Rita Macneil

Country Singer

Rita Macneil was born in Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada on May 28th, 1944 and is the Country Singer. At the age of 68, Rita Macneil biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

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Date of Birth
May 28, 1944
Nationality
Canada
Place of Birth
Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada
Death Date
Apr 16, 2013 (age 68)
Zodiac Sign
Gemini
Profession
Singer, Songwriter
Rita Macneil Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

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Rita Macneil Religion, Education, and Hobbies
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Rita Macneil Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
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Rita Macneil Life

Rita MacNeil, CM, ONS (May 28, 1944 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian singer from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island.

Her biggest hit, "Flying On Your Own", was a crossover Top 40 hit in 1987 and was covered by Anne Murray the following year, although she had hits on the country and adult contemporary charts throughout her career.

In the United Kingdom, MacNeil's song "Working Man" was a No. 11 hit in 1990.In 1990, she was the bestselling country artist in Canada, outselling even Garth Brooks and Clint Black.

She was also the only female singer ever to have three separate albums chart in the same year in Australia. Throughout her career MacNeil would receive five honorary degrees, release 24 albums, win three Juno Awards, a SOCAN National Achievement Award, four CCMA awards, eleven ECMA awards, be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and be named to the Order of Nova Scotia and the Order of Canada.

Personal life

MacNeil was born in Big Pond to Catherine and Neil J. MacNeil. She was born with a cleft lip and palate. MacNeil was the fifth of eight siblings; she had three brothers and four sisters. Her father owned a local store and was a carpenter, and her mother worked in the family store.

As a young girl, MacNeil was molested by her great-uncle who lived down the road from the family home. For many years she kept this to herself, only revealing it for the first time in her autobiography, recalling years of sexual abuse and noting that he had done everything short of raping her. She noted that the sexual abuse eventually ended, unsure whether it was because someone had found out about it or that her family moved away from Big Pond. She called it a point in her life that profoundly affected her because it was a traumatic passage out of innocence.

In the mid-1950s MacNeil's parents sold their store and began a big move that would take them to Sydney, then to Toronto. MacNeil's father worked as a carpenter, her mother worked at Eaton's, and her sister Mary worked at a local grocery store. Alcoholism, already a large part of her parents' life, became worse in Toronto, especially with her mother's desire to move back to Cape Breton. After a terrible night of drinking and fighting, MacNeil's older brother Malcolm ('Malkie') arrived in Toronto, and he and Mary convinced their parents that it was time to move back to Cape Breton, which they soon did.

By the summer of 1960 MacNeil was itching to get away to the city to start making a name for herself. She had just finished Grade 11 when she took a summer job in Toronto, along with her friend Carolyn Tobin, working for CNR. Upon returning to Sydney in the fall, MacNeil knew she wanted nothing more than to begin her singing career, and with her parents' support she moved right back to Toronto to get started.

Like her mother, MacNeil worked for Eaton's, in the Customer Account Services Department By 1964 she had begun taking voice lessons. She had also met a man she described as Sicilian, with jet black hair, brown eyes and very white teeth. She began dating this man although he had told her his parents wanted him to marry a Sicilian woman. She became pregnant in 1965; frightened and unsure of the future, she returned to her parents, who cared for and supported her.

On April 15, 1966, MacNeil gave birth to her daughter Laura. She also started struggling with her weight, which fluctuated from 119 to 183 pounds. That summer MacNeil decided to continue working toward her singing goals as she made a life for her daughter. Leaving Laura with her parents, she returned to Toronto and her Eaton's job.

That fall she met David Langham. By spring 1967 she had married Langham in a small ceremony that included the bride's sister, the groom's brother, and a minister. In her autobiography she wrote that she wore a royal-blue suit and a pink pillbox hat, while Langham wore a suit. The newlyweds moved Laura into their Toronto home in August 1967.

Langham and MacNeil left Toronto in the summer of 1968, purchasing a 78-acre farm in the village of Dundalk. MacNeil's second child, Wade, was born there on April 30, 1970.

MacNeil longed to return to the city and convinced Langham to sell the farm, and in the fall of 1970 they moved to Etobicoke, just outside the City of Toronto. Growing restless in her marriage, MacNeil made one last attempt to save her relationship by moving back to Cape Breton with her family in 1975. It wasn't enough and she returned to Toronto on her own; for a year she tried to develop her career further while sorting out her feelings. She returned to Cape Breton in spring 1976, became severely depressed, and left again, this time taking her children on her move to Ottawa where, as a single mother, she took jobs cleaning houses and became a welfare recipient. By summer 1979 MacNeil and Langham had filed for divorce.

