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Ward Allen Born:  May 11, 1922 Died:  August 3, 1965 Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame (1983) CKNX Barn Dance

About The Artist Consider this a work in progress as we document a well-known Canadian fiddler. In the early 1950s, the Rotary Club of Shelbourne, Ontario in Canada decided to hold an Old-Time Fiddler's Contest that they hoped would be an annual affair. They wanted a venue to allow fans to pick the Canadian champion fiddler. As you might expect, they drew contestants not only from across Canada, but south of the border from their neighbors. Ward Allen won that contest in 1953. But that wasn't the only Canadian fiddling title he won - he also earned No. 1 fiddler honors at the National Exhibition in Toronto in 1949. That led to an appearance at the Louisville State Fair where he again competed with other old-time fiddlers. This time he did well enough to be named one of the top ten old-time fiddlers. Ward appeared on some of the legendary Canadian shows - the CKNX Barn Dance out of Wingham, Ontario; the CHML Main Street Jamboree. He was also chosen to play a memorial program on the CBC network to pay tribute to Jim Magill, a well-known old-time fiddler who had passed away. A 1954 article indicated he was recording for Alvina Records and had a couple of releases - "CNE Breakdown" and "Maple Leaf Two-Step". Timeline & Trivia Notes Groups played with Earl Heywood and his Serenade Ranch Gang Mel Lavigne and his Blue Water Boys Eddy Mehler and the Rustic Ramblers Credits & Sources Cowboy Songs; No. 37; September-October 1954; American Folk Publications, Inc.; Derby, CT

Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)   D Rec. No. Side Song Title   1040 A Maple Sugar   1040 B Back Up And Push   1065 A Frisco Waltz   1065 B Two Step Polka   1116 A Pappy Daily's Breakdown   1116 B Bread N' Butter   Sparton Rec. No. Side Song Title   131 A Maple Leaf Two-Step   131 B C.N.E. Breakdown   132 A Blue Pacific Hornpipe   132 B Fiddler's Dream   150 A Mary Anne's Reel   150 B Frisco Waltz   261 A Back Up And Push   261 B Maple Sugar   262 A Frank Ryan's Hornpipe   262 B Two-Step Polka   341 A Dancing Slippers   341 B Uncle Jim   378 A Back To The Sugar Camp   378 B Marsh Hen   379 A Frenchie's Reel   379 B Mengie of McBride's Reel   445 A Squid Jiggin' Ground   445 B You're A Little Doll   448 A Grizzly Bear   448 B Orange Blossom Special   596 A B. C. Centennial   596 B John's Polka   597 A Iroquois Gathering   597 B Paddy The Coon   681 A The Road To Boston   681 B Mountain Girl   823 A Bread N Butter   823 B Pappy Daily's Breakdown   824 A Circassian Circle   824 B Molly Hogan   990 A Mittens Breakdown   990 B Old Rose Waltz