Get well, Ron Hynes!

My thoughts and best wishes are with good friend Ron Hynes as he battles cancer of the throat.

Ron has cancelled his concert schedule for the rest of 2012 while he undergoes treatment.

As I noted in my review of Sealing Genius, Ron’s most recent album, he is “without question, one of Canada’s greatest singer-songwriters – a writer whose genius can be found in decades worth of great songs.” I referred to Stealing Genius as the finest set of original songwriting released in Canada in 2010.

I’ve always enjoyed Ron’s company. The first time we worked together was in 2002 in a main stage workshop I hosted at the 2002 Ottawa Folk Festival called Short Stories That Rhyme which also included the late Bill Morrissey and Cliff Eberhardt. Five years later, Ron was one of my final studio guests on the Folk Roots/Folk Branches radio show in 2007.

Ron was in excellent form when we visited and I saw him perform at Irene’s Pub in Ottawa just five months ago. I know that I speak for all his friends and fans in wishing Ron a speedy recovery. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before he’s healthy and back on stage.

Pictured:

Ron Hynes performing; and Adrien Doucette, Ron Hynes and Mike Regenstreif at the 2007 Branches & Roots Festival in Ormstown, Quebec.

--Mike Regenstreif