Canadian Songwriter Ian Tyson Dies At 89

Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Tyson, whose career spanned more than three decades and multiple music genres, died Thursday after a series of health complications. He was 89.

The news of Tyson’s death sparked tributes on social media from artists like Gord Bamford, George Canyon and Brett Kissel.

“I remember playing a show at the Longview hall and looking up to see a man standing in the doorway watching me,” Bamford recalled in a Facebook post.

“After the show, I went back to my dressing room to find him sitting in there having a drink and a bite to eat! He said, ‘You’re real good kid. Keep doin’ what ya do and best of luck to ya.’ We chatted a while and he invited me to come over to the old stone house sometime. I sure regret not taking him up on that offer. We lost a legend today.”

Born in Vancouver on Sept. 25, 1933, Tyson broke onto the music scene in 1961 as part of the folk duo Ian & Sylvia, recording hits like “Early Morning Rain” and “You Were on My Mind.” During that time, he wrote “Four Strong Winds,” which was later recorded by artists such as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

Tyson married his musical partner, Sylvia, in 1964 and had their son, Clay, in 1968. The pair continued working together until they divorced in 1975.

Tyson eventually pursued a solo career in country music, releasing his “Cowboyography” album in 1987.

The Canadian Country Music Heritage Society inducted Tyson into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989. He also won several awards for his work, including a Juno Award for Country Male Vocalist of The Year in 1987 and the Order of Canada in 1994.

“Ian was always so kind to me over the years and I will always treasure sitting on the couch, as a kid, learning his songs from an old cowboy country song book,” said George Canyon on Facebook.

“My sincere condolences to his family and friends alike … he will be truly missed.”

Recent health complications, including a heart attack and open heart surgery in 2015, did not stop the music legend, who continued to perform well into 2018.

Multiple media outlets reported the award-winning artist died at his ranch near Longview, Alta, about 65 kilometres south of Calgary.