Ian Tyson, Revered Canadian Folk Singer, Dies at 89 - The New York Times

Since I first heard it in high school I've never stopped listening and loving Ian & Sylvia recording of Four Strong Winds.

Ian Tyson and Sylvia Tyson both kept performing, though never again achieving the iconic status of their great first album Four Strong Winds.  They went their separate ways, come what may, as the song predicts.  But, it turns out, the inspiration was another woman.  - GWC

Ian Tyson, Revered Canadian Folk Singer, Dies at 89 - The New York Times: A rancher for most of his life, he began his music career as half of the duo Ian and Sylvia and was also celebrated for his commitment to the culture of Canada’s ranch country.

By 

Peter Applebome
Published Dec. 29, 2022Updated Dec. 30, 2022, 9:13 a.m. ET




Before Canadian musicians like Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell or Leonard Cohen, there was Ian Tyson.

Mr. Tyson, who began his music career as half of the folk-era duo Ian and Sylvia and went on to become a revered figure in his home country, celebrated both for his music and his commitment to the culture of Canada’s ranch country, died on Thursday at his ranch in southern Alberta. He was 89.

His family said in a statement that he died from “ongoing health complications” but did not specify further.

Mr. Tyson, whose song “Four Strong Winds” in 2005 was voted the most essential Canadian piece of music by the listeners of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation public radio network, lived most of his life as both a rancher and a musician.