Marg Osburne
Inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989
Birth: December 29, 1927 – Moncton, New Brunswick
Death: July 16, 1977 – Rocklyn, Ontario
A Canadian country, folk and gospel singer, Marg Osburne was born in Moncton, New Brunswick and received her vocal training as a member of a community choir. At the age of 17, Osburne and her cousin made a bet that she did not have the nerve to answer a newspaper advertisement for a female vocalist for CKCW in Moncton. Osburne answered the ad and got the job.
In 1947, Don Messer was travelling through town and heard Osburne singing on CKCW. He hired her immediately, filling in for Charlie Chamberlain in Don Messer and His Islanders while Chamberlain recovered from an automobile accident. Osburne performed as a member of Don Messer’s Islanders until the end of the group in 1973.
After the demise of the Islanders, Osburne began singing in nightclubs across Canada, enjoying particular success in Western Canada. She also acted as the host in 1977 for CBC TV’s, “That Maritime Feeling”.
Marg Osburne passed away on July 16, 1977 at the age of 49.
Osburne also enjoyed success as a solo recording artist with albums released on the Arc, Marathon and Paragon labels. She had three top 20 singles while on Jack Boswell’s Marathon label including, ‘Albert Country Soil’, ‘Blues Comin’ Round’, and ‘City of Tears’.