Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Remembering Tommy Hunter: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1927

Episode Date: July 3, 2026

In this 1927th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike remembers Tommy Hunter, who has passed away at the age of 89.A version of this podcast without programmatic ads is available to all Toronto Mike'd Patrons at patreon.com/torontomike.Toronto Mike'd, an award-winning podcast, is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, and RecycleMyElectronics.ca.If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday night on Cedic. It's the Tommy Hunter show. Joining Tommy this week are Carol Baker, fruit viewer, and special guest Razzie Bailey. Oh, keep on sunny inside. That's the Tommy Hunter show on CBC, flyty in 8 o'clock, is 30 in Newfoundland. Tommy Hunter has passed away. He was 89 years of. old. His nickname was Canada's Country Gentleman.

I grew up watching many an ad for the Tommy Hunter show on CBC. This show started airing on CBC television in 1965. It replaced Country Ho-Down.

A rhythm guitarist on that very program, Country Ho-Down, was Tommy Hunter himself. Before debuting on CBC television in 1965, the Tommy Hunter show was actually a CBC radio program. It debuted there in 1960, replacing a variety show called The Happy Gang. So on radio you have the Happy Gang. That's replaced by the Tommy Hunter show.

On television, you have Country Ho-Down. That's replaced by the Tommy Hunter show. and in 1992, despite great viewership numbers, the CBC cancelled the Tommy Hunter show. Apparently, that viewership was too old. I know I felt too young to tune in to the Tommy Hunter show. Here's a fun fact for the Toronto Mike universe. The CBC replaced the Tommy Hunter show

with Friday Night with Ralph Ben-Murgy. Ralph Ben-Murgy, a frequent guest on this program, whose podcast, not that kind of rabbi I proudly produce, has often spoken of the fact he replaced Tommy Hunter and he himself was replaced on Friday nights by CBC, by Rita McNeil. Canadians sought that Canadian country music comfort. When I learned that Tommy Hunter had

passed away. I called Ralph Benmergy. I said, Ralphie Baby, let's have a little Zoom about this. Hey, heck, let's make it a phone call, but Ralphie Baby is on vacation with his family trying to decompress. Another FOTM I thought about was Tom Harrington. He performed on the Tommy Hunter show as a young singer. So while I wait to see if I can get Tom Harrington and Ralph Benmergy on a Tommy Hunter Memorial Zoom. Shout out to Ridley Funeral Home. I'm going to drop in this feed right now, the 25th anniversary episode of the Tommy Hunter Show.

This aired in 1989. This gives you youngsters a taste of what the Tommy Hunter show was all about. Well done, Mr. Thomas James Hunter. Oh, you're moving pretty good. That's nothing, Tom. I brought along the clip. Look at you dancing.

Yeah, look at this. You're all out of the sink, Tom. No, I got this one right. Wait a minute. No, I got it wrong. Your mother said you were right, everybody else was wrong. Well, I was still learning my left and my right. What a way to dance.

You know, we had another guy that danced on the show. Yeah, we sure did. And everybody will know him. It was Gordy Lightfoot. That's right. And here he is singing right here. Right the middle, folks. Yeah.

There he is. A singer and a dancer. Very, very great, buddy. Now, here's your version. Listen. It'll be the only bachelor on the show. Oh, I'm available. Great days.

You know, there was another talented young couple of kids that you introduced on the show, Gordy. Yeah, and one of those kids is here tonight. He sure is, and he's still a kid at heart. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like you to please welcome. The leader of the traveler man, here's Red Shea. Hey, Red. Hey, Red.

Hello, Red. This is John Pappy, Andrew. Thank you, Ray. Thank you. I appreciate it. You know, we've been going back through our files, and we came across a picture that we thought you might recognize. Believe it or not, folks, that dashing young trio is Red Shay, his brother, Les Pullia, along with Billy Gibbs.

And you're looking pretty good there, Red, I'll tell you. How old were you there, Red? I was 12. I remember the year well because that was the year I got kicked out of kindergarten for not shaving. You know, in fact, Red's brother, Les, went on to become the top producer and writer for television. And he produced our show for many, many years. He's still a good friend, and he contributes a lot of fine songs to our program.

