Omar Blondahl
Encyclopedia
Omar Blondahl, also known as "Sagebrush
Sam", was a musician
who became fascinated with the largely unrecorded folk songs of Newfoundland
, Canada
, and became famous for popularizing them.
Blondahl was born in Wynyard, Saskatchewan
of Icelandic parents.
Blondahl was en route to visit his father's grave in Iceland
, when he stopped in Newfoundland to raise more money to continue the trip. He looked for work at a local radio station, where the manager, upon learning that he was a folk singer, showed him a copy of the newly published third edition of the Gerald S. Doyle songbook. Blondahl recalls:
He died in Vancouver
, British Columbia
in December 1993 at the age of 70.
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
Sam", was a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who became fascinated with the largely unrecorded folk songs of Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
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...
, and became famous for popularizing them.
Blondahl was born in Wynyard, Saskatchewan
Wynyard, Saskatchewan
-Climate:-Sites of interest:Frank Cameron Museum provides local historical artifacts as well as tourism information and is located in Wynyard. Wynyard Regional Park is the local camping site and is 2 km or 1 mi from Wynyard. Wynyard is located just to the south of Big Quill Lake which is the...
of Icelandic parents.
Blondahl was en route to visit his father's grave in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, when he stopped in Newfoundland to raise more money to continue the trip. He looked for work at a local radio station, where the manager, upon learning that he was a folk singer, showed him a copy of the newly published third edition of the Gerald S. Doyle songbook. Blondahl recalls:
He tossed a Gerald S. Doyle songbook on the table and he said, "Can you sing any of that?" And this was my first introduction to Newfoundland folk music, so I opened it and thumbed through, I said "My God this is beautiful stuff." I had never heard any of it before and I said "This must be on all kinds of records," I said "I've never run across any of it." He said, "I don't think any of them are on records" and I thought this is a gold mine, you know, oh my.
-- Omar Blondahl, interviewed by Neil V. Rosenberg, Vancouver, May 28, 1988. MUNFLA 88-084, C11109.
He died in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
in December 1993 at the age of 70.