Anne Murray Center.

Springhill , Nova Scotia

“Beneath this snowy mantle, cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting
For its coat to turn to green
The snowbird sings the song he always sings
And speaks to me of flowers
That will bloom again in spring…”

– Snow Bird written by Gene MacLellan. Performed by Anne Murray

Ah this song takes me back: In my mind’s eye, I’m sitting in the back seat of a Plymouth learning forward (no seat belts) to catch a good view through the windshield, of our drive down Pleasant Street in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. My dad is steering with his right hand, and my mom is attentive but relaxed in front passenger seat. My sister is beside me in the back. The radio announcer introduces the song Snowbird, “by our very own Anne Murray.” I recall my dad saying, “Her father was my bridge partner.”

The song was released in 1970 when I would have been three years old, but this was probably a few years later for several reason: 1. I understood bridge was a card game; 2. My dad said her father “was” his bridge partner, and my dad retired from the hospital in 1971.

Anne Murray, an extremely popular singer, still garners requests on the local radio stations forty-plus years on, so the radio intro gives no clue to the time frame. Whatever the year, I wasn’t old enough to understand that the snowbird of the title was a metaphor for the cold heartache of an unfaithful love. I thought it was about leaving the cold of winter and joining the migrating birds heading south.

Writing today at the halfway point of winter, I am looking out the window and those lyrics, of escaping winter at least, seem to be spot-on, making me want to sing the refrain out loud. “Spread your tiny wings and fly away, and take the snow back with you were it came from on that day.” A good time to tell you about my visit with my friend Tracy to the Anne Murray Center last summer. Take a look at this Big 30 Hit list. Anne’s Song Bird topped some heavy weight artists.

Anne Murray grew up in Springhill, Nova Scotia. The song Snowbird launched her career, and she became one of Canada’s biggest and most-beloved singers. She has sold over 55 million albums. She had ten number one country hits and eight Adult Contemporary number one hits. She won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance for her hits A little Good News Today, Could I Have this Dance, and Love Song. She won a Grammy for Best Pop vocal for You Needed Me.

The museum starts with her early years growing up in Springhill. Her dad was Dr. James Carson Murray . (That adds credibility to my dad’s story of them playing bridge together.) She was close with her siblings and idolized her mother. Stories of school clubs – sports and singing. The museum is a maze of display cases filled with memorabilia. I walk by an impressive line of silver, gold and platinum albums. Several of her Grammys and Juno awards are on display.

You can push buttons hear her speak and perform many of her fan favorites. Clips of televised shows.

There are pictures of her performing with many famous personalities, musicians, and actors, but the most famous would be this photo below, taken by Richard Creamer at the Troubadour with the Hollywood Vampires. Left to right is John Lennon, Anne, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper and Mickey Dolenz. 

It was fun walking through the decades – Anne’s successful career spanned four decades, from the 1960s to the 2000s. She retired in 2008 and moved to Halifax in 2020 to be closer to her family. When I asked the young lady in the gift shop, “Have you ever meet Anne?” she replied, “Yes, she pops in sometimes.” I was told she is in the area during old home week in August. I captured a photo of Tracy with A cut-out of Anne. I wish I had gotten one for myself.

The Anne Murray center will open for the 2024 season on Victoria Day, Presidents Day in the US.

Address is 36 Main St, Springhill, NS B0M 1X0. check the link for center information and online store dhttps://annemurraycentre.com/

Phone: (902) 597-8614

Exhibit Hours:

10:00 am – 4:30 pm

Gift Shop Hours:

10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Pricing:

Adults: $9, Seniors: $8 Youth: $6 Family: $23 Children: Free (5 and under)
Group (10 or more): $8 each

No discounts, perks or money was received for this post it was my own experience.