I'll tell you, there's nothing I'd rather do than to mess up the lyrics on one of the less's song. Oh, yeah. And maybe I can do it on this one. You goofed up a lot of things. Let's go ahead and do one of them right now. Bradge, you better kick it off the song. You chase after me and you chase after him All you ever do is run around

I get it, does Now honey don't you know how that old saying goes You'll never catch to rabbits with one pound Okay Monday night it's me And Tuesday night it's in Wednesday night we're both left in the lurch night me and Wednesday night it's

You got a nerve you go to church You chase after me And you chase after him All you ever do is run around Yeah Don't you know how that old sago You'll never get you rabbits with one arm There we go

When they cheat, they tried to be the street, but you don't even care enough to try. Okay. You'll be the death of me. Your personality is split more ways than that last piece of pie. Apple, I hope. It is. You chase after me, and you chase after him.

All you ever do is run around. Sing her time. Honey, don't you know how that old sing goes? You'll never get two rabbits with one house You'll never get two rabbits with one house Liddle-lid-lid-lid-l-bom-ba Welcome a good buddy of ours who has dropped by to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary Redd, you spent a lot of time with this fellow on the road

Yes, I did, isn't it, thank you. And he's here to sing one of his own songs that was also released 25 years ago and has since gone on to become a classic. I'm sure you'll recognize it. Ladies and gentlemen, from the foothills of Alberta, welcome Ian Tyson. Hey! There's my way to the sea that run high. All those things that don't change come of me. Our good time are all gone.

I'm bound for moving home. If I'm never back this way I think I'll go out to Albert Weather's good there in the fall I've got some friends that I can go to work in fall Still I wish you'd change your mind If I'd ask one more time But we've been through that a hundred times

Oh, seven seas that run high All those things that don't change Come on, boy, babe. But our good times are all gone, and I'm bound to move on. I'll look for you if I'm never back this way. If I get there before the snow flies, and if things are looking good,

you could meet me if I send you down the fire. You winter, there ain't too much for you to do. Because those winds, they show go cold way out there. Four strong winds, seven seas that run high. All those things that don't change, come what may. Our good times are all gone from moving on. I'll look for you. for you if I'm never back this way.

But for you, if I never back this way. Welcome to our show, nice to have you here. Thank you, Tom, and it's great to be here on a special night. And I want to say on behalf of all the folks back in Alberta, all the best you and congratulations on your 25th anniversary. I hope you have a bunch more of them. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

You know, you haven't changed. You haven't changed the bit over the years. I think your hair is a little shorter now. Yeah, it is. But doggone it, yours is just the same. Yeah. It's exactly the same. It's a little blonder, I think.

You're going to help us out a little bit later on in our show? That's great. Ladies and gentlemen, once again, a big thank you to our buddy. Ian Tyson. Good job. Tommy, first I want to say, happy 25th anniversary, and congratulations. Now, the first time I ever listened to you or the first time I ever saw you, I think that I was about 10 years old, so that makes me 35.

I like that a lot of it. That makes you kind of old load on it, host. Congratulations. Tommy, the secret of being a great host is working hard but making it look so easy. But I don't have to tell you that. You've been doing it for 25 years. Have a great time on your anniversary.

Why can I free your doubt for life and melt your cold? Oh, hard. Confrontation between man and the beluga of the St. Lawrence goes back centuries. Now something is happening and soon they could disappear forever. Don't miss the cry of the beluga tomorrow at 5 p.m. on CBC 6. Coming up on Monday night special, scuba diving under ice. Sounds cold, it is a little bit.

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A worm hug from Campbell When you compare this tempo's operating costs To a similarly equipped Cavalier or Sunbird You can expect to pay $128 more per year Raise any concerns Being a businesswoman in downtown Toronto And singing up north in Moscow It keeps me very busy

But not too busy to want to wish you all the best For your 25th anniversary My dear sister Jackie is gone now but I know she'd want me to say, congratulations from Jackie and Coralie, the Allen sisters. Hi, Tommy, this is your old buddies, Jack. And Mike, the rhythm house. Mark couldn't be with us, Tom, but he joins us in this message.

Memories are made of this. Happy 25th, Tommy. First you folks recognize some of the talented performers who've contributed to the success of our show over the years. With me now are two friends that have been, part of our regular cast since 1975. What hardly seems that long. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Donna and Leroy Anderson.

