AUGUSTA – Ed Boucher of EAB Studios in Lewiston is among the 28 pioneers in music who will be inducted Saturday, May 16, into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be at 1 p.m. at Le Club Calumet.
Also to be inducted is jazz great Johnny Smith of Colorado Springs, who began his career in country music at age 13 in Portland in 1939. He went on become one of the most renowned jazz players in the world. Several guitar manufacturers, including Gibson, Guild and Heritage Guitar, created a special Johnny Smith model.
Georgia Mae, a household word in country for more than 40 years on radio WBZ in Boston, and Harold Crosby, performer and owner/producer of Traveler’s Records in Texas, will also be inducted.
Besides these special inductees, The Hall of Fame will also hold its annual induction from this year’s nominees: Ronnie Chase, Gloria Jean, Lou Mathieu and Bonnie Rairdon.
Some of the Hall of Famers will perform, backed by the award-winning band Bobby Reed & Wildhorse.
The public is welcome with tickets available at the door for $12. For more information, call Slim Andrews, chairman of the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame induction committee, at 795-1119.
In 1958, Boucher learned to play the guitar and bought his first tape recorder. Soon after, he and his brother Paul and best friend Guy Mathieu formed The Royal Knights. Within a year, Bob Mathieu joined the band, playing bass; and their first 45RPM single, “Long Long Ponystail,” was recorded. Radio station airplay boosted the band’s reputation and public appearances flourished. By 1962, Ronnie Morin had replaced Bob and became a lifelong member of the band.
In 1965, The Royal Knights went to Boston’s Ace Recording Studio to record “Forever Little Girl.” At this session, surrounded by massive speakers and other sound equipment, Boucher decided he would open a professional recording studio in Lewiston.
In 1969, that dream became a reality – EAB Recording Studio.
From 1969 through the early ’80s, most of the artists achieving national acclaim from Maine got their start at EAB: Devonsquare, Schooner Fare, Bill Chinook, Rich Pinette, Oak, Nick Knowlton, Katahdin, Jonathan Cloud, Oliver Klaus and hundreds of others.
EAB Recording Studios also served country artists: Cherrie Bonney, The Silver Dollar Band, Dawn Renee, Betty Cody, Denny Breau, Tim Farrell, The Homesteaders, The Nashville Express and many others.
Boucher was also a founding member of L’orchestre C’est Si Bon.
EAB International, as the commercial division is called, has produced hundreds of quality radio and television jingles for four decades. The studio has won many awards for excellence in advertising.
EAB Recording Studio closed its downtown facility in 1995 although Ed continues to produce jingles and individual artists in a state-of-the art computerized facility. His son, Emmanuel, works with him as a singer, graphic designer and music video producer.