The Rankin Family

Sometimes past glories return in unexpected places. Raylene Rankin will occasionally hear her sweet soprano voice soaring through the classic Cape Breton anthem Rise Again — on the radio in the family truck or in the aisles of the local grocery store.

“I am proud of all we‘ve accomplished in all those years of touring and making music,” says Raylene, recalling the success of The Rankin Family. “As well, I see now how fortunate we were, to be able to live in Nova Scotia and still remain a part of the industry.”

Through the 1990s, the Rankin Family was one of the most successful musical acts in Canada, placing several hits on country and pop radio. Today, 20 years after their first album was released, The Rankins continue to make beautiful music together.

The five Rankin siblings — Raylene, John Morris, Cookie, Jimmy and Heather — formed a family band in 1989 and began the rise to the pinnacle of the Canadian music scene. They released six critically-acclaimed studio albums, won 15 East Coast Music Awards, six Juno awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and sold more than two millions albums worldwide.

It was a remarkable run for the talented group from tiny Mabou, Cape Breton.
Finally in Sept. ‘99, the Rankins disbanded a decade after recording their first album. A year later, with the siblings moving in separate professional directions, tragedy struck. John Morris Rankin, the group’s gifted multi-instrumentalist, died in a motor vehicle accident on an icy road in Cape Breton. The family did not perform again together until Calgary promoter Jeff Perry contacted them in 2006 with the idea of a Canadian reunion tour.

So in 2007, Raylene, Jimmy, Cookie and Heather decided to reunite, for a cross-Canada tour, joined onstage by John Morris’s daughter Molly. With an album specially recorded for the tour, they struck out on the road.

“That reunion tour was a lot of fun,” recalls Raylene, “and we saw lots of old friends and met all kinds of new ones too.

“The music was still there but the pressure was off. For almost ten years, we were part of the big music machine, constantly recording or touring. So when we left that, it was a big relief. Some of us had young families and other had interests they wanted to pursue.”

The Reunion Album was an excellent vehicle for pulling together some loose ends — songs culled from previous albums, unreleased songs written for other projects and new songs from Jimmy, Heather and Molly.

Early in 2009, the Rankins released These Are The Moments, a new 13-track studio album of uplifting songs. The Canadian concert dates to support that album were named by industry watcher Pollstar Magazine as one of the top 100 tours worldwide for the first quarter of 2009.

Jimmy has maintained a successful singer-songwriter career, releasing three albums and touring across North America and Europe.

Raylene released her solo album Lambs in Spring in 2004, and performs with fellow Nova Scotian singers Cindy Church and Susan Crowe to promote their live recording Rankin, Church and Crowe-Live At Alderney Landing.

Each December, Raylene joins sisters Cookie and Heather for their popular Christmas tour. Together with their sister Genevieve, they also own The Red Shoe Pub in Mabou, a popular restaurant and live music venue.

Through all the changes, all the ups and downs, the Rankins have remained firmly rooted in Nova Scotia and their beloved Cape Breton. Raylene, Jimmy and Heather all live in Halifax, and Cookie splits her time between her summer home in Cape Breton and Nashville (she’s married to renowned producer George Massenburg).

Right from the beginning, the group was able to root their business in Nova Scotia. Their management was based in Halifax, and while the Rankins often recorded in Toronto, they always returned home.

“I think we can credit some of that to technology —phones, faxes and email,” says Raylene. “Twenty years ago we would have had to spend months in Toronto or Nashville making a record. Now much of the process can be done here without ever leaving the city or our homes for that matter. I feel whether you live in downtown Dartmouth or rural Cape Breton, access to technology for communication is key. Nova Scotia must strive to provide this for all its communities.”

Raylene says much of the success of the group comes from their early grounding, growing up in a tight and supportive community in rural Cape Breton. Most of the dozen Rankin siblings participated in local choirs and fundraisers for the community.

“We grew up in Mabou and had that sense of belonging to a bigger family. If you’re trying to raise a family and have career, it’s important to have that sense of community around you.”