Nephew launches campaign to get Harry Hibbs on Canada's Walk of Fame
Thousands rallying for Bell Island music legend
The family of Harry Hibbs wants to carry his memory and music from Wabana all the way to the Walk of Fame in Toronto.
They have the backing of more than 3,000 people in a Facebook group dedicated to the cause.
Hibbs's nephew, William Tucker, is helping spearhead the effort to have his uncle recognized for his impact on bringing traditional Newfoundland music across the country.
"For us growing up, it was Uncle Harry, but now seeing the response, it's just been incredible to see how much he meant to people, even to this day," Tucker told the St. John's Morning Show on Thursday.
Canada's Walk of Fame is located in downtown Toronto. It honours people who have made an impact in one of five fields — arts and entertainment, business, philanthropy, science and technology, sports and legend.
Hibbs, originally from the Bell Island community of Wabana, released 23 albums and has left a lasting influence on music in the province and beyond.
He was the house band leader for an Ontario TV show for seven seasons.
Hibbs's career as a musician only took shape after an industrial accident left him unable to work. He was on crutches, but could still play the accordion.
While his music career came about practically by accident, his roots in music run deep.
"His father was an accordion player growing up as well, and he adored his father," Tucker said. "So he learned the accordion from him and wanted to be very much like him."
Hibbs began playing at the Caribou Club, a bar run by a Bell Islander in Toronto, in 1968. Over the next 14 years, he recorded more than a dozen albums.
He passed away in 1989 after a battle with cancer.
Nominations online
It took Tucker a while before he realized how influential his uncle had been.
"We've actually grown to recognize how much he meant to everybody," he said.
In 2008, Tucker's brother began writing to Canada's Walk of Fame and trying to organize a public effort to get him inducted.
It didn't take shape then, but the campaign came back with a vengeance this year.
People can nominate Hibbs by going on Canada's Walk of Fame website and filling out a nomination form.
Tucker said his uncle is as deserving a candidate as anyone in the country, not just for his music but for who he was.
"He was just an unbelievable person, just a great guy. Very humble and very caring, and I think that's what people loved most about him."