Vince Lebeau was born in Ottawa in 1928 and, at age 16, his father began to teach him to play the guitar.  A few years later, he was playing regularly with dance groups. 

    In 1955, a meeting with Ken Reynolds, the manager of the well-known Happy Wanderers, resulted in Vince being hired, part-time, as the group’s guitarist.  Soon after, Vince became a full-time member of the Wanderers, joining “Papa” Joe Brown, Ward Allen and Bob King. 

    The Happy Wanderers broadcast daily radio shows on CFRA Ottawa for many years, and were much in demand for dances all across the Ottawa Valley and beyond.  In 1956 and again, in 1958, Vince and the Wanderers traveled from coast to coast in Canada with the Wilf Carter Show.  When CJOH Television came on the air in 1960, The Happy Wanderers were given their own show, “Shorgas Barn Dance”, the first Western TV show in the Ottawa Valley. 

    Over the years, the Wanderers were hugely popular and won many awards.  Vince continued touring the Ottawa Valley with the group until 1965, when they disbanded, and Vince returned to a daily government job.