lives in Saskatchewan. He took up guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo in turn, and at the age of 16 toured as a mandolinist with Ned Landry. After playing in the 1950s with the Rainbow Valley Boys, the Country Harmony Boys (on CKVR radio, Barrie, Ont), and with Kidd Baker, he formed his own bluegrass band, the Birch Mountain Boys, in 1959. Mullen was seen nationally in the early 1960s with the Bluenose Boys on CTV’s ‘Cross Country Barndance,’ 1962-9 as a banjo player on ‘Don Messer’s Jubilee,’ and 1970-4 as music director and leader of the Hickorys on CBC TV’s ‘Countrytime’.

After serving as co-host for CBC radio’s ‘Country Road’ from 1974-80 Vic Mullen returned to concert work, fiddling with Meadowgreen (which had supplanted the Birch Mountain Boys as his bluegrass band in 1975) or the Vic Mullen Band (an old time group). He toured Canada more than 20 times 1980-91, appearing in clubs and at festivals. His discography includes LPs for Rodeo in the mid-1960s with the Birch Mountain Boys and under his own name (Bluegrass Banjo, RBS-1121; Mr. Country Strings, RBS-1203; Swingin’ Fiddle, RBS-1226), as well as albums for Arpeggio (RCA), MCA and, in the late 1980s, his own Jay-Vee label. He also produced and/or played on many recordings while in charge of A&R for Rodeo in the mid-1960s.

Mr Mullen continues to appear at workshops, music camps and festivals, inspiring musicians of all ages and sharing the wonderful history of Canadian music.

References
Berland, Kevin. ‘Vic Mullen – Maritime bluegrass legend,’ Canadian Bluegrass R, vol 2, Jun-Jul 1979
Goodwin, J.R. ‘Profile: Vic Mullen,’ Bluegrass Canada, vol 3, Jul-Aug 1991

The Canadian Encyclopedia (c) 2009 Historica Foundation of Canada (www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com)