Chilliwack ( with files from Chris Brown) – Former broadcaster Chris Brown posted the sad news on Thursday. Just a heads up for Northern friends..former Juno nominee and balladeer..my long time great friend Ted Wesley passed away peacefully this morning (Thursday) about 9 am in Chilliwack. Rest in peace my friend.
Bio:
Ted Wesley moved north from Edmonton, Alberta to work at the Discovery gold mine in the early 1960s.
Later, he moved to Yellowknife where he met and married Leslie Harder.
Together with Andy Steen, they formed the band, “The Tundra folk” performed at local gigs, on the Centennial barge and toured the high arctic in a Cessna 185 in the summer of 1967.
Ted recorded his first album“Straight North” in 1972 and “Black Flies and Mosquitoes” in 1973.
In 1972, he was the first musician in the Northwest Territories ever to be signed by a major record label.
In 1977, Ted’s third album, “North of Canada” sold more than 70,000 albums (certified Gold album) and earned him a Juno nomination for Country Male Vocalist of the Year.
In 2010, he released a compilation double CD package, “I Remember… Our Northern Heritage”.
Ted and Leslie Wesley were among the original founders of the “Folk on the Rocks” music festival in 1980.
