Orval William Prophet

Notes:

Orval William Prophet, 31 August 1922, Edwards, Ontario, Canada, d. 4 January 1984, Edwards, Ontario, Canada. Born into a farming family, Prophet was a self-taught guitarist and with his sister, Helen, played local dances while still a young teenager. By his early twenties he was an accomplished musician. Through the late 40s he played and sang with a band led by Bill Sheppard, touring extensively in Canada and broadcasting over CFRA. At the end of the 40s, he toured with Wilf Carter?s band and also with Mac Beattie?s Ottawa Valley Melodiers. During the following decade he became popular in the USA and for a spell sang rock ?n? roll, as Johnny Six, but soon returned to his musical roots as indicated by his long-time billing: The Canadian Plowboy.
Prophet recorded from the early 50s, through into the 70s. He was briefly resident in Wheeling, West Virginia, but eventually returned to his home town to make it his base. Although he suffered poor health from the early 70s onwards, with several heart attacks and open-heart surgery along the way, Prophet barely slackened his pace, living the double life of farmer and country musician throughout the decade. Among the songs Prophet recorded over the years are ?Going Back To Birmingham?, ?Don?t Trade Your Love For Gold?, ?Mademoiselle?, ?Judgement Day Express?, ?Molly Darling?, ?Mile After Mile?, ?Half A Heart?, ?Town Of Memories?, ?Forgotten Dreams?, ?Over In That Happy Land?, ?It?s Good To Be Home Again?, ?Travelling Snowman? (a tribute to fellow Canadian Hank Snow whose vocal sound Prophet?s resembled), ?Big River Joe?, ?Lisa Mae? and ?Ol? Amos?. He also wrote and recorded ?Lois And Me?, named for Lois Haley who became his first wife in 1961, but died eight years later. Many of the songs in Prophet?s repertoire were his own compositions, some written alone, others in collaboration with songwriters such as Ken MacRae and Dallas Harms. The latter composed ?Just A Simple Love Song?, for Prophet and his second wife, Laurette, and ?I?ve Seen Some Things?, which recounted the singer?s life.
From the late 70s, Prophet was recipient of several awards from Canadian country music associations and following his death was inducted into the Hall of Honor of the Canadian Country Music Association and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. His second cousin, Ronnie Prophet, is also a well-known country singer.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.

Birth:
Edwards, Ontario

Died:
Edwards, Ontario

William married Alice Rebecca Tomalty on 10 Feb 1914 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Alice was born on 19 Aug 1895 in Pine Hill, Québec, Canada; died on 25 May 1972; was buried in Springhill Cemetery, Osgoode Township, Carleton County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]