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Bobby Gimby




Bobby Gimby, C.M. ( October 25 , 1918June 20 , 1998 ) was a Canadian orchestra leader, trumpeter, and singer/songwriter.

He was born Robert Stead Gimby (pronounced Jim-bee) in Cabri , Saskatchewan where he played in a boys' band. He was a member of the popular radio show '' The Happy Gang ''. In the 1940s he went to Toronto, Ontario where he formed his own Orchestra , hosted a TV show on CBC Television and founded a music school.

Known as "The Pied Piper of Canada", for his country's 1967 Centennial celebrations Gimby wrote the Bilingual song " Canada ". More than fifty different recordings were made of the song, plus more than two hundred and fifty Canadian school choirs and bands recorded it. In 1971 , Gimby donated the song's original manuscript and all future royalties to Scouts Canada . Gimby's compositions include centennial songs for the provinces of Manitoba and British Columbia .

Bobby also wrote " Malaysia Forever " for the celebration for the formation of Malaysian Federation in 1963.

In recognition of his musical contribution to his country, Gimby was made a member of the Order Of Canada in 1968.

Gimby died in 1998 in North Bay, Ontario and was interred in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto .


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EXTERNAL LINKS


Multimedia

  • Youtube 1985 CBC Television clip looking back at the "Ca-na-da" song, and the 'ruins' of the Expo site. The opening features Bob Gimby performing his song.

  • CBC TV archives