Thursday, November 28 • 7:30 PM
The Historic Market Hall
David Francey, a Scottish-born Canadian carpenter who swapped sawdust for song lyrics, is renowned as “one of Canada’s most revered folk poets and singers” (Toronto Star). Born in Ayrshire, Scotland, to factory-working parents, he moved to Canada at twelve and spent decades working in rail yards, construction sites, and the Yukon bush. All the while, he was composing poetry and turning it into tunes in his head, serenading himself as he labored away.
An authentic folk singer with the soul of a storyteller, Francey never thought he’d make a living from his music. But in his 40s, his artist wife, Beth Girdler, convinced him to take the stage. The audience’s response was so enthusiastic it was as if they’d been waiting for him all along. His debut album, Torn Screen Door, dropped in 1999 and quickly became a hit in Canada.
Since then, David has released thirteen albums, snagged four Juno Awards, and seen his songs covered by the likes of The Del McCoury Band, The Rankin Family, James Keelaghan, and Tracy Grammer. He’s also picked up the SOCAN Folk Music Award and won the Grand Prize in both the International Acoustic Music Award and the John Lennon Songwriting Award in the Folk category. Who knew carpenters could nail it in folk music too?
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