Stan Rogers’ music continues to amaze, amuse and inspire people from all walks of life. It has appeared in several poetry anthologies, been used in films, plays and musicals, and has been referred to as “one of the touchstones of modern Canadian history.”
Passing before his time at age 33 in an airplane accident at the Greater Cincinnati Airport, Stan’s legacy carries on as a passionate Canadian partisan, and much of his short creative life was taken up with song cycles that chronicled the East, the Plains, the West and finally the Great Lakes and Ontario. He was always on the road pursuing his dream of establishing a national identity for Canadian songwriting. It was a dream fulfilled; through his constant soaring, dynamic performances, and brilliant songs, his influence on Canadian folk music has been deep and lasting.
Some say Stan’s son Nathan Rogers was born into it (born in Hamilton, Ont. now residing in Winnipeg, MB), some that he was born with it, while others claim he has earned it, with one foot planted firmly in folk music’s traditional roots and the other reaching into its dynamic future. Nathan has increasingly been turning heads with his own material. His performance style leaves the audiences wondering where the rest of the band is hiding. Singing, chanting, playing the guitar and stomping, he fills any stage with “magnificent powerfully clear lyrics and arrangements.”
Along with his own original material Nathan has always found room during his performances to include one or two of his father’s songs. From these performances sprung the idea to do a one-time tour performing Stan’s repertoire. As a result Nathan has begun a cross Canada tour “Nathan Sings Stan — The Rogers Legacy continues.” There is no one better who can bring this music to audiences with new life and voice than Stan’s son Nathan.
A talented musician and prolific songwriter with a rich baritone voice, Nathan fulfills the high expectations placed on the son of Canadian folk icon Stan Rogers. Nathan has shared the stage with JP Cormier, The Oysterband, Spirit of the West, John Cameron, and continues to earn his place in the Canadian folk and blues canon. In deference to the many requests he receives, Nathan will tour with a program of Stan’s songs in tribute to his father’s musical legacy.
