Cammie Howard in a publicity photo from 1953.

Cameron (Cammie) Howard

1910 – 1972

Cammie Howard was an Ottawa clarinetist, saxophonist and band leader who gained international recognition through broadcasts of his Western Five band in the 1940s and 1950s. He also directed his own dance band in Ottawa for many years and was a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club.

Howard performed in many styles, including jazz, popular, Dixieland, western and classical. He played clarinet with the Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra under Allard de Ridder and Eugene Kash. His career had a number of firsts in live performance, broadcasting and charity events.

Early years in Ottawa

Cammie Howard was born in Montreal and played in theatre and radio orchestras there from 1929 to 1939 before moving to Ottawa.

In December 1940, CBO Ottawa began broadcasting its new radio program featuring Cammie Howard and the Western Five from the CBC’s Château Laurier studios. CBO organized the band under Howard’s direction to accompany singer Oral Scheer, known as “The Smilin’ Balladeer,” who had previously sung for CBO. The program aired twice weekly and was broadcast nationally on the CBC Trans-Canada network. Other original members of the Western Five were Woody Hill, guitar; Gene Cloutier, violin; and Red Calloway, trumpet, bass and xylophone.

In April 1942, the program began broadcasting twice weekly in the United States over the National Broadcasting Corporation. The show was also broadcast in England by the BBC via recorded discs.

The Western Five appeared in the National Film Board’s 10-minute documentary on the Calgary stampede, called “Bronco Busters.” Produced in 1946, it featured the Western Five performing background music. The film was noted at the time for its exciting close-ups of fast action on the field during the stampede’s saddle bronco competition and chuckwagon races.

Howard also led his dance band in Ottawa in the 1940s and 1950s, performing for professional associations and social events, including the Press Club. Newspaper ads for these events mentioned Howard’s band of 10 or 12 players.

One of the band’s regular engagements was as a dance orchestra for Lakeside Gardens at Britannia Beach from 1949 to 1951 from May to September, with vocalists Shyrl Scharf and Charlie Kerr. Howard also had regular engagements at the Central Canada Exhibition that featured Oral Scheer. Howard’s dance orchestra also followed a performance by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians in a concert at the Coliseum Auditorium in April 1952.

Starting in 1950, Howard’s Western Five was broadcast on the CKOY’s “Party Line” radio program with Oral Scheer three times weekly. CKOY also broadcast its live weekly “Talent Showcase” program of variety artists with Howard’s orchestra for a period in 1953. Howard’s band was featured in other CKOY programming in the mid-1950s, including its “Starlight Serenade” program.

Howard and the Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra

Howard played clarinet with the Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra as early as 1945, under conductor Allard de Ridder. In November 1950, he participated in an innovative program designed by conductor Eugene Kash, who was well known for developing programming to introduce young people to music. Held at the Coliseum Auditorium, the “concert-dance” for high school students consisted of an hour of classical works and selections from Oklahoma! played by the Ottawa Philharmonic, followed by a dance with music by Howard’s orchestra. The Ottawa Citizen wrote that “Saturday night’s program was an experiment, one, in fact, that has never been tried before.” A similar program was mounted in March 1951.

Howard’s orchestra also took part in the Ottawa Philharmonic’s mammoth fundraising event in April 1953 at the Coliseum. It attracted more than 3,000 attendees, including Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent and Ottawa Mayor Charlotte Whitton. It featured Howard’s band playing dance music, the Ottawa Philharmonic playing Viennese waltzes, and other entertainment.

Korean tour

In June 1952, Howard took the Western Five on a month-long tour of Korea, which at that time was in the combat phase of the Korean conflict. The Western Five was the first Canadian musical group to visit Japan and Korea to entertain Canadian troops. Members who toured were Howard, Oral Scheer (vocalist and guitar), Peter Porteous (accordion), Marcel Lafortune (bass) and Eugene Cloutier (violin), all of Ottawa. Three were members of the Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra. Vocalist Lynne Day of Montreal joined the tour as a guest.

