Valdy

Valdy (Paul Valdemar Horsdal, CM) was born on September 1, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario. He is the third child of Danish portrait photographer Paul Horsdal and English nurse and writer Lillian Horsdal (née West). In 1966 he made his home in British Columbia, where he farmed for several years near Sooke. He began performing as a solo artist, and in 1972 recorded his Rock and Roll Song on Haida/A&M; it became a hit. His music was featured in the 1972 Steve McQueen film The Getaway. Valdy has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. Valdy is the winner of two Juno Awards for Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year and has received seven additional Juno nominations. In 1973 he won a Juno Award for Outstanding Folk Performance. On 21 November 2005, Valdy was awarded the National Achievement Award by SOCAN at the 2005 SOCAN Awards in Toronto. Valdy was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in June 2011. His fourteen albums, including four which are certified gold, have achieved sales of nearly half a million copies. Of Canadian folk artists in the mid-1970s, only Gordon Lightfoot was more popular. Valdy's warm voice, accessible songwriting, and down-to-earth personality have made him a beloved figure in Canadian folk music for over five decades. His ability to connect with audiences through honest, relatable songs about everyday life has earned him a devoted following across multiple generations of folk music fans.

Website