Willie Dunn
Willie Dunn | |
---|---|
Born | William Lawrence Dunn August 14, 1941 |
Died | August 5, 2013 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | (aged 71)
Occupation(s) | Film director, producer, screenwriter, musician |
William Lawrence Dunn (August 14, 1941 – August 5, 2013)
Music career
Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Dunn was a singer and acoustic guitarist. He released several full-length albums of recorded music including Willie Dunn (1971), The Pacific (1980) and Metallic (1999). Metallic reprises material from both earlier releases.[4] Dunn's most famous song, "I Pity the Country", was a critique of colonialism and anti-indigenous racism;[5] he was also known for the song "Son of the Sun", which Kashtin covered on their second album Innu.[6] In 2004 Dunn released the album Son of the Sun with sixteen songs (including three live recordings).
His songs "I Pity the Country", "Son of the Sun" and "Peruvian Dream" are featured on the 2014 compilation album Native North America, Vol. 1.[7]
Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies, a compilation of songs from throughout his career, was released in 2021 on Light in the Attic Records.[8]
Film
He wrote a song entitled "
The Ballad of Crowfoot has sometimes been credited as the first known Canadian music video.[16] In 2020 the Prism Prize, Canada's annual award for innovations in music video, introduced a lifetime achievement award named in Dunn's memory, with choreographer and video director Laurieann Gibson named as the first winner of the award.[16]
Politics
A longtime member of the
Discography
Albums
Year | Album |
---|---|
1971 | Willie Dunn |
1972 | Willie Dunn |
1980 | The Pacific |
1984 | The Vanity of Human Wishes |
Anthologies
Year | Album |
---|---|
1999 | Metallic |
2004 | Son of the Sun |
2021 | Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology |
Singles
Year | Single | CAN Country | Album |
---|---|---|---|
1971 | "Schooldays" | 35 | Willie Dunn |
1973 | "I Pity the Country" | 79 |
References
- ^ "First Nations troubadour Willie Dunn sang truth to power". The Globe and Mail. 23 October 2013.
- ^ Roy Wright and Andrew McIntosh, "Willie Dunn". The Canadian Encyclopedia, February 18, 2008.
- ^ Brad Wheeler, "A new anthology celebrates the pioneering Indigenous troubadour, filmmaker and activist Willie Dunn". The Globe and Mail, March 24, 2021.
- ^ "Willie Dunn". Auraltrad.com. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
- ^ Dave White, "Trailbreaking Indigenous artist Willie Dunn gets new posthumous release". CBC North, February 28, 2021.
- ^ Lynn Saxberg, "Kashtin's spirit is infectious". Ottawa Citizen, September 26, 1991.
- ^ "Light in the Attic Unearths the Forgotten History of First Nations Music with 'Native North America' Compilation". Exclaim!, October 8, 2014.
- Pitchfork, March 22, 2021.
- ^ Montreal Gazette, October 21, 1990.
- ^ Ottawa Citizen, 30 July 1992
- ^ "Fixing the Gaze: New Indigenous Work at the NFB". NFB/blog. National Film Board of Canada. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- ^ "The Ballad of Crowfoot". Collections page. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
- ^ "The Ballad of Willie Dunn". Curator's comments by Gil Cardinal. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2009-10-02.
- ^ "Willie Dunn infosite". Auraltrad.com. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
- ISBN 978-0-8020-7964-0.
- ^ a b "2020 Prism Prize Special Award Winners Announced". FYI Music News, July 22, 2020.
- ^ Ottawa Citizen, October 7, 1993.
- ^ Montreal Gazette, 14 November 1998
- ^ Halifax Daily News, July 25, 2002.
- ^ Edmonton Journal, June 25, 2005.
- ^ Doc Rock. "July to December". The Dead Rock Stars Club. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
- ^ "William Dunn obituary". Legacy.com. 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
- ^ "Aboriginal singer, activist Willie Dunn dies at 71". Cbc.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-10.
External links
- Willie Dunn discography at Discogs
- Willie Dunn at IMDb