Ted Germain was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and at an early age his family moved to East Jeddore where he grew up.As a teenager Ted worked on Sable Island where he became a lighthouse keeper. He spent his off duty hours singing to break the monotony. A cook on the Island by the name of Calvin Day taught Ted to play the guitar. Once he mastered playing the guitar, he started writing songs and one day after a 12 hour watch in the light station, he sat down and wrote the song he is best known for, “Sable Island Shores”.
Shortly thereafter, while on a short leave from the Island to Halifax, Ted took his song to The Barrington Exchange, a second hand shop where they made paper recordings, and paid .25 cents to have a recording made of this song, “Sable Island Shores”.
It happened that Ivan Dorey was in the same studio that day and heard Ted singing the song. Upon asking Ted where the song came from and learning that Ted had written it, Ted gave Ivan permission to sing the song on his noon hour radio program on CKBW, Bridgewater. The song soon became very popular and became Ivan Dorey’s signature song. It is believed it was recorded by as many as 17 artists, including Ivan Dorey, Jim Bennett, Omer Blondahl and, of course, Ted Germain himself.
Over the years Ted wrote some 100 songs and became a full time entertainer, a career which spanned 4 decades. From singer, to songwriter, to full time entertainer, Ted and his band known as “The Rhythmers” opened for a number of Nashville artists when they entertained in Halifax - performers such as Webb Pierce, Connie Smith, Jim Anderson and Farron Young.
Beside writing songs and performing as an entertainer, Ted also recorded an album entitled “Ted Sings Country”. In 2004 he was honoured to receive the ECMA Stomping Tom Connors Award.
Ted Germain passed away on August 24, 2013.
