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Orval William Prophet

Male 1922 - 1984  (61 years)


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  • Name Orval William Prophet 
    Born 31 Aug 1922  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Edwards, Ontario
    Gender Male 
    Died 4 Jan 1984  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    • Edwards, Ontario
    Person ID I18978  Family Tree
    Last Modified 9 Jul 2023 

    Father William Edmond Prophet,   b. 27 Oct 1885, Grenville, Québec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Apr 1962, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 76 years) 
    Mother Alice Rebecca Tomalty,   b. 19 Aug 1895, Pine Hill, Québec, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 25 May 1972  (Age 76 years) 
    Married 10 Feb 1914  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F9459  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 31 Aug 1922 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 4 Jan 1984 - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 
    Pin Legend  : Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  • Notes 
    • Orval William Prophet, 31 August 1922, Edwards, Ontario, Canada, d. 4 January 1984, Edwards, Ontario, Canada. Born into a farming family, Prophet was a self-taught guitarist and with his sister, Helen, played local dances while still a young teenager. By his early twenties he was an accomplished musician. Through the late 40s he played and sang with a band led by Bill Sheppard, touring extensively in Canada and broadcasting over CFRA. At the end of the 40s, he toured with Wilf Carter?s band and also with Mac Beattie?s Ottawa Valley Melodiers. During the following decade he became popular in the USA and for a spell sang rock ?n? roll, as Johnny Six, but soon returned to his musical roots as indicated by his long-time billing: The Canadian Plowboy.
      Prophet recorded from the early 50s, through into the 70s. He was briefly resident in Wheeling, West Virginia, but eventually returned to his home town to make it his base. Although he suffered poor health from the early 70s onwards, with several heart attacks and open-heart surgery along the way, Prophet barely slackened his pace, living the double life of farmer and country musician throughout the decade. Among the songs Prophet recorded over the years are ?Going Back To Birmingham?, ?Don?t Trade Your Love For Gold?, ?Mademoiselle?, ?Judgement Day Express?, ?Molly Darling?, ?Mile After Mile?, ?Half A Heart?, ?Town Of Memories?, ?Forgotten Dreams?, ?Over In That Happy Land?, ?It?s Good To Be Home Again?, ?Travelling Snowman? (a tribute to fellow Canadian Hank Snow whose vocal sound Prophet?s resembled), ?Big River Joe?, ?Lisa Mae? and ?Ol? Amos?. He also wrote and recorded ?Lois And Me?, named for Lois Haley who became his first wife in 1961, but died eight years later. Many of the songs in Prophet?s repertoire were his own compositions, some written alone, others in collaboration with songwriters such as Ken MacRae and Dallas Harms. The latter composed ?Just A Simple Love Song?, for Prophet and his second wife, Laurette, and ?I?ve Seen Some Things?, which recounted the singer?s life.
      From the late 70s, Prophet was recipient of several awards from Canadian country music associations and following his death was inducted into the Hall of Honor of the Canadian Country Music Association and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. His second cousin, Ronnie Prophet, is also a well-known country singer.
      Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.