And Fred came back the very next year.
Beloved folk singer/ children’s entertainer Fred Penner, who is best known for his song “The Cat Came Back” returns to Lethbridge to play two shows at Les Cite Des Prairies, May 8 including a children focused matinee at 2 and an evening performance at 8 p.m. with opening acts Tanner James and Dave McCann.
Penner was a highlight of CKXU’s Love and Records festival last summer. Before that he hadn’t played Lethbridge for about five years.
he was humbled by the response he received at Love and Records.
“I’ve been part of their development,” he said.
“I think I played a campus about five years before that,” mused the affable Penner, who just returned home to Winnipeg.
“I have a new life partner who is from Toronto, so I have been splitting my time between Toronto and Winnipeg,” he said.
“I was born and raised in Winnipeg. When I started this journey in the ’70s, I thought about moving to Toronto. But then I thought if my career takes off, what better place to be based in then the middle of the country,” he continued.
He feels privileged to connect with fans who grew up watching his CBC TV series Fred Penner’s place.
“Even my children’s songs are essentially folk songs. I’m really impressed to be able to connect with them. A lot of the kids who grew up with Fred Penner’s Place are now going to the bars and folk festivals. So I’ll also play my own songs and songs from people I grew up listening to in the ’60s like Joni Mitchell and Cat Stevens,” he said.
He had a busy year of touring last year which took him from Bella Coola, B.C. all the way to St. John’s , Newfoundland.
In addition to touring, he has also been doing a lot of acting.
“I’ve been acting in film and TV since the 1970s. I just played Captain Hook with the Manitoba Theatre for Young People.
he is also working n a new CD thanks to a new partnership with Bruce Cockburn’s record label True North who rereleased his CD “Where In The World.”
Before that it has been about eight or nine years since did a CD, he said.
“True North have given me a lot of support. They are really good people, so it is a nice partnership,” he said.
We will be working with producer Ken Whiteley again on the new CD. Whiteley, who just released a new CD of his own ‘Freedom Blues, also worked with Raffi on his CDs
“Ken will be playing on it and he’ll pick a number of other Canadian artists to do some work on it,” Penner said, noting the new material will bridge the gap between family friendly and folk songs.
“The majority of it it certainly family friendly, it will certainly be singable. Hopefully my fans will embrace it,” he said, adding he hopes to release the new CD in the late summer or fall.
“I made a lot of friends there last time. It will be lovely to be back and lovely to see them again,” he said adding it is up to promoters whether he will be making annual visits back to Lethbridge.
Advance tickets for the Lethbridge shows, May 8 are $15 for the matinee performance and $25 for the evening performance.
