Just got a message from a young college friend, Kimberley, who runs The unOfficial Rankins Website, that the Rankins are going to disband. Sad news indeed, for many reasons. Not only were the Rankins/Rankin Family a group of fine musicians, but in a story too long (and probably too boring for 99.8% of you) to tell here, I owe them a great debt of gratitude for the huge number of friends that I have met because of them ~~ Kimberley herself who lives in Victoria, BC, George Seto of Nova Scotia and a frequent contributor to the Mudcat, and a host of others that I will not name. I have fond memories of their music, and even fonder memories of the lifelong friends that I know because of them. And that is not to mention the wonderful musicians that I have been introduced to through them, Natalie MacMaster to name just one. Here is the text of the press release:
September 17, 1999
RANKINS PRESS RELEASE
After a critically acclaimed ten year musical career highlighted by album sales in excess of two million units, international touring, and numerous hit singles, the multiple Juno-award winning band, The Rankins, will cease to record and perform as a group in order to pursue independant careers and interests.
Cookie Rankin will pursue various songwriting and recording projects while sister Heather will focus on a career in acting (She appears in "The Hanging Garden;" Jimmy Rankin, a prolific songwriter, will begin work on a solo record; John Morris Rankin plans to freelance as a multi-instrumentalist and composer.
The group will perform all scheduled engagements in September and October, including a benefit for Restoration House at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario on October 21st, and call it a wrap in early November. In late November and December, Heather, Cookie, and Raylene (who left the band last year), will embark on a Christmas Symphony tour in various Canadian cities.
The Rankins extend sincere thanks to their many fans, families, band, and crew, and members of the industry who have been most supportive of their career.
Kimberley has set up a place on her site where fans may write to the Rankins