Donny Parenteau is singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He is best for known his solo career and his work as fiddle player, guitarist, and mandolin player for country music singer Neal McCoy

Neal McCoy

Hubert Neal McGaughey, Jr. is an American country music singer of mixed Irish and Filipino descent. Known professionally as Neal McCoy, he has released ten studio albums on various labels, and has released 34 singles to country radio...

. In February 2011, Parenteau signed with the record label 306 Records

306 Records

306 Records is a Canadian country music record label established by Louis O'Reilly in 2005. It was named Record Company of the Year at the 2008 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.-Acts on 306 Records:* Ambush* Larry Berrio* Lisa Hewitt* Shari Lynn...

/EMI

EMI

The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

 to help distribute his albums.

Early life

At 14, Parenteau took up the fiddle. After mastering the fiddle, he picked up other instruments like the guitar (both acoustic and electric) and the mandolin (both acoustic and electric). Parenteau cites some of his influences as Bryan Sklar, Freddie Pelltier, and George Pistun

Career

After picking up the violin at a young age, by 19 he was playing professionally. In 1991, Parenteau was playing in Edmonton, Alberta

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

 and was invited to a show by Neal McCoy who was also playing in Edmonton. Upon talking with McCoy, Parenteau discovered they had similar taste in music. McCoy was looking for a fiddle player, but didn't have the money to hire one. Parenteau wanted the chance to audition and would not let up until he got the chance to audition. Parenteau listened to the group jamming

Jam session

Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...

 and had a grasp of what they were playing. It was that song he would use as the audition piece. During his time touring with McCoy, Parenteau got to open for such artists as Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard

Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...

, Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw

Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...

, Faith Hill

Faith Hill

Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...

, Buck Owens

Buck Owens

Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...

, George Jones

George Jones

George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....

, Charlie Pride, Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...

, Charlie Daniels

Charlie Daniels

Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...

, Hank Williams, Jr.

Hank Williams, Jr.

Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...

, Reba McEntire

Reba McEntire

Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...

, Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks

Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...

, and Shania Twain

Shania Twain

Shania Twain, OC is a Canadian country pop singer-songwriter. Her album The Woman in Me , brought her fame and her 1997 album Come On Over, became the best-selling album of all time by a female musician in any genre, and the best-selling country album of all time. It has sold over 40 million...

. Parenteau also graced the Grand Ole Opry

Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...

 stage. Parenteau was the only member of the live band that was also on the recordings. After performing with Neal McCoy for 12 years and playing 250-300 shows a year, Parenteau returned to Prince Albert to embark on a solo career.

Charity work

Parenteau has done a number of humanitarian and charity work. Evidence of that was winning the 2001 SCMA International Humanitarian Award. Parenteau has also made appearances on Telemiracle

Telemiracle

Telemiracle is a telethon organized by the Kinsmen and Kinettes in Saskatchewan, Canada for the benefit of the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation. Initially broadcast on both CTV and CBC affiliates in Saskatchewan, it is now broadcast, commercial-free, exclusively on the province's CTV affiliates...

 starting on the 32nd edition of the telethon. Parenteau co-wrote the new Telemiracle opening theme song with Brad Johner

Brad Johner

-Biography:Brad Johner grew up in Saskatchewan playing music in his family band. When he was 16, Brad won a National Talent Contest during Country Music Week in Hamilton in 1982. He spent 6 years maintaining his solo career before teaming up with his brother Ken to form The Johner Brothers in 1988...

 entitled You are the Miracle.

Studio albums

What it Takes

• Release date: October 9, 2006
• Label Icon Records
  Icon Records
  Icon Records, in association with Universal Music Group, is a Canadian record label established by Rui Da Silva in 2006 and distributed through Fontana Distribution.-Artists:* Jason Blaine* Mike Callan* Joelle* John Landry* George Jones...
  
