Bob Fuller, a legend in Montreal's country music scene, passed away Thursday night at the age of 84.
Fuller was hospitalized at Verdun Hospital in the palliative care unit at the time of his death.
His "Hillbilly NIght" country music gathering on Monday nights is one of the precious few cultural events that's lasted over 50 years in Montreal.
The tradition continues, 52 years and counting, where young artists and older folk commiserate at The Wheel Club to play old-timey country music - without electric instruments or amplifiers.
The event was first held at the now-defunct Blue Angel country bar on Drummond St, fuelled by Fuller's dedication to the most classic forms of country and bluegrass music.
During Hillbilly Night, artists are barred from performing any music piece written or popularized after the 1960's.
Fuller hailed from Nova Scotia, and has long been referred to as a pioneer who dedicated a large portion of his life to spreading the joy of country music.
In later life, he struggled to play guitar and faced a host of health problems - even losing a leg to diabetes - but his spirit wasn't dampened.
"While my voice is not the same as it once was, I'll still be trying to give it my all on stage," an 82-year-old Fuller told the Montreal Gazette in 2016.
