I'm ashamed to say I never heard of a singer name Hall Willis. He worked in the Canadian logging industry for years waiting for his big break, while crooning in bars at night. Eventually, he partnered with a woman, and they became huge country and rockabilly stars on The Grand Ole Opry and had a number of big hits, including on the Canadian charts. 

But perhaps his biggest claim to fame was that he actually went on tour with Elvis Presley. It all happened through fellow Canadian legend Hank Snow, who played a big part in helping to discover The King of Rock and Roll in the first place. 

"Snow...played a major role in launching Elvis Presley’s career. He helped the young singer secure a slot on the Grand Ole Opry and introduced him to his longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker. He did the same for the Willis duo.

In 1956, Snow was booked on a tour with Presley and invited the couple to join them. They spent the next seven months touring throughout the South and building a following. They also became friendly with some of the biggest stars in country music. This led to regular appearances on the Grand Ole Opry."

You have to wonder if the Hall Willis story could ever happen today. But it's a fascinating tale of some real original Canadian Content before there were any CanCon rules.

The Singing Lumberjack Who Toured With Elvis Presley and Wrote Hits for Patsy Cline and Flatt & Scruggs