According to an email I received from Ron Coulthard, a former member of Royce Riehl and the Country Cousins, Sharon Strong (now Sharon Murray) currently lives in Kintore, Ontario, was awarded a Barn Dance Pioneer Award in 2004, and still sings occasionally at her church, although it has been many years since she took the stage as a country singer. Coulthard performed with Strong many times over the years, beginning with a Labour Day event when Sharon was just six or seven years old, and says she also made frequent appearances on the CKNX-TV Circle 8 Ranch program. The liner notes from her only album,Sincerely..., also help to fill in the blanks a bit:

"Sharon Strong, at the age of fifteen, is already a trooper in show business! She has been on TV in Wingham, Ontario for ten of her fifteen years, and has made many guest appearances on the Bill Long Show, Carl Smith Show, Circle 8 and Western Round Up. Sharon not only has one of the nicest voices of the younger set, but also plays piano, guitar and trumpet along with being a cheer leader at the Seaforth District High School. Sharon worked on the Easter Seal Benefit programme in 1965 with some of the top Canadian personalities. She has averaged 68 appearances each year for the past seven years. After you hear the golden voice of Sharon Strong on this album, I'm sure you will agree that she will be known by music lovers for many, many years."

PERSONNEL - Lead Guitar: Mickey McGivern, Steel Guitar: Al Gains, Organ and Piano: Al Mathews, Drums: Tony DiMaria, Bass: Jerry Lagacy and Mark McGivern, Ryhthm Guitar: Artie McLaren, Vibes: Ken Warriner, Producer and A&R Direction: Ben Weatherby.

This album is a sterling example of country-pop with a very mid-'60s sound and strong Kitty Wells/Patsy Cline influence. I really like "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey," with its tasty organ and vibraphone work, and "I Need You" features Strong's most impassioned singing, with her backup band buttressed by a tasteful string section. It's really more of a soul tune with a low-fi "Wall Of Sound" feel than a straight-up country number. "Heartache No. 5," a more traditional mid-tempo country ballad, also includes the string section, giving it and "I Need You" a markedly different sound than the rest of the songs on the album.

Put Your Arms Around Me Honey
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
I Need You
Heartache No. 5

A while back, Sharon got in touch with me, and as we emailed back and forth a bit, I asked her a few questions about her career as a country singer. Here's what she had to say:

Q: At what age did you start singing in public?
A: I started singing at age 3 at a Christmas concert and from there I got an audition to sing on CKNX Wingham TV at age 4. From that time on, I made regular appearances on Circle 8 Ranch and on the CKNX Barn Dance (we travelled all over southwestern Ontario).

Q: On the back cover of the album it mentions that you appeared on a few TV shows (The Bill Long Show, The Carl Smith Show, Circle 8 Ranch, and Western Roundup). How did that come about, and do you know anyone who would still have video copies of any of these shows?
A: As far as appearing on other shows...Western Roundup was another show on CKNX so they just called and asked if i could come on the show. The other shows were in Toronto and Hamilton and I really can't remember how I got on there but I know that they called my parents and asked if I could come on the shows. I was really young so details weren't that important to me. Most of the early videos from CKNX were destroyed in a station fire in the early 1960's, so they are gone. As for the other videos...I am not sure if copies would be kept at the stations or not. The shows were on CHCH & CFTO.

Q: What led to the recording of your album on Arc Records? Did you have a manager or agent who arranged that sort of thing, or did the company contact you? Do you remember anything about the producer, Ben Weatherby?
A: I remember that Saul Holiff wanted to be my manager and take me to the States but my parents said "NO". Again, I am not sure how the record deal came about but i think it was through being on CFTO or CHCH. I remember Ben very well. I stayed with his family in Toronto when I went down to do the record album.

Q: Did you only record the one album? Are there any albums by other musicians or compilations that your music appeared on?
A: I only did one solo album but also appeared on a Christmas album with other artists at the ARC studio.

Q: You mentioned before that the recording session for the album was the first time you travelled to Toronto. What were the session(s) like? Was everything recorded "live" in the studio with all of the musicians there, or were there overdubs of things like the string section added later?
A: I grew up on a farm so being in Toronto for a week by myself was a big deal..the sessions were long and sometimes boring but interesting too. Just like today, we did the songs over and over until they thought they were ok. There were overdubs by singers and also added harmony by myself. Strings were also added later.

Q: There are actually a few songwriting credits on the back cover. Do you have any idea who "M. Devine", "R. Fulton", "A Locke & Cy. Anders" and/or "F. Daniels & P. Daniels" might be?
A: I don't know any of the writers mentioned but I do know that Heartache #5 and I Need You were written for me.

Q: Can you tell me anything about the musicians who played on the album?
A: I wouldn't remember any of the musicians now but they were all really nice to me and we got along very well.

Q: Did you ever go on tour, and if so did you travel outside of Canada?
A: I mostly toured around Ontario and never sang out of Canada. I did sing on a country show in Calgary when I went out to the Stampede. I had won a trip for two to the Calgary Stampede by singing on a CKNX-TV talent show in 1959. My mom and I travelled there and stayed for a week. I appeared on a show there that I can't remember the name of. This appearance was pre-arranged by CKNX-TV.

Q: Who were some of the musicians you performed with over the years, Canadian and otherwise?
A: I sang many times with Al Cherney and his band; also Larry Mercey and the Mercey Bros. I had appearances on the Marty Robbins Show, and the Faron Young Show. I met Waylon Jennings on the Carl Smith Show, and Maurice Beaulieu on the Bill Long Show. I sang a couple songs with Tommy Hunter in Sauble Beach and on and on.

Q: When and why did you decide to stop performing as a country singer?
A: I sang until I got married at the ripe old age of 18 and raised 3 great kids and now 5 grandkids. They are my whole life. My husband and I have been married for 38 years and holding. I guess I was destined to be a wife and mom but over the years i have been involved with many different things. I am a licenced Reflexologist and worked in the pharmacy at Shoppers Drug Mart for 14 years. I currently spend a few hours each day caring for my neighbour who enjoys hours of Scrabble and chitchat.