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Valdy—Canada’s endearing and enduring troubadour.

Photo via valdy.com

Valdy is a Canadian musical treasure

By Joe Leary

Published 12:14 PDT, Fri August 1, 2025

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Born Paul Valdermar Horsdal, the two-time Juno Award-winning folksinger was born in Ottawa and started playing guitar and piano at an early age and Henry Mancini was a major influence. “He was a band leader, composer and film-score champion,” says Valdy.

“The thickness of his tonal combinations; his grooves and his sense of melody kicked me off as a youngster and few have risen to that height of creativity in my opinion.

“Joni Mitchell is a contender, as is Mark Knopfler, Sting and a few others—those who inspire others without teaching or preaching; just by being remarkable”.

In the sixties Valdy toured with bands; the London Towne Criers and The Prodigal Sons and was the bassist for country singer, Blake Emmons, before heading west in 1966.

“I was a decent guitarist by that time, age 20.

“When I drove with a pal to Victoria, my first regular gig was playing a Hagstrom Electric Bass with soul-singer Darren St. Claire.

“Victoria was coming of age in those years and there were many music bars, so that's what I did until 1970, with successive stints in house bands”.

He soon discovered that his soul lived in Folk Music.

"Every song's a folk song, 'cause I never heard a horse sing" is a quote by folksinger ‘Big’ Bill Broonzy and I concur,” adds Valdy.

“Thus, I can play anything and still be a folksinger.

“Were I to specialize in any given style, obviously I would be defined by that genre—but folk music is the broad foundation of music for the folk, by the folk: thus, folksinger”.

Embarking on a solo career in the seventies, Valdy’s journey to the radio airwaves and subsequent appearances on the music charts took a circuitous route. He landed on the Canadian music scene in 1972, when Rock and Roll Song charted nationally. Its success is rather ironic as the singer scored a major hit record by recounting a tale of audience rejection.

In 1969, he was invited to play at the Aldergrove Rock Festival. It seems the assembled masses didn’t approve of his folk repertoire and voiced their disapproval.

For Valdy, it became perfect material for his debut single. “When one is rejected by five thousand people one can respond in basically two manners: quit doing what caused the grief or get better at it,” he says.

“I chose the latter”.

Rock and Roll Song was just the beginning of a string of radio hits that included, Yes I Can, Simple Life, and Peter and Lou—all gems in their own right.

Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Valdy released numerous albums, earning his two Juno Awards and multiple nominations and became a fixture on CBC and in folk festivals across the country.

Audiences connect with his homespun material and banter as they feel like conversations of everyday life.

Whether singing about love, loss, or causes and issues he believes in, Valdy always brings a sense of place to his work; deeply-rooted within the Canadian landscape. These days, it remains a simple life for the vaunted folk performer.

“My wife Kathleen and I live on Salt Spring Island, off the SE corner of Vancouver Island,” he says.

“When home, I am involved in all the usual home activities as well as trying to be a housekeeper, as Kathleen is working every week.

“Several locals and I have a jam night each week, which allows the chops to stay fairly fresh: music as therapy”.

Appointed a member of the esteemed Order of Canada in 2011, Valdy is still active and entertaining at the seasoned age of 79.

“Touring is a balancing act, keeping vocal prowess and instrumental chops on as high a plain as possible, without losing the grittiness of experimentation and discovery,” he says, of life on the road in 2025.

Be Good Now basically sums up touring and the lifestyle must support being ready to give ones best at the downbeat”. It’s that axiom that keeps bringing in the crowds.

“Valdy has performed at Blue Frog Studios more than a dozen times over the past 14 years, with every show selling out quickly,” says Kelly Breaks, co-owner of the popular White Rock venue.

“It’s proof that his storytelling and musicianship continue to captivate audiences and stands as one of Canada’s great national storytellers; weaving songs about small-town life, everyday people and the traditions that define this country.”

valdy.com