That time Canuck rocker Bernie Early went country with Ben Kerr

Bernie Early hired Toronto's Ben Kerr to pen him a couple of honky tonk tunes and he came up with a corker. Have a listen. 

After knocking out a few rockabilly rippers for MGM without seeing much chart action, Cornwall's Bernie Early realized he might not have what it took to make it in the teen idol game of the mid-60s and concluded country crooning might be more his speed. So he enlisted songwriter Ben Kerr who had been making a name for himself in Toronto as a prolific country tunesmith. Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1930, Kerr spent 15 years in the Royal Canadian Airforce before settling in Toronto in the late 50s where he turned his attention to writing country songs and performing in coffee houses and clubs. He soon became a fixture on the Yorkville scene during the early 60s, eventually sharing bills with up-and-comers like Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell all angling for a break. 

It was in 1966 that Bernie Early came calling and Kerr hooked him up with a couple of sure-fire honky tonk gems, a mid-tempo swinger "Chaser For The Blues" for the top side and a weeper for the flip, "Stop Me (Before It's Too Late)." As part of the deal, Kerr also penned the liner notes for the Columbia Records picture sleeve 45 which features Bernie on sleeve at Toronto's legendary Horseshoe Tavern having a shot of milk poured by "hostess" Miss Bea Martin. Despite the solid backing provided by the Country All-Stars including Dick Nolan's sidekick guitarist Roy Penney, Bolton-born steel guitarist Ollie Strong (who played on Funkadelic's America Eats It's Young!), drummer Roddy LePrieur along with bassist Billy Gibbs, pianist Rick Lamareux, rhythm guitarist Rolly Chambers and fiddler Wally Dean, the single didn't see much chart action.  

While Bernie Early soon sank into obscurity, Kerr continued writing songs and tirelessly promoting other country artists. His tune "Parliament Hill" was a Canadian chart hit for Angus Walker in 1971 and two years later, Kerr's own joined a group of fellow country music promoters, label reps, radio personalities, publishers and performers at the Horseshoe who formed the initial board of directors of the Canadian Country Music Association in 1973.  

Kerr would go on to work for the Toronto Harbour Commission until the office smoke got to be too much to bear and he quit in a huff in 1981. He became a staunch anti-smoking advocate, penned the song "Fire On One End, Fool On The Other" (listen below) and took his campaign on the road which received national TV coverage. To those unaware of his lengthy career behind-the-scenes in Canadian country music, Kerr was best known as a cayenne-cocktail sipping street singer – belting tunes with his portable karoake machine outside The Bay at Yonge & Bloor – and as a regular fringe mayoral candidate from 1985 through 2003. 

On June 17, 2005, Kerr passed away at this home on Jones Ave. near Danforth where a laneway was renamed "Ben Kerr Lane" in his honour by Toronto City Council. 

Check out Bernie Early's rockabilly bopper "Rock Doll" for MGM followed by his recording of Ben Kerr's "Chaser For The Blues" along with a few of Ben Kerr's songs and TV appearances.