Lonnie and Lottie and The Po' Folks CHIQ Hamilton, ON

About The Group Lonnie and Lottie were a brother and sister act that were popular with the fans in the southwestern Ontario, Canada area in the 1960s. While many fans might associate a band name of Po' Folks with another country legend, that was the name of the band that backed this popular duo. Both of them were born in the city of Maniwaki, Quebec, located due north of Ottawa. The two of them began singing together at an early age. Audiences were listening to their singing talents on stage, radio and television when they were both teenagers. An album of theirs entitled "Just Between The Two of Us" gives the listener a taste of their harmonies. They also did solo numbers of popular tunes of the day. Backing Lonnie and Lottie on that album were Larry Dyer on lead guitar, Bob Wingrove on steel guitar, John Scott on bass, Gary Nugent on drums, M. DeBenidictis on the piano and organ. Lonnie and Lottie made appearances on the well-known country music shows that were airing in Canada in that era. They appeared on the famous CHML Main Street Jamboree show that broadcast out of Hamilton, Ontario. Another famous show they appeared on was the CKNX Barn Dance, billed as the largest traveling barn dance show that originated out of Wingham, Ontario. Other shows included the Gary Buck show that broadcast over CKCO-TV in Kitchener; the Red Barn Jamboree over CKLB in Oshawa. During their career, they also had their own radio show on CHIQ in Hamilton. As time went on, Lonnie and Lottie added personnel to their show that later became known as the Po' Folks. An album on the Marathon label had a couple of original tunes by the duo. Lonnie wrote a tune called "Your Favorouite Pastime" while she was on a break appearing at the Fort Erie Hotel in Fort Erie, Ontario. Lonnie wrote the tune, "There's Only One You", which happened to be one of the first tunes he wrote. Lottie did more than sing. At one time, she was teaching teenagers at the St. Peter and St. Paul schools. An uncredited, undated article notes her classes enjoyed the touch of her singing to go along with the classroom experience. Lonnie and his sister also had their own booking agency for a time. It seems that it was more than just an agency, for it also included their own recording studio. Credits & Sources Hillbilly-Music.com wishes to thank Lonnie O'Reilly of Lonnie and Lottie for providing biographical information, pictures and clippings for use with this article. Read More About The Group Printer Friendly Version