Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
By Bartley Kives
IMAGINE Benny without the Jets. Sonny without Cher. Darryl Hall without John Oates, um, if you can stand to imagine him at all.
That was the prospect faced by Manitoba country music stalwart Lyle Foster when his longtime songwriting partner Ray Martin decided he was through with performing, leaving the Foster Martin Band short one significant surname.
Martin, 50, quit the Oakbank-based country band 18 months ago to focus on his new gig as the president of Manitoba Country Music Association.
The rest of the band decided to soldier on.
Tonight, the quintet will release On A Roller Coaster Ride, its fourth album in 13 years, with Martin credited as a songwriter but no longer on stage with the band.
"After Ray quit, we all got together and decided we wanted to keep going," explains Lyle Foster, the drummer, songwriter and now leader of the Foster Martin Band. "Sometimes, he's probably kicking himself, but he wasn't having as much fun as he used to. He's still heavily involved, both as a songwriter and as our No. 1 supporter."
After the departure of Martin, multi-instrumentalist Lyle Baldwin stepped up to handle the lead vocal duties. Rounding out the band -- which plays tonight at Cowboys in Windsor Park -- is lead guitarist Sean Borton, bassist Ray Grenier and keyboardist Craig Fotheringham, the latter Manitoba's best-known country music producer.
Sporting a blues-rock influenced country sound, FMB has sold a total of about 8,000 copies of its previous CDs, Moonshine 'n' Moonlight, Ragtop Chevy and Willy's Bar & Grill.
Daddy's Little Girl, the first single off Roller Coaster, is more of a country-pop crossover song. The disc is on sale tonight for $10. Admission to the show is $5.
- Winnipeg Free Press
Discography
CD's:
Willy's Bar and Grill - 1992
Ragtop Chevey - 1996
Moonshine and Moonlight - 1999
Roller Coaster Ride - 2004
SINGLES:
I May Never Get to Heaven
Rodeo Queen
You Can't Two Step
Thank You Lord for the Sun
Backroads of Summer
Forever
Papa Joe
Sweet Magnolia
Daddy's Little Girl
See a Little More of You
Let's Go Dancing
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The Foster Martin Band was formed in 1985 by Lyle Foster & Ray Martin who co-wrote all the songs on all four CD's. FMB is based out of Oakbank Mb, just east of Winnipeg and includes Sean Borton on lead guitar & vocals, Ray Grenier bass & vocals, Lyle Baldwin on lead vocals, fiddle, mandolin, acoustic & electric guitars, Craig Fotheringham on keyboards.
Winners of...
Manitoba Country Music Association (MCMA) Awards...
Entertainer Of The Year (96' & 97')
Country Band Of The Year (95' & 96' & 97')
Songwriters of the Year (Lyle Foster & Ray Martin)
(95', 96', 97', 2000 & 2002)
Recording Artists of the Year (95', 97' & 2000)
Producer of the Year (Craig Fotheringham)
(95', 96' , 97', 98', 2000 & 2002)
Instrumentalist of the Year (Craig Fotheringham)
(96' , 97', 98' & 2002)
Instrumentalist of the Year (Sean Borton) (2000)
Keyboard Player of the Year (Craig Fotheringham)
(96', 97' & 2000)
Special Instrumentalist of the Year (Lyle Baldwin)
(95', 97' & 2000)
Bass Player of the Year (Ray Grenier) (97')
Guitar Player of the Year (Sean Borton) (97' & 2000)
Male Vocalist Of The Year (Ray Martin) (95' & 96')
Nominated for the following
Independent Group of Duo of the Year -
Canadian Country Music Awards (2004)
Independent Group or Duo of the Year -
Canadian Country Music Awards (2000)
Country Recording of the Year -
Prairie Music Awards (2000)
Performances......
Equiblues Festival (St. Agreve France)
Country Rendez-Vous (Craponne Sur Arzon France)
Havelock Country Festival (Havelock Ont)
Big Valley (Camrose AB)
Merritt Mountain Music Festival (Merritt BC)
Dauphin Countryfest (Dauphin Manitoba)
Winnipeg Arena Concert Bowl (Winnipeg Manitoba)
*w/ George Jones & Tammy Wynette
Sun Country Festival (Gimli Manitoba)
Big Valley (Craven Saskatchewan)
WE Fest (Detroit Lakes Minnesota)
Old Fort William (Thunder Bay Ontario)
*w/ Pam Tillis
Red River Rodeo (Winnipeg Manitoba)
Ponoka Stampede (Ponoka Alberta)
Can West Global Park (Winnipeg Manitoba)
and many, many more...
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