- Tommy Banks
Thomas Benjamin "Tommy" Banks, OC, AOE (born
December 17 ,1936 ) is a Canadian pianist, conductor, arranger, composer, television personality and Senator.Although born in
Calgary, Alberta , he moved toEdmonton, Alberta in 1949 where he has resided until the present day. He presented a show onCKUA called "The Solo Piano of Tommy Banks" in about 1960. Of his time at CKUA, Banks said in an interview, "I'd lurch into the studio on Sunday morning and go and set up the microphone and turn everything on and then sit down and start playing." [http://books.google.ca/books?id=0mI8GmHEk_wC&pg=PA150&lpg=PA150&dq=tommy+banks+ckua&source=web&ots=MoSd52il_T&sig=ZHZZmB3G47K-5nW-AjWF6owDSDo&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result]He hosted the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) television show, "The Tommy Banks Show", from 1968 until 1983. He was appointed to the Senate by Governor GeneralAdrienne Clarkson , at the recommendation of Prime MinisterJean Chrétien , in 2000, representing the Senatorial division ofEdmonton, Alberta . Sitting as a Liberal, he is the Chair of the Senate Standing Committee of the Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.In 1991, he was made an Officer of the
Order of Canada . In 1993, he was awarded theAlberta Order of Excellence . The character of "Tommy Shanks" on the Canadian television showSCTV (played byJohn Candy ) was named in honour of Tommy Banks.External links
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