Edward Bear

Edward Bear was a Canadian folk-rock group, formed originally in 1966 by Larry Evoy and Craig Hemming. The band signed with Capitol Records in 1969. Most of their chart successes were in the early seventies before disbanding in 1974. Their band name is derived from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, whose "proper" name is Edward Bear. Their top singles include "You, Me and Mexico", "Last Song", and "Close Your Eyes", all three of which were top five in Canada and charted well in the United States. The band charted its biggest hit in 1972, when "Last Song" charted No. 1 in Canada and peaked at No. 3 in the United States. By then, the original band had split up. Evoy rebuilt the band twice, but it finally was disbanded in 1974 after a disastrous tour of high school gigs and small club venues. They won a Juno Award in 1973 in an outstanding group performance category. Evoy, who embraced scientology in 1973, went on to a semi-successful solo career but is currently retired. Former member Danny Marks has continued a very successful career as a blues guitar veteran. Paul Weldon, a six year veteran of the band, performs with a jazz combo and teaches at Seneca College in Toronto. Bill Loop, bassist in the early seventies, resides in south-western Ontario and plays locally with various session musicians. He also teaches guitar.