OTTAWA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Ottawa Valley singer/songwriter Terry Carisse, a star of Canada's country-music scene, died Sunday at the age of 62.
Among the songs that Carisse wrote are the No. 1 hit Sparkle in Her Eyes, as well as Love Sweet Love and Windship.
Larry Delaney, his friend and the editor and publisher of the Country Music News, told the Canadian Press that Carisse died of cancer.
With seven albums on his discography, Carisse had 32 Canadian hits in the 1970s and '80s.
This was also the period when he won the male vocalist of the year trophy from the Canadian Country Music Association six times.
"It remains a record," Delaney said. Paul Brandt is runner-up with five of the trophies.
Carisse started his songwriting career in the early 1970s with partner Bruce Rawlins, who helped him to pen such songs as Hello Mom, Who Wrote the Words, Kentucky Turn Your Back and Old Loves Never Die, which were recorded by the Mercey Brothers.
Delaney called the pair the "Lennon and McCartney of Canadian country music."
Other artists, including Bill Anderson, Carroll Baker, Marie Bottrell, Ralph Carlson and Charlie Louvin, also had success with Carisse-written material.
Carisse performed four songs in the classic East Coast movie The Rowdyman.
He is survived by his wife and three sons. A funeral will be held in Ottawa on Friday.
