She hosted a CBC-TV variety program, Rita and Friends, which ran from 1994 to 1997 and drew regular audiences of one million viewers. MacNeil recorded 24 albums and sold millions of records over the course of her career. 'I think her humility and her wisdom were the two outstanding characteristics that I always appreciated.' In 1987 she earned a Juno award as most promising female artist, at age 42. We were riding on a dirt bike and the two of us were in tears.' 'This voice came through the rain, mist, and we both stopped. 'It was quite a picture, we were in a field at a folk festival,' he said. Her first manager, Brookes Diamond, choked up as he spoke Wednesday about the first time he heard her perform. MacNeil's voice brought people to tears across the country. I never heard a song quite like it.' 'Rita really was a star' 'There probably wasn't a dry eye in the house,' he said. He finally saw her on Canada Day, 1986, when she performed Working Man with Men of the Deeps. He said review after review praised her performance, and that summer sparked a love affair between MacNeil and Vancouver. 'Word of mouth kind of grew,' said Rod Mickleburgh of the Globe and Mail. At the time, MacNeil was well-known in her home province but a newcomer to the national stage. But somewhere deep down, you have to have belief or nothing's going to happen.' Turning pointĬape Breton's first lady of song made her mark during a six-week run at Expo '86 in Vancouver. 'You can work through all kinds of struggle. MacNeil was famously shy, but said her parents helped her overcome that trait by constantly reminding her to believe in herself.

MacNeil later moved to Ottawa, where she recorded three albums, but eventually returned to Big Pond, where she formed a trio. She moved to Toronto at age 17, where she wrote her first song and began singing in folk clubs.

Acclaimed Cape Breton singer Rita MacNeil has died at age 68.Ī notice on her website states MacNeil died on April 16 following complications from surgery.īorn in Big Pond, N.S., on Cape Breton Island, MacNeil was one of eight children.

Rita macneil singer