Summary
Lyndon Slewidge (born 1954 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario)[1][2][3] is a retired Ontario Provincial Police officer. He is also a singer who specializes in national anthems. He was the official anthem singer for the Ottawa Senators ice hockey club between 1994 and 2016[4] and is familiar with at least 13 national anthems.[3] In 2023, Slewidge performed the anthems for the first time since 2016 during the Ottawa Senators 2023-24 home opener. Slewidge typically ends an anthem with a salute, a wink and a thumbs up sign (or, in the playoffs, with waving a towel).
Slewidge spent his childhood in Sault Ste. Marie where at age 9 he won the Kiwanis Music Festival for his singing talent. His career in police work began there in 1975. Prior to moving to the Ottawa area, he lived in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario where he first sang national anthems for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He has last been stationed in Smiths Falls at the OPP's Eastern Region Headquarters. He has received the Service Medal of the Order of St John with 1 Bar.
In 1992, astronaut Roberta Bondar arranged for Slewidge to record the American and Canadian national anthems. She took the recordings aboard her flight on NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery (mission STS-42). Bondar's home city is Sault Ste. Marie, where Slewidge was stationed at that time.[2]
References edit
- ^ Stone, Jay (25 January 1993). "Anthem singer carried his tune to the capital". Ottawa Citizen. p. B10. Indicates age 38 and birthplace of Sault Ste. Marie.
- ^ a b "Area's other 'singing policeman' delights fans at hockey games". Ottawa Citizen. 1 August 1993. p. A2. Indicated age 38.
- ^ a b Warren, Ken; Panzeri, Allen (7 September 1996). "Singing police officer proud to stir emotions at World Cup". Edmonton Journal. p. B5. Indicated age 42.
- ^ "Senators press pause on longtime anthem singer Lyndon Slewidge". CBC. 18 October 2016.
External links edit
- Ottawa Senators: Game Experience - Lyndon Slewidge
- Lebrun, Pierre (19 October 2007). "Murphy's long odyssey". Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) References Slewidge's effect on a Florida Panthers player. - Brennan, Don (19 January 2007). "Vermette meets true 'hero' / Visit with car accident victim gives Senators forward a new perspective on what's important". Ottawa Sun. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
To welcome back Lyndon Slewidge in his first game since a surgical procedure, fans gave the Ottawa anthem singer a standing ovation.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - Campigotto, Jesse (April 2006). "NHL Playoffs 2006: Tampa Bay vs. Ottawa - Game 5, Eastern Conference Quarter-final". CBC Sports. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
There's no two ways around it: the guy is a national treasure.