Thank you, Roy. Appreciate it. You know, we've had a lot of fun doing a show over those years, haven't we? Oh, we sure have, Tom. You know, what did you enjoy most about doing the show? Oh, gosh. Well, we get to do what we like to do the best, that thing. And, of course, all the talented people we've had the opportunity to meet and work with over the years.

Can't forget our wonderful audiences here. That's right. And we always enjoy getting the fan mail. And for me, my fondest memory, the free coffee. Oh, I enjoyed. I love getting up real early in the morning and getting our film crew and going out to various locations and doing some of those crazy moviettes that we used to do, know the old black and white ones.

I remember them now. As a matter of fact, I seem to recall a song that we did on a couple of them. Remember this one? Oh, yeah. They're going to be in the middle. Come to the train. All I gotta do is that's nice week. I bet you I'm gonna be a big star

Yeah I'm gonna never tell And movies are gonna make me a big star Sharks me a big star Sharks Trump. Yeah, I know that you're gonna see

I've had the opportunity to work with many great performers, but there's one special lady who regularly pays us a visit and has become like part of the family. She's a very close friend of ours, ladies and gentlemen, one of my favorite singers. Please welcome Miss Janie Frickie. Please help me, I'm far. Close the door to temptation. Don't let me walk through. But I promised to have and to hold. But I'm the strength to be true to temptation.

Don't let me walk lessen one a darling love. And congratulations, happy anniversary. Thank you very much. You know, Jane and I just recently recorded a duet in Nashville and we had a lot of fun. It'll be out in the new year. This gal is such a delightful person to work with him. person to work with in a recording studio and she did her part of the duet in one take and i did mine in two two days no two months i would thank you i'd like you to help me to introduce our next guest he's a

delightful guy i've been a fan of his ever since we worked together about 30 years ago on a show called country holdown he plays great guitar he does yeah and he He sings awfully good, too. He's a good friend of ours. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Glenn Campbell. Hello, Brett. ...for the county. Searching in the sun for another.

Hear you singing in the wire. And I can hear you through the wine. The witch is all mine. He's still on the light. He'd a small vacation. but it don't look like rain and if it snows to stretch down south won't ever stand the strain

and I need you more than want you and I want you for all time and the Wichita light he's still on the line I need you more than and I want you for all time But Wichita, he's still on the life. You're back on the show, yeah.

It's great to be back here. Congratulations. You know, that song is 21 years old. It's held up well, and you've held up real well. Congratulations. I think television agrees with both of us. We keep getting younger every day. But it's really nice to have you back on.

You know, actually, Glenn and I go back a lot further than 25 years ago, because I think it was about 32 years ago that we first met on a program called Country Ho-Down. That's right. And I remember. remember taking an album that I had just recently heard over to our producer and I said you've got to listen to this album that's great and the lead singer on here is fantastic and it was Glenn Campbell and well it's it's really good to have you come up here and pay us a visit on our 25th and you're going

to hang around help us out a little bit later on oh I'd love to that's great ladies and gentlemen big hand for Glenn family thanks thank you thank you've made silver now keep going for the gold happy anniversary on behalf of all your fans down in the Lone Star State Congratulations, Tommy, on your 25th and happy anniversary. Happy 25th, dear Tommy, happy 25th to you. Way to go, pal. Happy 25 years. Congratulations, Tom, and I'll sure we do to do.

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you have always done a tremendous job, and you really deserve an awful lot of credit. So I, for one, would like to be one of the many to commend you on a really great job all through the years. And I hope that the future holds nothing but the best for Tommy Hunter. It's become almost a tradition on this show at this time of the show for me to give you your guitar and ask you to sing a song. But tonight, we're going to change the format. Okay. We're going to introduce some people that I'm sure you're going to recognize. Okay.

Good guys. And dad, I got something else here for you. It says, Dear Mr. Hunter, on behalf of the government of Canada, is indeed a pleasure to congratulate you on the 25th anniversary of Tommy Hunter Show. You are truly Canada's country, gentlemen. Through the years since your television program first appeared, you have delighted millions of Canadians with your unique style of musical entertainment, not to mention providing them with a short time.

showcase of Canadian talent. Your many achievements are reflected in the admiration of your vast audiences who consider your show an institution in Canadian television. You've been saluted by your country with the Order of Canada and in the United States your television show is popular with many country music fans. With a wish for continued success in an outstanding career, I remain, Prime Minister Brian Maruni. That is great. What a surprise.

