Glenn Stetson
Encyclopedia
Glenn Stetson was Canadian singer, concert promoter and television producer. Glenn Campbell Stetson was born in the Ottawa Valley
(Ramsayville) of eastern Ontario
and raised in Hamilton, Ontario
. He was a lead singer with The Diamonds
, whose hits included "The Stroll
", "Silhouettes", and "Little Darlin'
", from the late 60's through the 80's. He studied theater under Sir
Tyrone Guthrie
, and appeared in the original Broadway
productions of "H.M.S Pinafore" and "Funny Girl".
In the mid-'60s, he was a featured performer for Fred Waring
and the Pennsylvanians. In 1968, he joined the Diamonds and helped keep their name and music alive through the 1970s and 1980s, particularly on oldies tours and TV. The Diamonds
toured Australia
heavily in the 1970s with Australian rock-n-roll legend Lonnie Lee
. Stetson released a solo album in the 1970s entitled "Stetson Country" that was produced by Wayne Jackson of the famed Memphis Horns. He was a frequent guest on Nashville Now
with host Ralph Emery
.
Stetson and Richard J. "Dick" Milano (of Maggie Valley, NC) were founders of "Little Darlin's Rock-n-Roll Palace" in Kissimmee
, Florida
(opened in 1986) which was a highly popular Orlando
-area venue in the 1980s. He was co-executive producer for "Live at the Palace" (hosted by Wolfman Jack
) on the Nashville Network (TNN). "Little Darlin's Rock-n-Roll Palace" and associated oldies tours revived the careers of many performers, notably Fabian, Dee Clark
, Tommy Sands
, The Shirelles
, Danny & the Juniors
, and The Tokens
. He was also active in charitable fund-raising and civic organisations such as the Shriners
of which he was an honorary member.
Stetson received a heart transplant in 2000 as a result of myocarditis
. However, his health began to deteriorate and he died undergoing an operation on 22 August 2003 in Orlando, Florida
.
Ottawa Valley
The Ottawa Valley is the valley along the boundary between Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec along the Ottawa River. The valley is the transition between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield...
(Ramsayville) of eastern 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....
and raised in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. He was a lead singer with The Diamonds
The Diamonds
The Diamonds are a Canadian vocal quartet who rose to prominence in the 1950s and early 1960s with sixteen Billboard hit records. The original members were Dave Somerville , Ted Kowalski , Phil Levitt , and Bill Reed .-1950s:...
, whose hits included "The Stroll
The Stroll
The Stroll was both a slow Rock 'n' Roll dance and a song that was popular in late 1950s. The dance called the Stroll began in black communities to the song "C. C. Rider" by Chuck Willis prior to the song by the same name....
", "Silhouettes", and "Little Darlin'
Little Darlin'
"Little Darlin" is a popular Top 40 song.It was written by Maurice Williams with both melody and doo-wop accompaniment strongly emphasizing the clave rhythm. It was first recorded by Excello Records in January 1957 and quickly released as a rhythm-and-blues song by Williams's R&B group, The Gladiolas...
", from the late 60's through the 80's. He studied theater under Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Tyrone Guthrie
Tyrone Guthrie
Sir William Tyrone Guthrie was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, at his family's home, Annaghmakerrig, in County Monaghan, Ireland.-Life and career:Guthrie...
, and appeared in the original Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
productions of "H.M.S Pinafore" and "Funny Girl".
In the mid-'60s, he was a featured performer for Fred Waring
Fred Waring
Fredrick Malcolm Waring was a popular musician, bandleader and radio-television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing." He was also a promoter, financial backer and namesake of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric...
and the Pennsylvanians. In 1968, he joined the Diamonds and helped keep their name and music alive through the 1970s and 1980s, particularly on oldies tours and TV. The Diamonds
The Diamonds
The Diamonds are a Canadian vocal quartet who rose to prominence in the 1950s and early 1960s with sixteen Billboard hit records. The original members were Dave Somerville , Ted Kowalski , Phil Levitt , and Bill Reed .-1950s:...
toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
heavily in the 1970s with Australian rock-n-roll legend Lonnie Lee
Lonnie Lee
Lonnie Lee is an Australian singer. He was raised on sheep property in Rowena, New South Wales and has been performing since the mid 1950s. At the peak of his career, Lee had eight national #1 hits and produced five Gold Records...
. Stetson released a solo album in the 1970s entitled "Stetson Country" that was produced by Wayne Jackson of the famed Memphis Horns. He was a frequent guest on Nashville Now
Nashville Now
Nashville Now is a television talk show that focused on country music performers. It aired live weeknights on The Nashville Network from 1983-1993. The host was Nashville TV/radio personality Ralph Emery. The show won several Emmy awards during its run. A frequent guest and substitute host was...
with host Ralph Emery
Ralph Emery
Walter Ralph Emery is a country music disc jockey and television host from Nashville, Tennessee. He gained national fame hosting the syndicated television music series, Pop! Goes the Country, from 1974 to 1980 and the nightly Nashville Network television program, Nashville Now, from 1983 to 1993...
.
Stetson and Richard J. "Dick" Milano (of Maggie Valley, NC) were founders of "Little Darlin's Rock-n-Roll Palace" in Kissimmee
Kissimmee
Kissimmee is the name of several things in the U.S. state of Florida:*Kissimmee, Florida *Kissimmee City Street Railway*Kissimmee Kreatures *Kissimmee Utility Authority...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(opened in 1986) which was a highly popular Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
-area venue in the 1980s. He was co-executive producer for "Live at the Palace" (hosted by Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
) on the Nashville Network (TNN). "Little Darlin's Rock-n-Roll Palace" and associated oldies tours revived the careers of many performers, notably Fabian, Dee Clark
Dee Clark
Dee Clark was an African-American soul singer best known for a string of R&B and pop hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the ballad "Raindrops," which became a million-seller in the United States in 1961....
, Tommy Sands
Tommy Sands
Tommy Adrian Sands is an American pop music singer and actor.-Early life:Born into a musical family in Chicago, Illinois, Sands' father was a pianist and his mother a big-band singer. While still young, he moved with his family to Shreveport, Louisiana...
, The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
, Danny & the Juniors
Danny & the Juniors
Danny & The Juniors were a doo-wop quartet from Philadelphia comprising Danny Rapp, Dave White, Frank Maffei and Joe Terranova. Formed in 1955, they are most widely recognized for their hit single "At the Hop", which was released in 1957...
, and The Tokens
The Tokens
The Tokens are an American male doo-wop-style vocal group from Brooklyn, New York. They are known best for their chart-scoring 1961 single, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" .-Career:...
. He was also active in charitable fund-raising and civic organisations such as the Shriners
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
of which he was an honorary member.
Stetson received a heart transplant in 2000 as a result of myocarditis
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...
. However, his health began to deteriorate and he died undergoing an operation on 22 August 2003 in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Singles
| Year | Single | CAN Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "What Are We Doing" (with Lyoness and Judy Woodstock) | 52 |