Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame announces the induction of Valdy's folk classic 'Play Me a Rock and Roll Song'

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Justin Rutledge pays tribute to Valdy's hit song as part of
CSHF and CBC/Radio-Canada's 'Covered Classics' series

TORONTO, June 1, 2015 /CNW/ - The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) is pleased to announce 'Play Me a Rock and Roll Song' as the latest induction into the Hall of Fame. A perennial favourite at folk festivals, the song was written by Valdy, one of Canada's premier folk artists. This legendary song is celebrated through Covered Classics, a collaboration between the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and CBC/Radio-Canada that invites notable Canadian artists to perform their own rendition of a newly inducted song. Juno award winning singer-songwriter and SOCAN member Justin Rutledge pays tribute to Valdy with his haunting rendition of 'Play Me a Rock and Roll Song' – click here to view his performance.

"Valdy is an iconic songwriter and performer, and one of Canada's great storytellers," says Justin. "It's an honour to perform 'Play Me a Rock and Roll Song' as part of the Covered Classics series, and to have the opportunity to celebrate Canada's great songwriting heritage."

'Play Me a Rock and Roll Song' recounts Valdy's bittersweet memory of performing at the Aldergrove Rock Festival in 1968 where the 25,000-strong rock-loving audience jeered his folk offerings. The song cleverly played into the hippy counter-culture movement, while embodying the tensions between rock and folk fans. The 1972 recording, released as a single and on Valdy's "Country Man" album, features an ironic driving rock-waltz setting, contrasted with lyrics that find the gentle folksinger pleading with his unruly audience. 'Play Me a Rock and Roll Song' earned Valdy the Moffat Canadian Talent Award for record of the year, and the single spent an impressive 12 weeks on RPM's Top 40 singles chart for Canada;  "Country Man" went gold in Canada by 1975. The song also earned Valdy a SOCAN Classics Award in 1999, for 25,000 radio plays.

"It's a huge honour to have my song 'Play Me a Rock and Roll Song' inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame," says Valdy from his West Coast home. "I'm grateful to all involved, and hugely proud to have one of my songs included as a part of Canada's musical legacy."

For a complete list of 2015 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame song inductions and links to the new Covered Classics versions, visit http://www.cshf.ca/inductionceremony/2015-song-inductions/

About the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (www.cshf.ca) honours and celebrates Canadian songwriters and those who have dedicated their lives to the legacy of music, and works to educate the public about these achievements. National and non-profit, the Hall of Fame is guided by its own board of directors who comprise both Anglophone and Francophone music creators and publishers, as well as representation from the record industry. In December 2011, SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) acquired the Hall of Fame. The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame's mandate aligns with SOCAN's objectives as a songwriter and publisher membership-based organization.

About CBCMusic.ca
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SOURCE Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

Media contact, to arrange an interview: Christine Liber, Liberty Ink Communications (for CSHF), [email protected], 416-651-4722 x 1