Willie P. Bennett passes

February 18, 2008

Willie P. Bennett, a pioneering singer/songwriter in the contemporary folk movement, died on Feb. 15 of a heart attack at age 57. One of a number of Canadians who produced songs that inspired the next generation and made waves into U.S. music culture, Bennett's work prompted the formation of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, a "supergroup" made up of Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson that focused on Bennett songs. For the past decade, Bennett has toured with Fred Eaglesmith, playing harmonica and mandolin. He suffered a heart attack in May and was finishing his rehabilitation, apparently on schedule, when a second attack silenced him during a daily workout. Bennett won a JUNO Award in 1998 for Heartstrings.