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as an entertainer in eight-piece show
bands, where he performed in dancehalls
in Ireland, England and
Scotland.
His first years in Canada were
spent touring Ontario’s nightclub circuit
with an Irish band before forming
a band under his own name.
“Without my wife, I would never
have lasted,” he recognizes.
For years, the Robin Averill
Band packed the popular bar in
Vanier’s Butler Hotel while continuing
to headline at Irish clubs as far
away as Vancouver. Although the
band’s repertoire of songs included
ballads, pop, rock ’n roll, country,
swing and children’s music, it was
quickly defined by its traditional
Irish fare.
Give an Irish Girl to Me was Robin’s
first album, released in 1979.
Recorded with his friend and guitar
player Joe Turner as musical director,
the album helped to solidify his reputation
as an authentically Irish performer.
In 1985, Robin’s career received
an unexpected boost when members
of the Prime Minister’s Office stopped
by to take in his show. Before he knew
it, he was at the Grand Theatre in
Quebec City during the Shamrock
Summit, performing for Brian
Mulroney and Ronald Reagan.
“I have played at the Prime
Minister’s caucus parties 12 times,”
recalls Robin.
He has a photo of Mulroney
onstage with him, singing the classic
Irish tune When Irish Eyes are Smiling,
and displays it proudly on his website.
Robin’s second album, Green
Green Valley, was also released in 1985.
“It is about the Irish coming to
the Ottawa Valley for their own plot
of green,” explains Robin. “Ever since
I came to the Ottawa Valley, I had
read about the tenacity of the Irish
immigrants, especially during the
famine years, and how they were so
tough. Their role in building the
Rideau Canal is just one example.”
The Irish ancestry of so many
Ottawa Valley residents has always
made St. Patrick’s Day a marathon of
jigs and reels and other traditional
Robin in Action
Rideau Carleton Raceway Slots
4837 Albion Road, Ottawa
September 13-14, 2008
Carp Fair
3790 Carp Road, Carp
Friday, September 26, 2008
Robin Averill Tel: 613 830-2800
www.robinaverill.com
Irish fare for Robin. It is music on which many of Ottawa’s population have cut
their teeth.
PLAYING MUSIC WITH AN OPEN HEART
Robin admits that he gets many calls requesting help during all manner of
fundraisers and functions on St. Patty’s Day. “I get lots of calls and it’s hard to say
no to them,” he says.
But one invitation he never turns down is his annual appearance on CFRA
Radio’s Lowell Green Show.
“Lowell is a great supporter of local talent and taking requests on his show is
always a lot of fun,” smiles Robin. “I never miss it because it is a wonderful way to
get to know people.”
Regular gigs at senior’s residences such as the Orchardview Living Centre in
Manotick also inspire and excite Robin. He knows the power of music and its ability
to restore the twinkle in an eye. He’s seen how it can boost a person’s spirits.
These days, Robin and Margaret are busy entertaining their grandchildren in
their Orleans home. And whenever possible, they make the journey back to
Ireland to visit a son who returned to his roots, marrying an Irish girl and settling
down in Galway.
Music is a gift Robin Averill gives genuinely and with an open heart.
Due East Magazine • Page 17 • Fall 2008
Robin spent his first years
touring before forming his
own band.