David Francey was born in Scotland, but emigrated to Canada with his family when he was only twelve years old. He spent decades working throughout Canada, sometimes in construction, sometimes in rail yards, and sometimes in the bush in the Yukon. However, throughout his life he kept writing poetry and setting it to music, even though he was doing it mentally.
Francey is married to Beth Girdler, an artist, and it was she who encouraged him to start sharing his songs with others by singing publicly. He got a positive response, and in reply, dropped his first album, “Torn Screen Door” in 1999. The effort was a success, and he has continued to release albums, and has won the ultimate accolade—other artists are covering his songs.
Francey has won a number of awards, including the SOCAN Folk Music Award. He also won the John Lennon Songwriting Award in the Folk category, as well as the Grand Prize in the International Acoustic Music Award contest. A statement from the Shelter Valley Folk Festival explains his success:
“David's straightforward songs tell honest stories of real people and real places. . . . His songs and stories are a direct connection for audiences seeking depth and meaning in the day-to-day.”
Francey will be at the Midland Theatre on October 8, at 8.00 pm. Poster printing is often used to publicize events like this.