7/29/2023 0 Comments Rita macneil pallbearers![]() I have lost a good friend.”Ĭecil Clarke, mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, says MacNeil was a humble and soft-spoken woman whose rise to stardom played a key role in expanding the influence of Cape Breton music. It was evident that she touched them all from the many letters and comments we received after that show. Rita could convey that kind of warmth and sincerity through her songs to the people in the studio audience and to the viewers at home. Known as the First Lady of Cape Breton, singer-songwriter Rita MacNeil is the newest inductee into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF). When she sang 'Working Man,' there wasn't a dry eye in the house. ![]() “Coming from a coal mining area, she had a soft spot in her heart for those miners. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of a dear sweet woman and a gifted singer-songwriter who represented women and her beloved Nova Scotia so eloquently in her songs,” singer Anne Murray said in a statement.Ĭountry music legend Tommy Hunter said his “one vivid memory” of MacNeil was when she was a guest on his show. Her music often spoke of the courage to rise above life’s challenges, particularly those faced by the working class. Her death was a shock, a subdued Langham said. Entertainment Rita MacNeil, Cape Breton's 'first lady of song,' to join Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony to take place at 2021 East Coast Music Awards Show on Cape Breton Island David Friend. Langham, who had been arranging her summer concert series, said his mother had every intention of performing at her Tea Room when it opened for the season in June. ![]() Her son and manager, Wade Langham, told the Star no funeral or memorial services have been arranged yet but would be by Thursday or Friday. She had such drive and strength of character.” War Saving Little Miss MacNeil, Dunvegan was -eld in the form of a taffy party, on. Steele’s & Sons LTD.A recurring infection, the reason she was in hospital for surgery, had forced her to cancel past performances, “but she would come back. Athol Johnston, who estimated the ion(jei Janet Gauthier, Mary Rita. I caress you, oh, Cape Breton, in my dreams. Online condolences to And you never let the hard times Rita would have wished if donations were to be made in her memory, that they be made to one’s choice of a Cape Breton charity. Funeral service to celebrate Rita’s life will be held on Monday, April 22 at 2 p.m. Curry Parkview Chapel, 755 George St., Sydney on Saturday, April 20 from 4–8 p.m. Friends of Rita and family can gather at T.W. Rita was predeceased by two brothers-in-law, David and Gerald and a nephew, Shawn.Īs per Rita’s request, cremation has taken place. Rita is also survived by her former husband and good friend, David. She is survived by her dearest friend, Rose and precious pups, Joy-Joy and Abbey siblings, Roseanne, Malcolm (Ruth), Mary (John), Cathy (Don), Neil (Elizabeth), Anne, Clem and by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. With determination and a passion for writing songs and singing, Rita pushed beyond a profound shyness and found her way to the world stage.īorn in Big Pond, Cape Breton on to the late Neil and Catherine ‘Rene’ MacNeil, Rita was one of eight children.Ī mother to Laura (Dana) and Wade (Lori), a grandmother to Aden, Rachel, Anthony and Zoe, a dear friend and a sister, Rita was a Canadian icon – a woman who had a dream that became a reality – who brought joy and inspiration to so many. “Working Man”, “Flying on Your Own”, “Reason to Believe”, “I’ll Accept The Rose Tonight” and “Home I’ll Be”, are just a few of the songs that endeared Rita to fans in Canada, the U.K. It is with great sadness that we, the family, announce the passing of Cape Breton’s first lady of song, Rita MacNeil, on Tuesday, April 16, 2013.Ī gentle soul with a heart of gold and the voice of an angel, Rita’s music spoke of her love of home and family, the courage to rise above life’s challenges and the hardworking men and women that tie this country together.
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