Singer-Songwriter Bruce Murdoch Lights Up Local Venue

On November 27th locals enjoyed live music on behalf of Ormstown resident Bruce Murdoch.

This past Friday, Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Murdoch played a set in his hometown of Ormstown, packing local venue Gigzz-Musique Resto. Murdoch and his drummer, Richard Weiss, received a standing ovation following the show. Special guests Adrien Doucette and Joe Byrde opened the evening, making the night a truly special event for local music enthusiasts. According to guest Lorraine Clark, “Bruce engaged the audience like no other with his personal stories about his writing and the history of other songs and their composers. He definitely had the audience’s attention. He had us singing along and encouraged clapping to the music of a favourite song or two.” Another fan noted that he was relieved to see Murdoch wearing pants, because “in shorts he looks like he's riding an ostrich." While everyone was in good humour, it was a sad evening for his fans, as the local musician noted that his performance on Friday evening would probably be his final show.

Signed to Stormy Forest Records by Richie Haven shortly after making his way to New York City, Murdoch had the pleasure of recording with the likes of Patrick Sky, David Blue and Richard Farina. The artist sang in several festivals, including the New York Folk Festival and the 1968 Newport Folk Festival—he even had the pleasure of performing at Carnegie Hall. The folk singer went on to write the campaign song for presidential peace candidate Eugene McCarthy.

In the 70s, Murdoch returned to Canada to live a quieter life. The former schoolteacher has since committed himself to a life of helping others, which has included careers as a schoolteacher, a firefighter, a civic councillor, a drug counsellor and a first-responder. While Murdoch has stepped away from music, his passion has remained. In 2008, he released Matters Of The Heart, which sold out. His newest recording, Sometimes I Wonder Why The World, is available for purchase on his website www.brucemurdoch.com.