One of the most successful groups in Canadian music history will be headlining at the 67th annual Penticton Peach Festival.
The Stampeders, known best for their hit Sweet City Woman, will be on the main stage on Saturday, Aug. 9.
“We’re really excited to have The Stampeders at Peachfest,” said entertainment director Bill Kolter. “Thanks to sponsors, including Peters Bros. Construction, we can provide top-notch entertainment with no admission charge.”
The original trio of Ronnie King, Rich Dodson and Kim Berly will be making their first-ever appearance at Peachfest.
The Stampeders have recorded nine gold and platinum albums. Their success started with the single Carry Me in 1970. The following year, Sweet City Woman dominated music charts around the world. That song reached No. 1 in Canada and Europe, and No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard music chart. It totalled more than three million copies in worldwide sales.
The group’s origins go back to Calgary and started wearing assorted-coloured denim outfits and cowboy hats with the idea of promoting a group of cowboys playing rock n’ roll. When they moved to Toronto in an $800 used Cadillac limousine and U-Haul trailer many of the members were under the legal drinking age. They managed to beg, borrow and work their way across Canada and when the cowboys landed in Toronto they became an immediate curiosity in the folk-orientated, hippie clubs.
By the time their chart-topping days had ended, The Stampeders had recorded 10 Top-10 hits in Canada and three in the U.S. Hit The Road Jack, a collaboration with legendary DJ Wolfman Jack, also reached No. 1 in Canada. They had American tour appearances with Santana, Joe Cocker, Steve Miller, The Beach Boys, ZZ Top, The Eagles and many more popular acts.
The Stampeders won three Juno Awards and were nominated as Canada’s top group four times. In 2011, they were awarded the Society of Composers, Artists and Musical Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Penticton Peach Festival recently announced that country group Emerson Drive will be the headliner on opening night. Peachfest, which is the largest free festival in Western Canada, is scheduled Aug. 6 to 10. For more information go to www.peachfest.com.