For some time prior, recorded broadcasts of the Western Five had been transferred to discs, sent overseas and broadcast weekly to the troops. On its Korean tour, the Western Five performed about 50 shows, an average of two shows a day.

Upon the group’s return, Howard said in a newspaper interview, “We entertained about 15,000 troops, including all the Canadians we could find, Commonwealth and Americans as well. Our audiences were remarkably enthusiastic and I was very bucked up about the whole thing.” In another interview, Howard said, “We were close to the front at times but I would have liked to get closer.”

Early television broadcasts

In October 1954, Howard’s orchestra participated in Ottawa’s first live television variety show. The program was for the Community Chests charity and was part of the Red Feather campaign. It featured local talent and was tied in with local radio stations. Schools, public halls and other large places were booked to allow larger groups to view the television production. Local 180 provided cooperation by allowing professional musicians to appear in the event. A subsequent television broadcast occurred in 1955, which was a variety show of all-Ottawa talent with Howard’s orchestra accompanying the artists.

Howard’s orchestra also accompanied vocal and instrumental musicians in CBOFT Ottawa’s inaugural broadcast from the new CBC-TV Ottawa building on June 24, 1955. Performers included a vocal group from Hull and other artists from Ottawa and Montreal. The program was broadcast in Québec City and in the Montreal and Ottawa areas.

The television phase of Cammie Howard and the Western Five began with its series debut on CBOT on December 1, 1955. The half-hour weekly program featured guest artists and square-dance groups and continued until November 1957.

In 1956, the Western Five toured the Ottawa Valley and released its first 45 rpm record, “Three Finger(ed) Bland,” written by Oral Scheer and published by London Records.

Charity events

Howard began his association with the Red Feather campaign of the Community Chests charity in September 1952. Howard and the Western Five performed as part of first-ever rally for 1,000 volunteers and canvassers in Ottawa at the Technical High School auditorium. The rally featured Ottawa talent, including music, drama, the Classical Ballet Society of Ottawa, and other entertainment.

The 1953 edition of this event was held at the Capitol Theatre and was broadcast over Ottawa radio stations and by CKCH in Hull. The live broadcast featured Howard with his 26-piece orchestra accompanying a number of performers, including violinist Eugene Kash, conductor of the Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra. Professional musicians were given permission by Local 180 to appear voluntarily.

Kiwanis

Howard became a member of the Kiwanis Club in 1950. He was appointed chair of the Kiwanis’s music committee in 1952, working frequently with fellow Kiwanian and Ottawa Philharmonic Orchestra violinist Sol Max. In 1957, he was elected a director at Kiwanis and was deeply involved in its many charitable events and campaigns.

Later years

Howard continued with his dance band engagements in Ottawa until at least 1958. By 1960, Howard had retired from music to work in insurance. He became branch manager for North American Insurance Company in London, Ontario, in 1962, returning to Ottawa in about 1968.

Cammie Howard died at his home in Ottawa in April 1972 at age 61. He was a member of Local 180 for 30 years, becoming a life member in January 1972. On his death, Local 180’s newsletter noted that he was responsible for setting up the union’s death benefit plan and that he was “an outstanding member of our local.”

Media and other references

* Library and Archives Canada holds archival recordings of CBC radio broadcasts as the CBC Radio Special Disc Collection. It has entries for: Cammie Howard and His Happy Harvesters, Cammie Howard and the Western Five, Cammie Howard Jazz Group, Cammie Howard and Orchestra, Melody Hour with Cammie Howard.

* National Film Board documentary, Bronco Busters, with music by Cammie Howard and the Western Five, 1946

* 78 rpm Sparton disc (January 1955) featuring Colette with Cammie Howard and orchestra: Ou Irons Nous Dimanche prochain? and Mes mains

* Oral Scheer in Rocky Mountain Breakdown: Three Finger Bland and Abdul the Bulbul Ameer with Cammie Howard and the Western Five

* “Cammie Howard and His Western Five,” Encyclopedia of Music in Canada, University of Toronto Press, first edition (1981)

Kevin James