Kidd Baker Born:  December 6, 1917 Died:  May 9, 1992 New Brunswick Country Music Hall of Fame (1983) CKCO Ottawa, ON CKCR Kitchener, ON CFNB St. John, NB (1938) CHSJ St. John, NB (1954)

About The Artist Kidd Baker was born in Tillie, New Brunswick, Canada. The story goes that he was given his first guitar when he was just a lad of nine years old. From that point on, music was a part of his life. When he was fifteen, he entered an amateur contest that was being held at a local theatre. He chose to do "Swiss Moonlight Lullaby"; it won him first prize and he continued to feature the song in his shows. The theatre owner was impressed enough with this new talent that he told him to form his own band and he would give him a job. And that he did. He formed and all-female band. He billed himself then as Yodelin' Kidd Baker and His Texas Cowgirls". The band became quite popular and was doing the usual personal appearances you might expect of that era - public dances, parties, exhibitions and the like. This appears to be the early to mid-1930s. But along about 1938, things were getting lean money wise not only for Kidd, but many who were making their way through the depression of that era. He moved to Maine and was said to have found a job picking potatoes. But he never gave up on his musical endeavors. He found another amateur show and his efforts resulted in a radio program over radio station CFNB in Fredericton, New Brunswock. He reorganized his band and was doing personal appearances within the listening range of the station. In 1939, he married his wife, Ada. In 1955, he had embarked on a western tour of Canada, doing personal appearances. But a 1955 article indicated that he had to cancel the trip due to health problems that left him out of commission for about a month. The group had left Kitchener around May 1, 1955 and returned home in November. In 1956, our research indicates he was doing a television show in Saint John, New Brunswick. We learn in an article about Canadian performer Jimmy James that he was a part of the Kidd Baker show and left them in 1955. He played with the group as they toured across the wide expanse of Canada, playing on numerous radio stations and the Saturday Night Jamboree that originated from Fredericton, New Brunswick. Jimmy left to form his own band. In 1957, Herb Petrie was doing the square dancing calls for Kidd's band every Friday night at the Wagon Wheel in Stratford. And on Saturday nights, Herb was with the Pine River Troubadours. Kidd also had a television show on CKCO-TV in Kitchener. ONe of the featured members of the Pine Ridge Mountain Boys around 1957 was a nineteen year old named Freddie McKenna from Nashwaaksis, near Fredericton. Freddie was blind since birth but one article says he was '...practically a complete show by himself.'. He played the fiddle 'southern style' to get the crowd going and played the guitar and did vocals as well. But he had a different way of playing the fiddle and guitar by placing his hand over the fingerboard area rather than under it. He gained a lot of admiration from the local musicians. Freddie was a bit humble about the attention he got and noted, "I've never seen a guitar played any other way." By 1958, Kidd had retired from show business according to an article in Country & Western Jamboree. But he still had a desire to help younger artists get noticed. In 1958, it was reported that Kidd had organized 25 towns in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Four amateur talent shows were to be held. Three winners from the first three shows would compete against each other on the fourth show. The 'grand finals' were to be held in Woodstock, New Brunswick in May of 1958. Some of the prizes the winner would included a recording contract with the Quality record label, along with television and radio appearances throughout Canada. A 1958 article indicated they had over 300 entries by the time the article was written. At the same time this contest was being announced, Kidd was based in Woodstock (about 60 miles north of Fredericton), where he owned and operated one of the largest dance halls in Eastern Canada. Timeline & Trivia Notes Group Members circa 1952: Kidd Baker Bob Baker (brother), bass, guitar, comedian Fiddlin' Cye, fiddle Hank MacDonald, piano and guitar Paul Surette, steel guitar Hank Petrie, square dance caller Credits & Sources Country Song Roundup; No. 20; October 1952; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT Country Song Roundup; No. 28; January 1954; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT Country Song Roundup; No. 29; February 1954; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT Pickin' and Singin' News; January 15, 1955; 154 1/2 Eighth Ave North; Nashville, TN Country & Western Jamboree; May 1956; Maher Publications, Inc.; Chicago, IL Country & Western Jamboree; June 1956; Maher Publications, Inc.; Chicago, IL Folk & Country Songs; Vol. 1 No. 3; November 1956; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT Country & Western Jamboree; September 1957; Maher Publications, Inc.; Chicago, IL Country & Western Jamboree; Summer 1958; Maher Publications, Inc.; Chicago, IL Country & Western Jamboree; Spring Yearbook 1958; Maher Publications, Inc.; Chicago, IL

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Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)   Gavotte Rec. No. Side Song Title   126 A Whippoorwill's Refrain   126 B Just A Little Too Small   128 A Down Beside The Lonely Waters   128 B Blue Eyed Sue   129 A Wheeling Back To Wheeling West Virginia   129 B Down Beside The Lonely Waters   142 A Did I Hurt You Darlin'   142 B Why Don't You Come On Back Home   158 A Mission Bells Of San Antone   158 B Why Did You Go Away   159 A Baby He's A Wolf   159 B What's Happened To You   Quality Rec. No. Side Song Title   1519 A Glorious Mansion   1519 B I'm Using My Bible For A Road Map   1530 A Silver Tears   1530 B Can't You See   1636 A Gypsy Love   1636 B Thoughtless Love   1686 A Big Rock Candy Mountain   1686 B Country Girl