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Rita Macneil Career

Career

MacNeil was among the first to the women's movement in 1971, and it was pivotal to her musical career. She wrote the song "Born a Woman" in 1972, expressing her dissatisfaction with how women were depicted by both men and in media. Catherine died in that year after being sick for a while, and Rita performed "Who Will I Go to See," which she also included on her first album.

Born A Woman, MacNeil's first album, in 1975, a salute to those campaigning for women's rights around the world. Her career had flourished by 1979. She appeared on International Women's Day in Sydney, Cape Breton, and after discovering she could play her music in Cape Breton, she returned to Nova Scotia. She discovered that her passions went beyond the women's movement to include places she loved during the move. "Black Rock," "Brown Grass," "My Island Too," and "Old Man" were two of her father's songs.

Historical historians Steve Hewitt and Christabelle Sethna's study of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service's papers on feminists, including MacNeil, discovered accounts of the police serving feminists during the 1970s.

A trip to the Princess Colliery in Sydney Mines sparked "Working Man" as a result of the miners' daily struggles. She writes that the tour guide had suffered from throat cancer, remembered her mother's struggles with it, and that, when she introduced the song, she began in her head, complete with lyrics. The song, which debuted at number 11 in the United Kingdom charts, became a worldwide bestseller and the unofficial anthem for coal miners.

MacNeil's second album was released in 1981. Parts of the Mysterious Man, which featured some of the songs she had written after returning to Cape Breton: "Part of the Unknown Man," "Old Man," "Black Rock," and the first appearance of "Working Man." MacNeil and her allies founded Big Pond Publishing and Production Limited in 1980, which today is operated by Wade in the hopes of ensuring that it would be picked up. I'm Not What I Seem, MacNeil's third album, was released in 1983.

MacNeil was invited to perform at Expo '85 in Japan. At the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, she taped her first television special for CBC, Celtic Fantasy. Sadly, the fruitful year ended in heartache when MacNeil's father died in early December.

After MacNeil had appeared at Expo '86 in Vancouver several times, the media started advising people to attend and see her perform. Vancouver was a long way from home, and "She's Called Nova Scotia" took their place out of MacNeil's homesickness.

MacNeil and John Gracie were chosen alongside John Gracie to tape a pilot episode for a CBC television series called View From the Heart, a variety show similar to her later series Rita & Friends. MacNeil learned that the show would not proceed after traveling to Nashville to record "Flying on Your Own" and "Fast Train to Tokyo." Macneil's appearance had adversely harmed her prospects, according to a newspaper headline at the time, 'Fat lady with a cleft lip not marketable: CBC Toronto'.

MacNeil was planning to launch Flying on Your Own, but record shops were unable to pick it up, so she decided to release it under Lupin Production's own name. Maritimes sales surged upon its debut. She also shot Candy Mountain, in which she appeared in a small role as a Winnie. Flying on Your Own had been selling 22,000 copies by February 1987, and A&M Records Canada had taken over the operation. Sales reached 40,000, eventually earning Gold Record status, and 75,000 copies were sold by the end of 1987. In 1987, MacNeil received her first Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist.

MacNeil earned an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick in 1988 and released two more albums, Now the Bells Ring and Reason to Believe, which were both written for her mother. At the same time, Flying on Your Own celebrated 120,000 sales, earning platinum status. Reason to Believe had earned platinum status by November 1988.

MacNeil's triumph was evident. Anne Murray, a fellow Canadian singer, appeared on her 1988 album As I Am.

The Procan award, which is now known as Socan, was one of the highest accolades in the Canadian music industry.

MacNeil received another honorary doctorate from St. Mary's University in 1989. Rita, her own video collection, was also shot in Vancouver and starred on another television special, Flying on Your Own for CTV, as well as another, Rita.

MacNeil was nominated for three Juno awards: Album of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, and Country Vocalist of the Year in 1990; she received Female Vocalist of the Year.

Rita's album was voted Year of the Year at the 1990 Canadian Country Music Awards and the East Coast Music Awards, as well as Female Vocalist of the Year. She produced her first Christmas special for CTV, Now the Bells Ring, and her Christmas album, Now the Bells Ring, reached triple-platinum status, and Flying on Your Own achieved double-platinum status.

At the East Coast Music Awards in 1991, MacNeil was named Female Vocalist of the Year at the Juno Awards, followed by Female Vocalist, Album of the Year (Home I'll Be), and Song of the Year ("Home I'll Be" on the year. (We'll Reach the Sky Tonight) She was also given the Socan Award for Highest Airplay of a Song. MacNeil also embarked on a European tour, which included what she considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity appearance at the Royal Albert Hall.

