Like so many others who came up to the Yukon for just two weeks, Hank Karr quickly realized that Whitehorse Yukon would be the place he'd grow his roots down deep, and "stay a while". That decision came quickly, when he first travelled from Ketichcan Alaska to Whitehorse Yukon in the mid 1960's to play his guitar and sing on the stage at the local Whitehorse Inn. Sixty plus years later, he's still doing what he loves to do. Singing, writing music, and performing on one of his many guitars more than a half century later, Hank Karr has long become a staple of the Yukon music scene and is adorned be countless people locally and internationally.
Karr pays tribute to his predecessor Al Oster, who was also enamoured with the magic of the Northern landscape, the lives of the common people he surrounded himself with, and the rich history and character of the Yukon. This quickly became a palate of themes and stories ripe for the picking. Both Oster and Karr were prolific melody writers and accomplished wordsmiths who could weave characters into a song within minutes.
Oster went on to recorded Karr's first album in the 1960s, and the two of them would perform together in the Canadian Pavilion during Expo 67 in Montreal. CBC recorded the Expo 67 performances and later put them on an LP called The Yukon Stars.
Karr remained a fan of Oster's writing long after he moved "outside" of the Yukon, and Karr continued to perform several of Oster's songs during his concerts, and eventually, recorded much of his material over the years, presenting it as only Hank Karr could. With a Baritone/Base voice, and a performance stature that rivals any professional musician around the world, Karr was a natural from the moment he picked up his chosen instrument.
To purchase one of Karr's CDs, DVDs, or Books, please visit the local Maximilian's Gold Rush Emporium on Main Street, Whitehorse or Dawson City. https://www.maximilians.ca/ Orders can also be placed online or through most digital music download sites. Simply search Hank Karr on Google and you'll find several options available.
To listen to the full M.A.Y.L. podcast show series, please click on MyAmazingYukonLife.comwhere you’ll find each weekly podcast link along with show notes and pictures related to each of the episodes. You can also download each episode from Buzzsprout or wherever you get your podcasts from. While you’re there, hit the subscribe button and leave me a comment on what you’d like to hear next on the show.
I encourage you to become a member of the My Amazing Yukon Life Facebook Group where our stories can come together as we build upon the collective memories of one another, recording and preserving personal stories of the Yukon's rich history and colourful life adventures.
I hope you enjoy this podcast and I thank you for joining me as a "M.A.Y.L. carrier”, as we proudly deliver our amazing Yukon life stories to the outside world.
Cheers
“Trapper Dan your Renaissance Man”
Daniel Halen