Valdy, born Valdemar Horsdal in Ottawa, Canada has been part of the fabric of
Canadian pop and folk music for almost 40 years. A man with a thousand friends,
from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island to Texas to New Zealand, he’s a singer,
guitarist and songwriter who catches the small but telling moments that make up
life.
Remembered for Play Me a Rock and Roll Song, his bitter-sweet memory of
finding himself, a relaxed and amiable story-teller, facing a rambunctious audience
at the Aldergrove Rock Festival circa 1968, Valdy has sold almost half a million
copies of his 13 albums, has two Juno Awards (Folk Singer of the Year and Folk
Entertainer of the Year), a total of seven Juno nominations and four Gold albums
to his credit.
Valdy’s recent CDs include “Contenders”, a collaboration with friend and fellow
singer/songwriter, Gary Fjellgaard, with whom he has an absolute blast touring,
and a solo release, “Viva Valdy: Live at Last”, a two-CD package, one live, one
studio, with a total of 25 tunes, and a lyric booklet.
One of Canada’s most influential songwriters, Valdy’s composition A Good Song
was recorded under the title Just a Man by the venerable Quincy Jones ( he sang
lead on the recording!). Play Me a Rock and Roll Song has been recorded by a
few artists, including John Kay of Steppenwolf.
Along the way, Valdy has taken his music to a dozen different countries, from
Denmark to Australia and been an often-invited performer at the prestigious
Kerrville Festival in Texas. His past television appearances include Canada AM
and Open Mike with Mike Bullard. Valdy has also been a panelist on Front Page
Challenge, and played a lead role in an episode of The Beachcombers original
series.
SHOW REVIEWS...
“...judging by last night’s performance, Valdy’s musical magic is alive and well.”
Beacon Herald
“One of the best evenings of entertainment Confederation Centre has ever
seen....a man of formidable talents.”
Charlottetown Evening Patriot
“Valdy remains one of the country’s purest and most credible storytellers.”
Toronto Star
“He’s a master of country, folk, rock and blues, and the catch is that whatever the
sound, people know that Valdy is sincere.”
Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“Valdy’s show is a disarming and practical blend of respect for the audience and
show business expertise.”
Edmonton Journal
