Smiley Bates
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Smiley Bates was born in Kirkland Lake in 1937.
His way of mining for gold, however, was a little different than most of the people living in Kirkland: he was after musical gold, and along the way he found some.
Bates started playing the guitar when he was just a kid and started performing in public at the early age of eight in a family band, lead by his mother. All his ten brothers and sisters played musical instruments but it was Smiley who was most keen about it in a most passionate way.
His first band was called The North Star Ramblers and they played live over CJKL and eventually on CKGB in Timmins as well.
Smiley Bates wasn't one to rest on his laurels: he learned to play several instruments including banjo, dobro, mandolin, but especially the fiddle. He was one of those guys that could play anything with strings on it, including a rigged up baseball bat!
He played the Northern Bar Circuit until he cut his first single in 1966, recorded right in his hotel room. From the Country Music News of February 1997, Henry McGuirk writes:
Just after that first record was made, Smiley visited Jack Boswell in Toronto, and told him he wanted to cut an album. Jack inquired, "Do you have a demo tape?" "No," said Smiley, "I don't and I don't do auditions either." "What day do you want to do the album?" asked Jack. "We don't need a day, an hour will do," replied Smiley. A total of three albums were recorded on that one day and Jack Bowel and Smiley continued working together off an on for more than thirty years.
Smiley left the north and continued touring the rest of the province almost non-stop, performing at bluegrass festivals, fiddle contests, bars, jamborees, you name it. He recorded over 80 albums in his career and was best known for his hurting' songs. Perhaps one of the best hurting singers in Canada, overlooked was his wonderful abilities to play other instruments.
I saw Smiley perform in Port Dover, Ontario, at a bluegrass festival at the arena near Dog’s Nest. After a score of bluegrass bands Bates took to the stage in a complete Cactus sequined suite and white cowboy hat, alone. Within minutes the somewhat rowdy audience was eating out of his hand, his commanding stage presence just lifted him above the crowd. When folks started calling for 'the baseball bat' he looked sternly at them and waved them down saying, "I've got it here but I'll play it later." When he did they went nuts.
Smiley sold over three million records in Canada and overseas. A lot of his fans bought almost every one of them, a good portion of which were probably bought at his performances. He retired to a log cabin at Bent River, in the Muskokas with his four golden records hanging from the wall.
His last three years were spent battling cancer which took him on the 8th of January, 1997 at the age of 59.
Before he departed, Smiley wrote this note of thanks to his many fans:
"So Long Folks,
I'd like to thank each and everyone of my friends and fans for sticking with me through my forty-seven years in the music business.
From the hard times in the beginning to the good times at the last, you followed me down each and every country road. You were part of my music to the very last note. I want you to know how much I appreciate your loyalty.
I enjoyed playing the music, but having fans and friends... that was my real reward. I have been a fortunate man. I got to make my living doing what I loved, and the people seemed to love what I was doing.
I feel my life is complete.
Musically Yours
Smiley Bates, Bent River, Ontario, Canada."
Bates played his last gig at the Manitoulin Folk Festival.
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