New Brunswick born musician Johnny Burke, a member of the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 77 from cancer.
Burke gained fame as a member of The Blue Valley Boys and The Maple River Boys working as the house band on CTV’s Carl Smith’s Country Music Hall television series after moving to Toronto in the 1960’s.
From 1968 through 1975, Burke, called a hidden gem, headed up the Caribou Showband and hosted the popular TV series “At The Caribou”.
He also played with the icons of country music including Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings and Glen Campbell.