Earl Mitton

Earl Mitton was born in 1926. He grew up in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia where he started playing the fiddle at ten years of age. His father and two uncles were also musically talented. He joined the army in 1944 at age 18 and following his service in 1946 he moved to New Brunswick. In 1960 he married Phyllis Goodine of Fredericton and the same year started his band "The Valley Rhythm Boys". The band was very popular and played on CFNB Radio as well as CHSJ television in Saint John. Earl also appeared on the Don Messer show and filled in as summer replacement for the Messer show on radio. He also played clarinet and saxophone and was in the Royal Canadian Regimental Band as well as the Fredericton Marching Band. He was a well known composer of fiddle tunes including Carleton County Hornpipe, The Nova Scotia Polka, Earl Mitton's Breakdown, York County Hornpipe and many others. He recorded on the Arc and Quality labels and in the 1950's had the very first release on the then new Rodeo label. Earl Mitton passed away in 1991.