  
• Format: CD
  Compact Disc
  The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
  
  , Digital download
  Music download
  A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
  
  

1. "Country Calling Me"
2. "Old Man Thibodeaux" featuring Joel Sonnier
3. "Postmarked Heaven"
4. "Father Time"
5. "Backyard Swing"
6. "Someone More Lonesome"
7. "What it Takes"
8. "Cold Virginia Rain"
9. "Belly Up"
10. "What She Left Me For"
11. "Dancing Fool"
12. Funky Two Step"

To Whom it May Concern

• Release date: January 11, 2011
• Label: Phantom
• Format: CD
  Compact Disc
  The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
  
  , Digital download
  Music download
  A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
  
  

1. "Bustin Out"
2. "Holding on to Your Dreams"
3. "My Girl"
4. "Mama Taught Me to Love"
5. "Close to You"
6. "Fiddleback"
7. "Turn it Up"
8. "My Dirt"
9. "Chance Are"
10. "To Whom it May Concern"
11. "Play On"

Singles

• "Belly Up"
• "Father Time"
• "Postmarked Heaven"
• "I Love Christmas"
• "Turn it Up"
• "My Girl"
• "Watching Over Me"
• "My Dirt"
• "To Whom it May Concern"

Awards and nominations

Parenteau has been nominated for a multitude of awards all across Canada picking up a number of them along the way. In 2008, Parenteau was nominated for his countries highest honour by being nominated for a Juno Award.

Year	Nominated work	Event	Award	Result
2001	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	International Humanitarian
2003	Himself/Fiddle	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	All-Star Band
2004	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Aboriginal Artist of the Year
	Himself/Fiddle		All-Star Band
2005	"The Great Unknown"	Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards	Best Producer/Engineer
	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Aboriginal Artist of the Year
	Himself/Fiddle		All-Star Band
2006	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Aboriginal Artist of the Year
	Himself/Fiddle		All-Star Band
2007	"What it Takes"	Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards	Best Album of the Year
	"What it Takes"		Best Country Album
	"What It Takes"		Best Producer/Engineer
	"Father Time"		Best Song Single
	"Father Time"		Best Songwriter
	"Postmarked Heaven"		Best Songwriter
	Himself	Canadian Country Music Awards	Chevy Truck Rising Star
	"What it Takes"	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Album of the Year
	Himself		Aboriginal Artist of the Year
	Himself/Fiddle		All-Star Band
	Himself/Specialty		All-Star Band
	Donny Parenteau Band		Back Up Band
	Himself		Fans' Choice Entertainer of the Year
	Himself		Male Vocalist of the Year
	Himself		Record Producer
	"Country Calling Me"		Single of the Year
	"Country Calling Me"		Song of the Year
	"What it Takes"	Western Canadian Music Awards Western Canadian Music Awards The Western Canadian Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony for music in the western portion of Canada, that originated in its current form in 2003...	Outstanding Aboriginal Recording
	"What it Takes"		Outstanding Country Recording
2008
	"What it Takes"	Juno Awards	Aboriginal Recording of the Year
	Himself/Fiddle	Canadian Country Music Awards	All-Star Band
	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Aboriginal Artist of the Year
	Himself/Fiddle		All-Star Band
	Donny Parenteau Band		Back Up Band
	Himself		Fans' Choice Entertainer of the Year
	Himself		Male Vocalist of the Year
	Himself		Record Producer
	"Father Time"		Single of the Year
	"Postmarked Heaven"		Single of the Year
	"Father Time"		Song of the Year
	"Postmarked Heaven"		Song of the Year
2009	Himself/Fiddle	Canadian Country Music Awards	All-Star Band
	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Aboriginal Artist of the Year
2010	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Aboriginal Artist of the Year
2011	Himself	Saskatchewan Country Music Awards	Aboriginal Artist of the Year
	Himself/Fiddle		All-Star Band
	Himself/Specialty		All-Star Band
	Himself		Fans' Choice Entertainer of the Year
	Himself		Male Vocalist of the Year
	Himself		Manager
	"My Girl"		Single of the Year
	"My Girl"		Song of the Year
	"My Girl"		Video of the Year
	Himself	Aboriginal People's Choice Awards	Aboriginal Male Entertainer of the Year
	"To Whom it May Concern"		Best Country CD
	"To Whom it May Concern"	Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards	Best Album of the Year
			Best Country Album
			Best Producer/Engineer (with Harry Stinson)
			Best Song Single
	Himself		Best Songwriter
			Best Male Artist
	"To Whom it May Concern"		Best Music Video

External links

• DonnyParenteau.com