Sneezy Waters

Sneezy Waters, began his musical career in the 1960s in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He played under his birth name (Peter Hodgson) in several local rock bands, including 'The Children' with Bruce Cockburn, as well as 'Rosewood Dream' at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. In the 1970s, he took on his stage name and performed as 'Sneezy Waters and his Excellent Band', becoming fairly well-known at folk festivals and nightclubs across Canada. He began performing the lead in the musical revue 'Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave' in November 1977 at the Beacon Arms Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This led to over 300 performances as the show hit the road and toured across Canada and the U.S. (as well as a performance at a cultural exhibition in Berlin in 1983). The show became a move in 1981, with Sneezy repeating his role as Hank Williams. The movie was nominated in 1984 for 'Best Country Motion Picture' at the Acadamy of Country Music Awards. Sneezy won the Best Actor Award for his role at the '3e Festival International du Film Musicale' in Grenoble, France in 1984. Sneezy released an album of Hank Williams songs in 1981, as well as a solo album infamously titled '(You've Got) Sawdust on the Floor of Your Heart' (1978). In the 1980s, he appeared on Canadian television on the shows 'Backstretch' and 'Blind Faith' on CBC, a role for which he earned an ACTRA award nomination, as well as in an episode of 'The Twilight Zone'. Over the years, he has been featured on many television and variety shows, including 'The Family Brown Show', 'The Alan Thicke Show', and 'The Tommy Hunter Show'. He continued to perform across Canada, as 'Sneezy Waters and his Very Fine Band'. In addition to his solo albums, he has also produced the soundtrack of 'Terminal Blues'for the National Arts Centre of Canada, and music from his Hank Williams album is featured in the film 'John Cat' for the National Film Board of Canada. He continues to perform in local folk festivals and benefits. He was inducted to the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.