MacNeil became Canada’s top-selling country singer-songwriter in 19. She would continue to regularly perform with The Men of the Deeps, including at the 1989 Junos. The song, which she performed with the coal miners choir, The Men of the Deeps, soared to No. Her 1988 song, Working Man, was inspired after a visit to Sydney Mines, and written as a tribute to the hardships and sacrifices of coal miners in Cape Breton – but it would serve an anthem for coal miners everywhere. With the successful single Flying On Your Own and the double-platinum album of the same name, MacNeil won her first Juno Award in 1987 as Most Promising Female Vocalist, and ECMA Female Recording of the Year in 1989-19. She recorded three albums independently beginning with Born a Woman (1975), but it was Flying On Your Own, her 1986 debut album with Virgin Records, that became her commercial breakthrough. Gradually, her songwriting evolved into a broader folk-pop autobiographical style, and she performed for rallies, at coffeehouses, folk clubs, the Mariposa and other folk festivals. MacNeil became active in the early 1970s writing feminist protest songs. There are few artists who have such an intimate and authentic connection with their fans, and that bond lives on through her songs.” Rita didn’t sing to people, she sang for people and her audiences, in return, gave her strength to overcome her shyness and stage anxiety. “The love between songwriter and audience was mutual. “Through her lyrics and songwriting, Rita allowed us into her heart and soul,” said Vanessa Thomas, Executive Director, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her melody-driven, heartfelt songwriting resisted classification - sometimes country, sometimes hinting of folk, gospel and blues. With her shy persona, MacNeil endeared herself to grassroots audiences nationwide and enjoyed commercial success despite not conforming to the music industry’s expectations. MacNeil’s induction announcement was timed with the eighth anniversary of her untimely death, age 68, on April 16, 2013, after complications with surgery.Ī CSHF press release noted that "some of MacNeil’s best-known songs often spoke of Nova Scotia, however, her cross-genre appeal and immense talent resonated with Canadians across the country and globally. MacNeil’s legacy will then be indelibly remembered with a permanent place in the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at the National Music Centre in Calgary. The induction presentation will include a musical tribute performed by a cast of former bandmates, friends and more. A special tribute is planned for the Awards Show, taking place in the songwriter’s hometown of Cape Breton, NS. Her signature classic song, Flying on Her Own, will receive that honour during the 2021 East Coast Music Awards, May 6. Known as the First Lady of Cape Breton, singer-songwriter Rita MacNeil is the newest inductee into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF).
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