Minto Country Music Wall of Fame

Murray Foster Knox was born in Salmon Creek, NB in 1932. The family moved to Hardwood Ridge in 1939 and in 1944 at the age of only twelve years old, he was working in the woods and also helping out on the family farm.

At the age of fifteen, Murray developed a strong urge to play the fiddle. His brothers bought him an inexpensive one. Excitedly, he took it upstairs and a few hours later, he came down playing a tune. He had the innate ability to listen to a tune, practice it a few times, and play it. Although he was very talented, he did not consider himself good enough to play in public. With so much work to be done there was little time to devote to the violin.

In the early 1950's, Murray left New Brunswick for an opportunity to work for a construction company in Ontario operating heavy equipment. Again, work responsibilities kept Murray away from his violin.

Murray returned to New Brunswick in the late 1950's, working as equipment operator and repairman. He married Helena Bielecki in 1961 and they had two sons, Murray and Barry.

In the late 1970's he started to play the fiddle with friends at house parties, then for Senior Citizens square dances in Chipman, Minto and Lakeville Corner.

In the early 1980's Murray became a member of the River Valley Fiddlers in Fredericton. The group performed at several functions and on the Fundy Cable television program

"Country Roads".

Throughout the 1980's he played in many contests and won several awards. For two consecutive years, 1987 and 1988, Murray won the first place Johnny Mooring trophy at the Woodstock Old Home Week in the under sixty category. The following year he was invited to be a judge at the contest.

Murray has also won the first and second place trophies at the Chipman Fall Fair.

In April of 1993 Murray passed away at the age of sixty-one. He enjoyed music his entire life and the melodies that Murray played and left behind will never die.