God, I can't believe it. Are we supposed to sing or what we go there? Is that right? You want to try to sing a song now? Oh, God, I think. Here, I'll let you hold that. Thanks, kids. It's good to see it. I hope the boss knows that you're here doing this song.

Come on, folks. Thank you. Well, I got to tell you, usually I can twig to these things really fast when they're going to hold a surprise for me, but that one I hadn't a clue. Said to my wife, I said, I got to call them in the morning. Oh, that's great. Well, listen, let me dedicate this next song to my...

my wife and my family, and my mom and dad, and for all the love that they have shown, and for the belief that they had me, we hope you folks enjoy it. Beautiful diamond ring and offered it to the street, and she said she would take it. Started making some wedding plans. She looked at me, and she took my hand and said, Hey, are you sure we can make it? I said my granddad's still in love with my grandmom. And I said my dad still thinks my mom's the sweetest thing he ever saw.

I come from a long line of love. The lines get hard. In my heart In my blood You see I come From a long line Oh years went by and we Had a son

Now he thinks that he's found Someone for him And they're planning He called me up on the phone Today Just to see what I had to Say to him Did I think he was ready

I said what his grandfather used to say to me And it's been handed down for ages It runs in the family from a long life of times give We don't give your heart Son you come from an Performers in our business But there are also a select few Who are touched by a special magic

It was my privilege to call one such man my friend and to work alongside him for more than 30 years. I'm speaking of our own smiling Al Churny. You know, Al loved getting out and performing for his many fans, and he loved a good laugh, but more than anything, he loved the old-time fiddle. He played with such skill and such feeling that he made an impression that will stay with us for many years to come. Thank you, Al, for sharing your gift.

we're sure going to miss you and it's a tribute to you that many of your fellow musicians and friends have joined us tonight to take that trip that you love so well on that old orange blossom special well I'm going to get a little sand

in my shoes oh maybe California my shoes special from St. John you're from Mr. Ned Lambert The talented young fiddler Matthew Johnson with the devil's dream Come on, Matthew.

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end without notice. So call 1-800-387-0-1-86 now. Well, we hope you've enjoyed our 25th anniversary and sharing a few memories from the past. We'd like to thank all of our special guests, Glenn Campbell, Janie Fricky, Ian Tyson, Gordy Taff, and all the fiddlers and dancers who helped us pay tribute to him. I'd like to thank the folks in our studio audience, and of course you folks at home for your support and the part that you've played in making 25 years. Great memories. Thank you.

Backward glances down a country road. The distant music It bears a soft farewell And the old friends I remember Like the leaves in December Are all scattered Down a country road In the distance

I can see the old home place And my parents The way they'll always be But the wild grass grows over Those fields I used to want as the years go by like in a dream Backward glances down a country road The distant music it bids a soft farewell And the old friends I remember like the leaves in descent are all scared

down a country road far away I can hear the laughter fade how it seems so near yet so far and the good times and the places the memories and the faces

that made us what we were and what we are Backward glances down a country road The distant music it builds a soft farewell And the old friends I remember Like the leaves in December Are all scared down the country road

Backward glasses down a country road Backward glasses down the country drool. Thank you very much. Be the good Lord Willa. We'll be talking to you next week. Good night everybody. Congratulations on the 25th anniversary. And from one country boy to another, you keep on picking and grinning,

and I'll be up to see you real soon. Happy 25th, Union. I join all Canadians from coast to coast in wishing you the very best. Congratulations. I just hope I last that long. You and Tommy have one thing in common, and that's you and that's Silver, your hair and his anniversary. Happy 25th, Tommy.

Adaboy, Tommy. Happy silver anniversary. Now let's see you go for the gold. Tom, from all of us at CBC Sports, happy anniversary. Congratulations. And many, many more. Happy trails to you. Congratulations, Tommy.

To you, Tommy from all our he-hawn gang. Tommy, why don't you grow up? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We'll be shouting hallelujah all the day.