Gene MacLellan was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 from Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

.

Among his notable compositions were "Snowbird

Snowbird (song)

"Snowbird" is a song by the Canadian songwriter Gene MacLellan. Though it has been recorded by many performers , it is best known through Anne Murray's 1970 version, which launched her into a long career of international exposure. It was a #2 hit on Canada's pop chart and went to #1 on both the...

", made famous by Anne Murray

Anne Murray

Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....

, "Put Your Hand in the Hand

Put Your Hand in the Hand

"Put Your Hand in the Hand" is a Gospel pop song composed by Gene MacLellan and first recorded by Canadian singer Anne Murray from her third studio album Honey, Wheat and Laughter....

, "The Call", "Pages of Time" and "Thorn in My Shoe". Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....

, Joan Baez

Joan Baez

Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....

 and Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby

Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....

 were among the many artists who recorded MacLellan's songs.

MacLellan was born in Val-d'Or, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, and grew up in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

. He would eventually move to Atlantic Canada, settling in Pownal, where he lived until his death by suicide.

He won a Juno Award in 1971

Juno Awards of 1971

The Juno Awards of 1971, representing Canadian music industry achievements of the previous year, were awarded on 22 February 1971 in Toronto at a ceremony in the St. Lawrence Hall. These would be the first awards to be formally titled the Junos as decided by RPM Magazine in 1970 following its first...

 as best songwriter.

MacLellan was a frequent guest on Don Messer's Jubilee

Don Messer's Jubilee

Don Messer's Jubilee was a television folk musical variety show produced at station CBHT in Halifax, Nova Scotia and broadcast by CBC Television nationwide from 1957 until 1969....

and later a regular cast member of Singalong Jubilee

Singalong Jubilee

Singalong Jubilee was a CBC Television program produced between 1961 and 1974. It featured musical performances by local talent, playing folk, country and gospel music, in studio on stage, and on location...

with Anne Murray

Anne Murray

Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....

 and Bill Langstroth.

MacLellan died in 1995 and was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame

The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, located in Merritt, British Columbia, was established in 1984 to honour Canadian country music artists, builders or broadcasters, living or deceased...

 later that year.