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Willie Thrasher (born 1948) is a Canadian Inuvialuit musician from Aklavik, Northwest Territories. "On the Road Again: Willie Thrasher's Second Life". The Tyee, May 23, 2015. He has recorded both as a solo artist, and as a member of several bands, including The Cordells, and Red Cedar, with Morley Loon. Thrasher has advocated for Inuit and First Nations issues for much of his career.
After this change in style, Thrasher joined popular artists such as Buffy Sainte-Marie and Willie Dunn (Mi'kmaq descent) in exploring Indigenous topics in the mid-1970s, and speaking out on political issues. Thrasher toured heavily in this period, and suffered from alcoholism. In the early 1980s, Thrasher made two recordings with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's CBC North: Spirit Child, a full-length studio album of original songs, and Sweet Grass, a live recording in Val-d'Or, Quebec, with fellow First Nations musicians Willy Mitchell, Morley Loon, and Roger House.
Thrasher joined Morley Loon as part of his Vancouver-based Red Cedar group in the 1980s. In 1990, Thrasher participated in the Odeyak expedition, where Cree and Inuit leaders paddled from Quebec to New York City. A song composed by Thrasher was performed in Times Square by the group. In 1998, Thrasher performed as part of a revival of traditional potlach ceremonies organised by Commissioner of the Yukon Judy Gingell in Whitehorse.
His songs "Spirit Child", "Old Man Carver" and "We Got to Take You Higher" are featured on the 2014 compilation album Native North America, Vol. 1. "Light in the Attic Unearths the Forgotten History of First Nations Music with 'Native North America' Compilation". Exclaim!, October 8, 2014. As a result of the revived publicity from the Native North America compilation, Thrasher has undertaken more extensive touring, including festival dates in Austin, Texas and the Northwest Territories, and his 1981 album Spirit Child was reissued in October 2015 on Light in the Attic Records. "Willie Thrasher is ready for his closeup, again". The Globe and Mail, October 28, 2015. Thrasher currently lives on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia.
Personal life
Actor Eric Schweig is Thrasher's nephew.
Discography
Categories: Inuit Musicians, People From Aklavik, Singers From The Northwest Territories, 1948 Births, Living People, 20th-century Canadian Male Singers, 20th-century Canadian Singer-songwriters, 20th-century Inuit People, 21st-century Canadian Male Singers, 21st-century Canadian Singer-songwriters, 21st-century Inuit People, Inuit From The Northwest Territories, Inuvialuit People, Canadian Male Singer-songwriters, Canadian Folk Singer-songwriters
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