Minto Country Music Wall of Fame

Eldon was born in Cumberland Bay, NB on October 2, 1932 to Verna and Havelock Barton. He has nine children and six stepchildren.

His musical career began very early playing the guitar at age six. This was where he first entertained playing at school and church functions. As the men returned from overseas, Eldon played fiddle and Ralph Fairweather played guitar, held dances on a home made dance floor they took from place to place. Fourteen years of age saw him playing banjo at the Casa Loma dancehall. It was there that he acquired the nickname “Banjo Barton”. Eldon branched out playing the mandolin and bass fiddle. Then it was on to CFNB radio playing with the “Minto Merry-Go-Round”.

In 1961 along with Fred McKenna, Ross Bennington, Ron Bailey, and Ray Phillips, they formed “The Country Boys” playing a weekly Bluegrass show on CKCW in Moncton and touring extensively around the Maritimes, playing shows in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. during the same time. In 1962 this group went on to work as the house band for the Capital Co-Op Jamboree. This resulted in touring New Brunswick.

Then it was off to Ontario where he freelanced with a number of bands filling in with whatever instrument was needed. It was in Ontario that Eldon was in constant demand to play guitar for numerous fiddle players. He’s played at Shelbourne for Russ and Phyllis McDowell at fiddle contests, and took Mac Brogan to the Grand Masters Fiddle Championships in Ottawa. He’s played bass on a show with Stompin’ Tom Connor and Stevedore Steve in Guelph, Ontario and was a favorite of Graham and Eleanor Townsend. Eldon has played mandolin for Arte MacLaren and Smiley Bates. So many people over the years have admired Eldon’s talent and joined with him and he with them in entertaining.

In his neighborhood in Mimico in the ‘60’s, Harry Hibbs, Ronnie Hawkins, and Fred McKenna lived within a block of each other and a lot of music was going on. On May 1, 1990, Eldon received an “Appreciation Award” from the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame of which he is very proud.

In 1988 he met and married Ruth Drost. They lived in Ontario until Eldon’s retirement from Goodyear Canada. Upon returning to New Brunswick they have been very busy playing and singing regularly on CBC Halifax, CHSJ Saint John, CHSR Fredericton, CHQR Restigouche, Quebec, and CFCY Charlottetown.

To sum up Eldon says, “Life’s a Pleasure”.