MacNeil had been named Entertainer of the Year by the fall, as well as the award for the top-selling album at the Canadian Country Music Awards.

The Order of Canada was given to MacNeil in the spring of 1992. On the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, she was asked to perform "We'll Reach the Sky Tonight" on Canada Day.

MacNeil won the East Coast Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1993 and received honorary doctorates from St. Francis Xavier University and Mount St. Vincent University.

At Game 2 of the World Series, MacNeil was invited to SkyDome in Toronto to perform "O Canada." Following the show, a Toronto journalist made a remark about the Philadelphia Phillies' physical health. A local Philadelphia newspaper took aim at MacNeil, saying, "Towns that need forklifts to move their O Canada singer to home plate should consider twice before referring to Phillies as unfit." MacNeil was not compensated for her work by the pound, note, or in Jenny Craig Certificates, according to the writer. MacNeil's autobiography claims that no retraction or apology was ever issued by the journalist or the newspaper. When asked later if she'd perform for another World Series game, she responded with a joking attitude: "Yes, I'd do it, but only if they push me out onto the field on a forklift."

MacNeil attempted to introduce a clothing line as a result of her continuing struggles with weight gain and shopping for clothing in sizes over 26, but shoppers weren't keen on carrying the line and shoppers weren't interested in her style. She wanted to see stores carry sizes up to 32, while Penningtons thought there were 26 in total, but the 'Rita Line' attracted no attention.

Rita's Tea Room, which opened in 1986, was more popular. It was originally a one-room schoolhouse where she lived in 1993, with the foyer, gift shop, kitchen, and additional rooms. MacNeil held a summer concert series in the tea room, which included dinner and a performance. During her death, her coworkers continued to perform shows during the summer months.

MacNeil was awarded another honorary doctorate from the University College of Cape Breton in 1994. From 1994 to 1997, MacNeil was given the opportunity to host Rita & Friends, a television variety series from 1994 to 1997. In Studio 40 of CBC Toronto, the show was produced. The first show attracted 1.7 million viewers. By 1996, the show had been moved from its popular Friday-night slot to Wednesday nights, and it was eventually cancelled.

In 1996, MacNeil was named in the Best Performance in a Variety Program for the best achievement. In 1994, she was nominated for the same award but didn't win, and in 1995 she was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in a Variety Program for her Christmas special, Once Upon a Christmas.

On a Personal Note with Anne Simpson in 1998, MacNeil wrote a memoir which was later published by Key Porter Books. Rita MacNeil, a personal note, was interviewed by CTV journalist Sandie Rinaldo in a one-hour film based on her autobiography.

Natalie MacMaster, John McDermott, The Barra MacNeil, Jamie Salé, and David Pelletier also appeared in her final television Christmas special on CTV in 2000, which featured performances by Patti LaBelle.

Rita MacNeil of the Deeps, a one-hour special showcasing the coal mining choir The Men of the Deeps, was shot in 2003. Rita MacNeil's Cape Breton was released on television one year later in 2004, starring Jimmy Rankin, Ashley MacIsaac, and The Men of the Deeps.

In 2003, MacNeil published Christmas at Home with Rita MacNeil. The book brought memories of Christmas in Cape Breton, as well as family recipes and song lyrics. Late December, she also included a copy of her 2003 Christmas album, Late December.

MacNeil was a participant in a 2004 episode of Trailer Park Boys, in which she and her band were forced to harvest marijuana at gunpoint.

In 2005, MacNeil was granted the Order of Nova Scotia. At the 2005 East Coast Music Awards, she was also named with the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award.

Flying On Her Own, a play based on MacNeil's life and starring several of her songs, premiered at Live Bait Theatre in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2000. It was written by Canadian playwright Charlie Rhindress and released by Playwrights Canada Press in 2008.

'Sharing Christmas: Rita MacNeil and Special Guest Frank Mills,' MacNeil's last concert tour took place in December 2012.' George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos on December 6, 2012. MacNeil's last known stage appearance came just over a month before she died on March 9, 2013, during East Coast Music Week. At the 2013 East Coast Music Awards Gala, MacNeil was also given the 25th Anniversary Award.

Following MacNeil's death, Traveling On, a 25th album was released. It's a memorial album containing some of MacNeil's most popular songs, hand-picked by her son Wade, her extended family, and thousands of followers who shared their thoughts on social media.

In September 2013, MacNeil was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame for the first time.

With the Directors Special Achievement Award at the 2014 East Coast Music Awards, MacNeil was honoured.

Charlie Rhindress' biography of MacNeil, I'm Not What I Seem, was published by Formac in October 2016 and became a top seller in Nova Scotia and PEI.

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