Ian Tyson of Ian & Sylvia has died

Ian Tyson was a big part of the folk movement of the 60s. He and his partner, Sylvia Fricker, had a few hits and wrote some very good songs, such as Four Strong Winds, which was covered by Neil Young and others. He grew up in Alberta and ended up moving back there when his folk career waned. He took up country rock and made a new career in that field. I always liked their harmonies and owned many of their albums. He was 89.

Tyson sang Four Strong Winds at the funeral of the four MOunties who were killed at Myerthorpe in 2005:

In 2005, after four RCMP officers were killed in a massacre near Mayerthorpe, Alta., Tyson sang the song at their funeral. “It was probably the best performance of the song I’ve ever done. There was so much emotion,” Tyson recalled three years later.