Shirley Eikhard, a singer-songwriter who won two Juno Awards and wrote one of Bonnie Raitt’s biggest singles, passed away from cancer. She was 67.
The musician passed away early on Thursday at a hospital in Orangeville, Ontario, surrounded by her loved ones, according to longtime friend Deborah Duggan.
Eikhard’s songs were also covered or created for artists including Cher, Amy Grant, Rita Coolidge, and Emmylou Harris in addition to Raitt.
Eikhard’s lifelong love and endeavor was music. She was living in Oshawa, Ontario at the time of her debut performance at the legendary Mariposa Folk Festival in 1969. She was born in Sackville, New Brunswick, to parents who were both musicians.
She wrote It Takes Time, a No. 1 adult contemporary success on the Canadian charts in 1971 for Anne Murray, when she was just 15 years old. This led to appearances on the Tommy Hunter Show and Anne Murray Special on CBC television.
By 1972, Eikhard was discussing her transition from earlier folk music to “country pop” with a newspaper writer. She released a debut album with the same name that year, and in 1973 and 1974, she won Juno awards for being a best female country performer.
The debut album had both original songs and covers, such as a rendition of Sylvia Tyson’s Smiling Wine that received radio playing in Canada.
From the 1976 album Let Me Down Easy, Eikhard’s rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Say You Love Me did as well.
Shirley Eikhard funeral, burial service, pictures, date, time, venue
Shirley Eikhard’s family is yet to make an official pronouncement about his funeral arrangements. This story is keen to us therefore you’ll be adequately informed with details when the family makes it public.
