The Music Barn

A Musical Family From Nova Scotia
Carl Elliott, Leader-In Nova Scotia Music Hall of Fame
Last Date Changed: Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Meet the Elliotts a musical family from Nova Scotia. The family released an  instrumental CD in 2003, and as a result received an ECMA 2004 nomination for Instrumental Album of the Year. The family goes back many years in music, when Carl Elliott began the music trend with his brothers. He was born in Economy, Nova Scotia and inherited his musical talent from his mother, Allie, a great piano player, and his uncle, Tommy Albert Linkletter, a first-class old-time fiddler player, who inspired Carl most of all.

He moved to Ontario in 1947 and performed there with a number of bands. He moved back to Nova Scotia in 1972 where he began to perform with several bands, including with his own sons, Bill and Mike. Carl is a three time winner of the Maritime Old Time Fiddling Contest and an Atlantic Old Time Fiddler's Champion. He also judged many fiddling contests in the Maritimers, Ontario and Alberta.

He continues to perform everywhere in the Maritimes, and even performed with the Birchmountain Bluegrass Band in 2003. He along with his sons Bill and Mike, opened for many important acts such as Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw. In August 2003, Carl was inducted into the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame. The Elliott Family comprises of Carl, with his sons Bill and Mike and Carl's daughter Glenda.

Bill and Mike are very talented musicians and play fiddle, guitars, banjo, bass, piano and both sing vocals. Bill and Mike won many fiddling championships across Canada and toured everywhere as well. They all continue to perform as a family band, and write music and continue to do volunteer work with efforts towards fundraising in the local communities.

In 2003, the Elliotts found time to produce an album entitled, The Elliotts. A great album containing 14 tracks with incredible music. The CD was recorded at Dalhousie University, Halifax, N.S. Carl and his family continue to host fiddle parties at the Great Village Masonic Lodge, on a regular basis, with proceeds going to the Lodge. They also performed at Fiddle Fest, at the N.S. Provincial Exhibition in Truro for the past 4 years.