Rita MacNeil

 ( 1944 Births ) 

In 1985 MacNeil was invited to sing at the Canadian Pavilion in Japan, at Expo '85. On A Personal Note. p. 181 Upon her return home she taped her first television special for CBC, Celtic Fantasy, at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. On A Personal Note. p. 186 Unfortunately the successful year ended in heartache when MacNeil's father died in early December. On A Personal Note. p. 188

After MacNeil had performed several times at Expo '86 in Vancouver, On A Personal Note. p. 190 the media began encouraging everyone to go and see her sing. On A Personal Note. p. 191 Vancouver was a long way from home, and out of MacNeil's homesickness came "She's Called Nova Scotia." On A Personal Note. p. 192

MacNeil was selected along with John Gracie to tape a pilot episode for a CBC television series called View From the Heart, On A Personal Note. p. 193 a variety show similar to her later series Rita & Friends. After travelling to Nashville to record "Flying on Your Own" and "Fast Train to Tokyo," MacNeil learned the show would not go ahead. The press suggested Macneil's appearance had adversely affected her chances; a newspaper headline of the time read 'Fat lady with cleft lip not marketable: So says CBC Toronto'. On A Personal Note. p. 194

Not letting this disappointment get her down, MacNeil was ready to release her fourth album, Flying on Your Own, but record companies were unwilling to pick it up, so she decided to release it under her own record label, Lupin Production. Upon the release, sales in the Maritimes skyrocketed. At the same time she filmed a movie called Candy Mountain, in which she played the small role of a singer named Winnie. By February 1987 Virgin Record Canada and A&M Records Canada had taken over the sales of Flying on Your Own, which had sold 22,000 copies. Sales reached 40,000, eventually hitting Gold Record status, On A Personal Note. p. 196 and selling 75,000 copies by the end of 1987. MacNeil also won her first Juno Award in 1987 for Most Promising Female Vocalist. On A Personal Note. p. 197

In 1988 MacNeil received an honorary doctorate from the University of New Brunswick, and released two more albums, Now the Bells Ring and Reason to Believe, which was written for her mother. On A Personal Note. p. 200 At the same time Flying on Your Own surpassed 120,000 sales, reaching platinum status. By November 1988, Reason to Believe had reached platinum status. On A Personal Note. p. 201

MacNeil's success was evident. Fellow Canadian singing icon Anne Murray covered the song "Flying on Your Own", on her 1988 album As I Am. On A Personal Note. p. 202

MacNeil was given one of the Canadian music industry's highest honours, the Procan award, now known as Socan. On A Personal Note. p. 203

In 1989 MacNeil received another honorary doctorate, from St. Mary's University. On A Personal Note. p. 208 She also filmed another television special, Flying on Your Own, for CTV, On A Personal Note. p. 210 and released another album, Rita, which she recorded in Vancouver. On A Personal Note. p. 212

Her album Rita won Album of the Year at the 1990 Canadian Country Music Awards, and at the East Coast Music Awards along with Female Vocalist of the Year. On A Personal Note. p. 218 She also filmed her first Christmas special for CTV, Now the Bells Ring, On A Personal Note. p. 223 and saw her Christmas album, Now the Bells Ring, reach triple-platinum status and Flying on Your Own reach double-platinum status. On A Personal Note. p. 224

In 1991 MacNeil won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Juno Awards, followed by Female Vocalist, Album of the Year ( Home I'll Be), and Song of the Year ("Home I'll Be"), at the East Coast Music Awards. She was also awarded the Socan Award for Highest Airplay of a Song ("We'll Reach the Sky Tonight"). On A Personal Note. p. 226 MacNeil also set out on a European tour, which included what she considered a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity performance at the Royal Albert Hall. On A Personal Note. p. 228

By the fall, MacNeil had won the fan choice for Entertainer of the Year, as well as the award for top-selling album, at the Canadian Country Music Awards. On A Personal Note. p. 232

In the spring of 1992 MacNeil was given the Order of Canada. Upon receipt of this award, she was asked to sing "We'll Reach the Sky Tonight" on Canada Day, during the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. On A Personal Note. p. 239

IN 1993 MacNeil won the East Coast Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year and received honorary doctorates from St. Francis Xavier University and Mount St. Vincent University. On A Personal Note. p. 244

1993 World Series
MacNeil was invited to Toronto's SkyDome to sing "O Canada" at Game 2 of the World Series. Following the performance, a Toronto journalist made comments about the physical conditions of the Philadelphia Phillies players. In retaliation, a local Philadelphia newspaper took aim at MacNeil stating: "Towns that need forklifts to transport their O Canada singer to home plate, should think twice before describing Phillies as unfit." The journalist further wondered whether MacNeil was paid for her performance by the pound or the note or in Jenny Craig Certificates. On A Personal Note. p. 245 In her autobiography MacNeil notes that no retraction or apology was ever issued by the journalist or the newspaper. When asked later if she would sing for another World Series game, she answered true to her humorous self: "Yes, I'd do it, but only if they drive me out onto the field on a forklift." On A Personal Note. p. 246

In her continuing struggles with weight and shopping for clothing in sizes above 26, MacNeil attempted to launch a clothing line, but stores didn't seem interested in carrying the line and shoppers weren't interested in her style. She hoped to get stores to carry sizes up to 32 and Penningtons considered sizes up to 26, but the 'Rita Line' garnered no interest. On A Personal Note. p. 248

More successful was Rita's Tea Room, which opened in 1986. Originally a one-room schoolhouse where she lived, it was expanded in 1993 to include the foyer, gift shop, kitchen, and additional rooms. On A Personal Note. p. 249 In later years MacNeil performed summer concert series in the tea room, which included dinner and a show. Upon her death, her former bandmates continued to perform shows during the summer months.

MacNeil received another honorary doctorate in 1994 from the University College of Cape Breton. On A Personal Note. p. 250 MacNeil was given the opportunity to host a television variety series from 1994 until 1997 called Rita & Friends. The show was produced by CBC Toronto in Studio 40. The first show brought in 1.7 million viewers. On A Personal Note. p. 252 By 1996 the show had been moved from its popular Friday-night slot to Wednesday nights, and was eventually cancelled. On A Personal Note. p. 261

MacNeil won a Gemini Award for Best Performance in a Variety Program in 1996. On A Personal Note. p. 262 She was nominated for the same award in 1994, but did not win, and in 1995 was nominated for Best Performance in a Variety Program for her Christmas special, Once Upon a Christmas.

MacNeil wrote a memoir, On a Personal Note with Anne Simpson in 1998 and it was published by Key Porter Books. She was interviewed by CTV journalist Sandie Rinaldo in a one-hour documentary based on her autobiography, Rita MacNeil: On a Personal Note.