Friends and fans of Daisy DeBolt were saddened to hear that she passed away October 4, 2011 after a very brief illness.
The talent of Daisy DeBolt is the exuberant synthesis of family, musical and creative influences and is also a contributing force in the evolution of contemporary music. Her energy, humour and power as a vocalist have been affecting audiences since the 1960's and prompted critic Peter Goddard to write: "Her music doesn't showcase its roots, it contributes to them."
Daisy's early influences explain the origins of her musical talent. Her mother Marjorie was a music teacher who led a band in which young Daisy played guitar. Daisy's father played chromatic harmonica and banjo. In high school Daisy studied guitar with the legendary Lenny Breau.
After one year in fine arts at the University of Manitoba, Daisy decided to make music her career. After arriving in Toronto in 1965 she opened for the likes of Lonnie Johnson and Jessie Fuller and began working with several bands, including the Allen-Ward Trio and a jug band with Joe Mendelson.
Daisy later started a folk duo called Toronto Elevator with Arthur Gee and in 1968 they played a double bill in a Hamilton high school gym with another folk duo, Breakfast, which consisted of Allan Fraser and Sue Lothrop. They ran into each other again at a Mariposa Folk Festival songwriter's workshop and within a few months, both duos had broken up. Breakfast was already booked for a lengthy tour of U.S. colleges (called the Weintraub Circuit) and their manager, Brian Blain, didn't want to cancel those dates and he knew that Daisy and Arthur had broken up so he asked Daisy if she could do the tour with Allan and promptly drove Allan to Daisy's basement apartment on Jarvis Street in Toronto where they immediately connected musically (and soon, romantically). Allan recollects that it was the first time he tasted curry. It was hot, and so was the music, and before long, a hot, intense romance emerged. After a couple more tours their New York connections led them to Jay K. Hoffman who arranged for them to do an opening set for his client Tom Paxton at the Fillmore East where he invited Columbia Records executives to hear them. They were signed to Columbia Records in 1970.
Their first album received rave reviews and was followed by a second album and tours in the United States and Canada. In 1974 Fraser & DeBolt represented North America in Sopot, Poland at the International Song Festival.
Following the breakup of Fraser & DeBolt, Daisy wrote film scores for the National Film Board of Canada and worked with dance company Ballet Ys. She also explored reggae music with her band Don't Push Me Against The Fridge.
In the late 1980's Daisy began work on her first solo CD Soulstalking which she described as "alpine polka reggae." Meanwhile, she toured the folk festival circuit in Canada and made many appearances on CBC radio programs.
Daisy also took time out to star in the Theatre Calgary production of Country Hearts in which she played the lead role of Sam Slick. She was also musical director for a production of Nickel in Sudbury and she appeared in The Coming in Toronto.
In recent years Daisy performed at the Women In E Motion concert series in Bremen, Germany and has done club dates and concert tours in Canada. She has also written music for the YTV series 15 Love.
She collaborated with other poets and singers and went on to marry poet Robert Dickson, who predeceased her.
Her recordings include solo work Soulstalking, the jazz album Live Each Day with Soul, created in memory of her mother, and 2004's Lovers and Fantasies, which includes two songs written by novelist Michael Ondaatje.
In September, DeBolt toured and sang in British Columbia, but cancer rapidly overtook her in the final few weeks of her life.
She is survived by her son, Jake DeBolt of B.C.