Minto Country Music Wall of Fame

Emile was born and raised in Minto, NB and has been involved in the music business for as long as he can remember. His vocation has been a welder and construction worker but Emile has always had music as his first love.

He began at an early age with his first appearances as a regular on the Bud Brown’s Radio Jamboree. Very soon that followed with club appearances such as The Casa Loma, The Duck Inn, The Red Barn, Jimmy Simmons Dance Hall, The Boat Club, The Moon Palace, The Dallas Club and many other clubs throughout Canada.

Along with playing for other groups, Emile also started his own band called "The Silver Shadows". They were very popular and played dances in Fredericton and surrounding areas. Emile also played with "The David McNeill Band" which played country and rock music.

Emile's next musical experience was touring with the Joey Knight Show. He was the opening lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and fiddle player and harmony vocalist with Joey. Throughout his 5 years of experience with the show, Emile was part of the opening act for well known artists such as the great Mickey Gilley, Eddie Eastman, Harold MacIntyre, Johnny Burke, Bobby Curtola, Cathy Chambers and several others. One of his most memorable performances was at "The Stagedoor Lounge" in the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1986 Emile, nicknamed JB, teamed up with a musician named Albert Gatto and formed a duo known as "Double Trouble". Next, Emile spent five years playing with Bob Cleghorn; a well-known singer/songwriter in a country-rock band named the "BCB Band". After that Emile freelanced with several groups until 2000 when he began playing with Lorraine McNeill, Dale Krall and Mary O'Hara in a group known as "Hooked On Country".

Emile lives in Minto and has two children, a daughter Martha and a son Mark. He is still playing with ”Hooked on Country” today and can be heard singing and playing locally every weekend. Emile is known for his guitar style, his heart and caring personality will continue to entertain people for years to come.