Wayne rostad biography
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there are great songs right in our own back yard,” he said.
Talking about the love for his work, he said, "Whether I am emceeing an event, or whether I am singing a song, seeing the reaction on their face to some of the comedy that I do . anything that is a communion between me and the people is the joy.
At 16, he moved from the classroom to the workforce and tried his hand at multiple jobs before beginning his career in show business at the age of 20 as a DJ at CJET in Smith Falls, Ontario. He said that his father also told him that this guitar will bring him fortune.
“In my day, you had to go through the regular rank and file and find someone who believed in you, and then they had to find someone who would invest dollars in you.
I refurbished a couple of my guitars and so, after two-and-a-half years, the songbird came back,” he said.
Talking about his career of several successful decades, "I’ve been a storyteller in my heart for as long as I can remember,” he says now.
At the time, Rostad’s Country Showplace was also a popular live entertainment venue in the nation’s capital.
In the 1980s, the CBC recruited Wayne to tell Canada's stories as host of “On The Road Again”. You want to have a career filled with giving and honesty and integrity and stick to it; if you do it long enough if it’s in the genes and it’s out there, it will come.”
Awards and recognition
Hall of Fame Inductees
Website
BIOGRAPHY:
Born October, 1947 in the nation's capital, Wayne Victor Rostad had BIG musical dreams on his mind.
They have no children together.[10]Rostad's experiences as a single father significantly influenced his career trajectory, as he prioritized raising Josh by declining touring opportunities in Nashville and instead focusing on storytelling about local Canadian communities and people.[43][10]
Residences and later years
Rostad has maintained strong ties to the Ottawa Valley region throughout his life, with long-time residences in the Ottawa and Gatineau areas, where he founded the annual Gatineau Clog country music festival in 1979.[1] Following the end of his CBC television series On the Road Again in 2007, he shifted toward semi-retirement, taking a sabbatical from full-time music to recharge after decades in the industry, while focusing on local performances, songwriting, golf, and travel.[27][10]Rostad and his partner Trudy share a home in Ottawa, where they continue to enjoy a shared lifestyle centered on music, golf outings, and community engagement in the Ottawa Valley.[10] Their off-grid dream home, named "Road’s End," overlooks the Atlantic on the east coast, reflecting Rostad's interest in travel and quieter pursuits.[10] Despite semi-retirement, he remains active with local gigs and maintains robust health through an active routine, supported by family and deep-rooted connections to the Ottawa Valley community.[10]Rostad's later years have included continued performances and events, such as hosting the "Ottawa Valley Music Friends Gathering" in April 2024 and the annual "Christmas in the Valley" shows held in December 2024 in locations including Pembroke, Brockville, Kingston, Ottawa, and Cornwall, with dates scheduled for December 2025 at venues including the Meridian Theatre at Centrepointe in Nepean, the Aultsville Theatre in Cornwall, the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans, Festival Hall in Pembroke, and the Brockville Arts Centre.[46][36] These activities underscore his ongoing commitment to local music and philanthropy in the region, blending personal leisure with selective professional engagements.[10]Awards and honors
Music awards
Rostad's early recognition in the Canadian country music scene came in 1979 when he was named Most Promising New Artist at the RPM Big Country Awards, highlighting his emerging talent as a singer-songwriter following the release of his debut album Writer of Songs on his own Stag Creek Records label.[2][7]In 1981, Rostad received a Juno Award nomination for Country Male Vocalist of the Year, acknowledging his vocal performances and growing presence in the genre.[1]Rostad's contributions to country music were further honored through inductions into prestigious halls of fame.A lot of laughs and a lot of loving exchanges and so whether I did that on television talking to a camera pointed at me, my job was to go through the lens, and through the lens into the other side, to the viewer watching.”
Rostad recalled how his father gifted him a guitar when he was young and asked him to respect it. But these affairs of the heart pluck strings you didn’t know existed.
He has been inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame and is one of the longest serving Honourary Colonels in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Photo Credits: Grant Martin Photography
Wayne Rostad
Born October, 1947 in the nation’s capital, Wayne Victor Rostad had BIG musical dreams on his mind.
Talking about the same, he said, "Television is an amazing thing. I took a sabbatical from music. Stops at CKWS-TV in Kingston, CKBY radio in Ottawa and CJCN radio in Grand Falls, Newfoundland followed.
In 1970, Wayne hit the road in his dad's borrowed 1964 white Cadillac as the front man for The Honey West Show. Stops at CKWS-TV in Kingston, CKBY radio in Ottawa and CJCN radio in Grand Falls, Newfoundland followed.
In 1970, Wayne hit the road in his dad’s borrowed 1964 white Cadillac as the front man for The Honey West Show.
"I wanted to write about people in my own back yard, something which Country Report had given me an insight into . This collection showcased his original storytelling tracks, including "Willie Boy" and "Rideau Street Queen," which continue to be fan favorites at live performances.[21][48]His second album, Again (sometimes titled Wayne Rostad Again), followed in 1983 on Stag Creek Records, though some sources list the release year as 1984.
People have pretty sharp memories, and television really imprints on the mind. He was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 2002, recognizing his lifelong impact on the regional music community through recordings and performances.[3] In 2010, he was enshrined in the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, celebrating his songwriting, recordings, and role in promoting Canadian country artists over four decades.[47]
Broadcasting and national honors
Rostad's long-running CBC television series On the Road Again earned him five Gemini Awards for Best Lifestyle Series and seven nominations for Best Host between 1988 and 2000, recognizing outstanding achievements in Canadian television, particularly for best variety or performance series and best host in a light information, variety, or performing arts program.[3][7] These honors highlighted the program's success in showcasing Canadian culture and communities through Rostad's engaging on-location hosting style.[4]In 1989, Rostad received the inaugural Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), acknowledging his significant contributions to community service and support for charitable causes within the country music industry.[5]Rostad was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on May 8, 2003, and invested on February 20, 2004, for his enduring contributions to Canadian music and broadcasting, including his role in fostering national unity through television storytelling.[6] This prestigious national honor recognized his efforts in connecting Canadians to their diverse landscapes and people via On the Road Again.[27]Among other distinctions, Rostad served as an Honorary Colonel for the Canadian Forces' 8 Air Maintenance Squadron at CFB Trenton, one of the longest such appointments in the armed forces, reflecting his public service commitment beyond broadcasting.[3][1]Discography
Albums
Wayne Rostad's debut studio album, Writer of Songs, was released in 1979 by Stag Creek Records.. A lot of my work life was seven-days-a-week."
He certainly decided to part ways with singing but he says, “I didn’t realize that the songbird had stopped singing. His father gifted him his first guitar during his youth, advising him to respect the instrument as it would bring only positive opportunities in life.