Myrna Lorrie

Myrna Lorrie (b. Myrna Lorraine Petrunka, August 6, 1940, Cloud Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian country singer/songwriter/musician. She is known as the First Lady of Canadian Country Music.

Lorrie first sang publicly at age 11 on Fort William radio station CKPR on a program called School of the Air, which was hosted by Jack Master. At 12, Master's gave Lorrie her own radio show called Harmony Trails. At age 14 she wrote and recorded the song "Are You Mine" with Buddy DeVal, which was released on Abbott Records and reached number 6 on the Billboard Chart. The song became a hit in both Canada and the United States and was recorded by several artists; it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard and Cashbox charts in early 1956. She was voted Best New Female Singer by fan polls in both Billboard and Cashbox magazines in 1955. The Lorrie/De Val team was a part of numerous Grand Ole Opry packages in 1956.

"Are You Mine" received the Song of the Year award from BMI n the US in 1955 and from BMI in Canada in 1976. The song is in BMI's Millionaire Club and became a worldwide standard in the country song category.

On January 10, 1957 she had her first recording session for RCA, at the RCA Victor Studio 1, in New York. Her first producer was Steve Sholes who had signed Jim Reeves and The Browns in addition to Hank Snow, Eddy Arnold, Chet Atkins and Elvis Presley. Nine months later, on October 31, 1957, Myrna recorded at RCA Victor Studio on McGavock Street in Nashville, with Chester B. Atkins which included a song written by Myrna called "Tradewinds".

Her first tour in the United States had her opening for stars such as Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Kitty Wells, and Sonny James. She appeared on the Grand Ole Opry broadcast as a guest of Hank Snow. Later she toured with Faron Young. Skeeter Davis, Ferlin Husky, and Porter Wagoner.

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