Just in: Ron Hynes nominated for two awards at the Canadian Folk Music Awards; Best Singer - Contemporary and Best Songwriter. The awards are the day after the house concert.

Widely acknowledged as one of Canada's premiere singer-songwriters, Ron Hynes was born in St. John's and raised in Ferryland on the southern shore of Newfoundland, Canada. His first musical influences were the songs of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan.

With a songwriting career that spans more than 30 years, Ron Hynes is a five-time East Coast Music Award winner, and past Juno and CCMA nominee. He was named Artist of the Year ('92) and was presented with the prestigious Arts Achievement Award ('04) by the Newfoundland/Labrador Arts Council. Ron also holds an Honorary Doctorate ('02) from Memorial University (St. John's, Newfoundland) for his songwriting and contribution to the cultural life of his beloved province.

Ron Hynes' songs have been covered by artists around the world including Valdy, Emmylou Harris, Murray McLauchlan, Christy Moore, Mary Black, Denny Doherty, Terry Kelly, Prairie Oyster, The Irish Descendants, Susan Aglukark, The Good Brothers, The Ennis Sisters, John McDermott, Shaye, The Cottars and many more.

Ron Hynes began his career as a singer-songwriter in his home province of Newfoundland in the early seventies playing the coffeehouse circuit throughout the Maritimes and Ontario. While on a theatre tour with the Mummers Troupe in '76 he composed a song called Sonny's Dream that would go on to become a folk classic recorded by dozens of artists worldwide.

Ron Hynes was a founding member of the Wonderful Grand Band, a musical comedy show featuring a six-piece traditional/folk/rock band together with various members of Codco. The group produced two albums of original work, forty-one half-hour TV shows plus specials, for CBC, and toured the country non-stop during its six-year history.

Ron has recorded two original albums for EMI Music Canada, Cryer's Paradise ('93) and Face To The Gale ('97). The independently produced CD 11:11 Nfld. Women Sing is a collection of songs co-written by Ron and Connie Hynes, and sung by Newfoundland's best female artists. Ron's 1998 independent release Standing In Line In The Rain was awarded Best New Album from MusicNL. He followed that up with 2001 independent disc, The Sandcastle Sessions, which led to his signing with Canada's folk music label, Borealis Records.

Ron's moonlight career as an actor has resulted in two principle theatre roles, as Newfoundland songwriter Johnny Burke in The Bard Of Prescott Street, and as country legend Hank Williams in Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave. Ron also had a lead role in the Newfoundland Independent film release, A Secret Nation, for which his original song, The Final Breath, won a Genie Award for best song. Ron spent most of his time in 1998 and 1999 involved in film and television projects, playing the irrepressible Johnny Shea in the CBC/Rinkrat TV series, Dooley Gardens, and closed out the decade as the subject of a concert/documentary film entitled Ron Hynes: The Irish Tour which continues to air on television networks throughout North America and abroad.

In 2003 Ron Hynes released Get Back Change (Borealis/Koch), garnering MusicNL awards for Male Artist, Country Album, and SOCAN Song of the Year (for Get Back Change), as well as the 2004 East Coast Music Award for Country Recording and Album of the Year. Produced by award winning producer Paul Mills at The Millstream Studios in Toronto, Get Back Change features guest performances by Sylvia Tyson, Cindy Church, and Jenny Whitely.

Ron Hynes launched his long awaited first songbook, Songs of Ron Hynes - Volume 1, in December 2005. Published by Vinland Music and distributed by Landwash Distribution, Songs of Ron Hynes - Volume 1 is a collection of 26 Ron Hynes songs arranged for vocal and guitar.

Early 2006 marked the release of Ron Hynes, a self-titled CD that is a stirring collection of fourteen soul-baring, personal songs, being touted by all who've listened, as Ron's most brilliant work to date. Once again, Ron Hynes teamed up with producer Paul Mills and Borealis Records for the recording of this latest project, which includes four "live" tracks, recorded at the LSPU Hall in St. John's, Newfoundland.