🎵 Ken Tobias — The Saint John Singer-Songwriter Who Went Around the World
Before Ken Tobias became an internationally known singer-songwriter, he was a young boy performing in Saint John, New Brunswick.
Born Kenneth Wayne Paul Tobias on July 25, 1945, in Saint John, Tobias went on to build a remarkable career in Canadian music. He became a successful recording artist, songwriter, producer and, later in life, a painter.
His greatest songwriting success came with “Stay Awhile,” a song recorded by the Montreal group The Bells that became an international hit in 1971.
🎤 A Performer From a Young Age
Tobias later recalled that he had been performing since he was only four years old. One of his earliest performances was at the old Zellers store on King Street in Saint John, where he sang and modelled for a small payment of candy.
As a teenager and young adult, music became increasingly important to him.
In 1961, he joined the Saint John folk group The Ramblers, playing guitar. He later played drums with the rock group Badd Cedes.
He also worked as a draftsman before deciding that music was the career he wanted to pursue.
📺 From Saint John to Canadian Television
In 1965, Tobias moved to Halifax.
His career quickly expanded when he became a performer on CBC television’s Music Hop and then a cast member of the popular program Singalong Jubilee.
It was during Singalong Jubilee that he performed with another young Maritime musician who would become one of Canada’s biggest stars — Anne Murray.
Tobias and Murray performed duets together on the program, helping establish Tobias as a recognizable young Canadian performer.
🌴 The Hollywood Connection
One of the most remarkable chapters in Tobias’s career began in 1968, when he met Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers.
Medley heard Tobias perform and invited him to Los Angeles.
The opportunity took Tobias from the Maritimes to Hollywood, where he worked as a songwriter and recording artist.
Medley produced Tobias’s early single “You’re Not Even Going to the Fair.”
It was an extraordinary opportunity for a young musician from Saint John and opened the door to the American music industry.
⭐ “Stay Awhile”
Then came the song that would define Tobias’s career.
In 1970, he wrote “Stay Awhile.”
The song was recorded by The Bells, and in 1971 it became a major international hit.
The recording reached:
🇨🇦 No. 1 in Canada
🇺🇸 No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100
The song reportedly sold more than two million copies worldwide.
For Tobias, a songwriter from Saint John, it was an extraordinary international success.
🎶 His Own Recording Career
Tobias was much more than the songwriter behind “Stay Awhile.”
During the 1970s and early 1980s, he released a series of albums and singles of his own.
Among his best-known songs were:
- Dream No. 2
- I Just Want to Make Music
- Every Bit of Love
- Give a Little Love
- Fly Me High
- Lady Luck
His recordings received extensive Canadian radio airplay, and he earned numerous awards from Canadian music-rights organizations.
🏆 Recognition for His Songwriting
Tobias became one of Canada’s most successful songwriters of his generation.
He received numerous BMI awards and a PROCAN Crystal Award.
He also received several SOCAN Classics Awards, recognizing songs that had achieved 100,000 domestic radio performances.
Among the songs recognized were “Stay Awhile,” “I Just Want to Make Music,” “Every Bit of Love,” “Give a Little Love” and “Dream No. 2.”
His songs were also recorded by other performers, including Anne Murray and Susan Jacks.
🎬 Music Beyond the Record Charts
Tobias’s creativity extended beyond traditional songwriting.
He became involved in film and television scoring, and in 1989 worked with Ballet Jörgen on Dreams of a Subtle World.
He also composed the score for the CBC documentary The Greenpeace Years, which aired nationally and was distributed internationally.
🎨 The Painter
Music wasn’t Tobias’s only artistic passion.
He had also been painting for decades.
Eventually, painting became an increasingly important part of his creative life. His artwork included landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, fantasy works and figure studies.
His official art biography says that hundreds of his works found homes across North America and Europe.
🏠 Coming Home to Saint John
After spending many years in Toronto and travelling extensively for his music career, Tobias returned to his hometown.
He moved back to Saint John in 2004, where he continued to make music, paint and encourage younger musicians.
He remained involved with the local music community and collaborated with artists including Jessica Rhaye.
His 2008 album From a Distance was his first new album in many years and was recorded in Saint John.
💙 A Saint John Original
Ken Tobias died in Saint John on October 2, 2024, at the age of 79.
His passing brought tributes from across New Brunswick and Canada. Saint John-Rothesay MP Wayne Long paid tribute to Tobias in the House of Commons, recognizing his contribution to Canadian music.
But perhaps the best way to remember Ken Tobias is through his journey.
He started as a young performer in Saint John.
He became a television performer in Halifax.
He travelled to Hollywood.
He wrote an international hit.
He recorded his own music.
He composed for television, film and dance.
He became a painter.
And eventually, he came home to Saint John.
🎵 Ken Tobias — A Saint John Musical Legacy
Born: July 25, 1945 — Saint John, New Brunswick
Died: October 2, 2024 — Saint John, New Brunswick
Occupation: Singer-songwriter, musician, producer and painter
Best-known song: “Stay Awhile”
The Bells’ recording: No. 1 in Canada; No. 7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Television: Music Hop, Singalong Jubilee
Major Canadian recognition: Multiple BMI, PROCAN and SOCAN awards
Saint John connection: Born, raised and later returned to live in Saint John
Ken Tobias wasn’t just a famous Canadian musician — he was one of Saint John’s own.
His music travelled around the world, but his roots were always in New Brunswick.
Sources
National Music Centre — Ken Tobias and the story behind “Stay Awhile”
Museum of Canadian Music — Ken Tobias biography