(1931 - 1990) 

    Born January 16, 1931, and raised in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Joe Pino, at the age of 17, already had a Saturday night spot on the local radio station which he called, “My Front Door is Open”.

    By 1955, Joe was touring with such country great as Hank Snow, Lefty Frizzell and Tommy Hunter.  In 1957, Frank Ryan, the owner of Ottawa’s CFRA radio station, asked Joe to come to Ottawa to join the well-known Happy Wanderers.  Following his time with the Wanderers, Joe played with the Lauzon Brothers in the Buckingham and Gatineau area and then formed his own band, “The Star Lites”.  The “Star Lites” performed for over ten years, and Joe always welcomed new talent to his stage.  Up-and-coming musicians, such as Terry Carisse, Gary Fairburn, and many other young artists made one of their first appearances with Joe and his band. 

    A long-time member of Ted Daigle’s band, “The Musicmen”, Joe was well known for his versatility.  He sang in English, French and Italian, and one of his best-remembered numbers was “Carmen”, which he always dedicated to his wife, Carm, and in which he demonstrated his unequalled vocal range. 

    Sadly, Joe succumbed to cancer on November 13, 1990.