Thank you for joining us for a special Made in Manitoba this weekend, as we celebrate the life and reflect on the legacy of Manitoba musical icon Ray St. Germain. The legendary Métis Manitoba musician and on-air personality passed away June 25th, just shy of his 84th birthday after years of living with Parkinson’s disease.

Ray hit the road at 18 to wow crowds across Canada, with his dynamic stage presence and vocal prowess soon earning him the nickname, "Winnipeg's Elvis". Not only an award winning recording artist and producer, he also logged an incredible 500 appearances on television, mostly as host of the long running series, “Big Sky Country”.

Just a few weeks ago, Ray was honoured with the renaming of the street he grew up on, to "Big Sky Country Way". It was at that event where he unexpectedly sang an Elvis Presley song, It’s Now or Never, in what is now his last public performance.

Ray St. Germain inspired many with his performances, his life and his career, but perhaps none other than young Manitoba musicians who were also on the same path. Tonight, as we showcase some of Ray's biggest hits, we'll also hear stories of his impact... including from his granddaughter Catie St. Germain, Kimberley Dawn and Steve Bell.

Steve posted a special tribute to Ray recently, and we thought it would be best to pay tribute to him by hearing from someone who knew him personally – and Steve was happy to share some thoughts about their connection. 

It's Made in Manitoba's tribute to the life and legacy of Ray St. Germain. His music, and our conversation with Steve Bell, Catie St. Germina and Kimberley Dawn is below.

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