If you have been to any event offering local talent in Unity, you have heard Will Ballantyne, and you have been impressed.
The old style country and bluegrass tunes that come from his fiddle are guaranteed to have toes tapping. But the 21-year-old artist also has a deep, singing voice perfectly suited for crooning country tunes. He is also talented on the acoustic guitar.
It was a chance opportunity at the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival in August of 2012 that may have changed the course of his career forever. Attending the event as a spectator, Ballantyne was seated in the audience for the Sunday morning gospel hour with top bluegrass artist, Rhonda Vincent. Upon urging from his friends, Ballantyne took to the stage when audience members were invited to come join in for a song.
Once he performed his version of Josh Turner's Long Black Train, Vincent did not let him leave the stage. In fact, he was invited back on stage that night for more performances, including showcasing his fine fiddle talent. This performance, that also included some of his fabulous musical talent, earned Ballantyne an invitation to Nashville in 2013.
Ballantyne has been performing since he was 10. He first picked up the fiddle, taking lessons for three years from Harold Anderson, former Saskatchewan senior fiddle champion. In three years he was a terrific student combining his natural talent with teachable moments to develop his talent. Ballantyne then took to developing his fiddle playing skills, along with learning the mandolin, followed by guitar, all on his own without a lesson.
Ballantyne grew up with old country. Combined with his love of the genre and his love of playing music he kept playing for anyone who wanted to listen. He loved playing at the Legion with Henry Rediron. Rediron connected Ballantyne with Neil Penny, whom he shares the stage with on many occasion. Penny was the person Ballantyne travelled with to the Stony Plain Blueberry Bluegrass Festival in 2012.
Music enthusiast Gary Ballan, commented on the Rhonda Vincent site, "I was at the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival from Aug. 3 - 5 and on the morning of Aug. 5, we saw and heard a young man from Unity sing Long Black Train and Amazing Grace during the gospel hour with Rhonda Vincent and The Rage. This young man is Will Ballantyne and his voice is superb. Rhonda was so impressed that she subsequently invited him to perform with her in Nashville on her radio show."
Rhonda replied to his post with, "We are so excited ....Will will join us at the Midnight Jamboree along with another young Canadian artist I met in Rogersville, N.B.?"
And that was the beginning of the adventure for Ballantyne. Flying off to Nashville with his dad, Vern, he played on the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree and was also invited to be part of Rhonda's live Nashville radio show. This may be only the beginnings of some exciting developments the career step Will is longing for.
What's surprising to many people who have always watched Ballantyne on stage was that he never even took his fiddle to Nashville. His velvet smooth voice singing classic country backed up by his great guitar playing garnered the attention in Nashville this year.
While in Nashville, Ballantyne didn't have much time for sightseeing, but one of the places he visited dropped his jaw and helped him recognize just how big this invitation was. For there on the wall of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop were the names of other past performers of the Midnite Jamboree, that included names like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash! Ballantyne was amazed at the outstanding hospitality, kindness and Saskatchewan-like friendliness he and his father received while in Nashville.
Ballantyne loves country music, so being part of the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree as well as a part of Rhonda Vincent's WSM Radio hosting segment "Rhonda Radio" was an experience of a lifetime.
"I can't say enough about Rhonda. Everyone in Nashville adores her and she is very personable. Everyone respects her opinion and when she believes in an artist, she makes sure everyone knows about them," he says.
"And when she introduced us to a few influential people in Nashville, they were more than happy to listen to her recommendations. An example was being introduced to a very respected producer. Rhonda told him to drop everything and listen to myself and another gal that she was showing off, and he did just that."
When asked about the future, Ballantyne replies, "If I knew that I'd let you know. Until then, I will continue on as I have: ranching with my dad, working at C-Mac's Concrete Construction and playing music. I do hope to record some demos in the future."
Ballantyne does plan to return to the Stony Plain Blueberry Bluegrass Festival a Aug. 2 to 4.
