Aprilwine

In 1969, the Canadian rock band April Wine was formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, starting a career of more than three decades. The name "April Wine" was chosen simply because it apparently sounded good. The original band included brothers David and Ritchie Henman, on guitar and drums respectively, their cousin Jim Henman on bass, and good friend Myles Goodwin on lead vocals and guitar.

In the spring of 1970, the band relocated from Halifax to Montreal and recorded a self-titled album for Aquarius Records. The band's first hit single, "Fast Train," received much airplay throughout Canada and established Myles Goodwin as a songwriter. In 1971, Jim Henman left the band and was replaced by Jim Clench, a native of Montreal. April Wine was able to record their second album, On Record with producer Ralph Murphy. "You Could Have Been a Lady" was a phenomenal hit for April Wine and they were introduced into the North American public for the first time when they made it to the US Billboard Top 30. The Henman brothers left the band in 1973. Jerry Mercer and Gary Moffet joined April Wine to replace them. The third album, Electric Jewels, produced hits such as "Weeping Widow," "Just Like That," and "Lady Run Lady Hide," showcasing the great writing talents of Myles Goodwin and Jim Clench. That spring, the band went on their first national tour, The Electric Adventure, and pioneered the use of dramatic lighting and pyrotechnic displays.

April Wine's greatest accomplishment is the album Stand Back, producing such hits as "Tonight Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love," "I Wouldn't Want to Lose Your Love," and "Cum Hear the Band." The album earned double platinum status in Canada. With the release of April Wine's fifth album, The Whole World's Goin' Crazy, Steve Lang replaced Jim Clench on bass guitar. This album produced the hit "Like a Lover," "Like a Song," once again achieving platinum status. The sixth album included the best Canadian single the April Wine ever released, "You Won't Dance with Me." Both the album and single achieved critical acclaim. In the summer of 1977, Brian Greenway joined as the fifth member of April Wine as a third guitar player. 1979 was a very good year for the band. The third single from April Wine's seventh album, Roller, once again made it to the US Billboard Top 30. They opened the shows of rock and roll greats such as Rush, Journey, and Styx in the US. The group kept producing hit after hit throughout its first and second decade. Their 1981 album The Nature of the Beast became their greatest success. The album's first single, "Just between You and Me," debuted in Billboard's Top 20 and stayed there for 16 weeks. After writing, producing, and promoting songs for years, Myles Goodwin finally took a hiatus of 18 months. Upon his return, the band produced several lukewarm hits. Myles Goodwin and his family moved to the Bahamas. The group got together for a farewell tour of Canada and after the twelfth album was released, April Wine went on their separate ways.

In late 1988, talks of a possible reunion were initiated. In July of 1992, April Wine played its first concert in 8 years to a sold-out audience in Manitoba. The band consisted of Myles Goodwin, Brian Greenway, Jerry Mercer, Jim Clench, and Steve Segal. After over twenty albums, April Wine is now on its 37th year as a band and it doesn't look like they're stopping anytime soon.