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From Tomahawk to Alberta’s King of Entertainment

Danny Hooper MCing Athabasca's Magnificent River Rats Festival
Danny Hooper_WEB
Danny Hooper’s first taste of applause was at the tender age of 10 when he and his brother would perform for family friends. After he placed second in the CFCW Star Search at Klondike Days in 1976 he was awarded a recording contract and over the years has built an entertainment empire from emceeing, performing, auctioneering, and hosting his own YouTube cooking show. He will be emceeing and entertaining the crowds for two days at the Magnificent River Rats Festival July 1 and 2 in Athabasca.

ATHABASCA — Music artist. Comedian. Auctioneer. Performer extraordinaire. 

Those are just a few of the words to describe Athabasca’s favourite performer Danny Hooper who will be MCing both days, July 1 and 2, at the Riverfront Stage in Athabasca for the Magnificent River Rats Festival. 

“The thing I'm proudest of right now is I get young people coming up after I work and they say ‘God, are you ever funny’ and that's the highest compliment I can get is to know that I'm still relevant and still able to make young people laugh,” Hooper said in a June 20 interview. "They're not going ‘Oh, who's that old fart’ and they tune out. I work hard to keep my material current and suitable for everybody so that they can all laugh.” 

It was 1996 when Hooper first graced the ‘stage’ at the very first Magnificent River Rats Festival. Back then it was on a flat-deck trailer pulled into the riverfront campground where the skate park now resides.

Patricia Conroy was the headliner in 1997; Duane Steele in 1998; and Prairie Oyster in 1999. By 2000, the Riverfront Stage was built, and Charlie Major and Chris Cummings were the first to break it in. 

“In 1995, I finished with real estate,” said Hooper. “I decided to get back into the entertainment business full time and that’s when I really got serious about pursuing the fundraising auctioneering business full time and the MC work becoming a professional master of ceremonies.” 

So, how does a kid from Tomahawk, Alberta, wind up being the No. 1 charity auctioneer and MC in Canada? 

Hooper said he got his first audience when he was only 10 years old when his father would wake him and his brother to come downstairs and perform for their dad and his drinking friends. 

“My dad was quite a drinker and a huge country music fan and that's a pretty potent combination,” said Hooper. “He used to bring his buddies home after the bar closed and get my brother and I out of bed and entertain them. He bought me my first guitar when I was 10 years old.” 

But that first taste of applause sparked something in the young cowboy who grew up chasing cattle and riding horses. 

“I've looked at the psychology of it all and I think it was just all that recognition you got when you're entertaining and you kind of get hooked on that,” said Hooper. "I think God gives everybody unique talents and gifts and early on I recognized that my gifts were a sense of humour and the ability to entertain and make people laugh. And that's just kind of what my drug is – making people laugh and entertaining.” 

He could have been a lawyer, even completed two years, but the yearning to croon was too strong. 

“Dad wanted me to be a lawyer for a career, but he didn't have any money to send me to university but while I was there, I was financing my education with a little weekend dance band,” he said. 

Life changed when radio station CFCW held its first Star Search in 1976 during Klondike Days where Hooper didn’t win first place. 

“I got second place and the second-place prize was a recording contract,” said Hooper. “So, here I am finishing my second year of university, I've got an album out, I had a Juno nomination for Best New Male Vocalist that year, all this stuff is happening so, I said to Dad, ‘Look this music business looks pretty easy. Let's give it a shot.’” 

He promised if it didn’t pan out after two years to go back and become a lawyer. 

“In November 1979, we opened Danny Hooper’s Stockyard and the rest is kind of history,” he said. “We had a good six year run there and during that time we'd bring lots of big stars (like) Merle Haggard and Tammy Wynette and Ray Price and all these big Nashville stars, Freddy Fender …  Johnny Paycheck and I'm 22 years old.” 

After the Stockyard closed Hooper went into real estate which led to public speaking engagements, working for CFCW, then came auctioneering and he still sings and puts out music, and started a YouTube cooking show during the pandemic called Danny’s Edibles, but he’s also stayed true to his roots. 

“I never did have my sights set on the big time ever, not at all. I didn't need it. I didn't want it. I was just very content to entertain folks around Alberta,” he said. "Through my career I've had lots of opportunities – we went seven years in a row to Las Vegas to play for the National Finals Rodeo and I performed on the Grand Ole Opry, and I’ve done neat little things along the way, but I never had any desire to be a big star.” 

In three years, Hooper will have been entertaining for 50 years, but 24 festivals ago, he was the first MC and a performer at the inaugural Magnificent River Rats Festival, and he will be back July 1 and 2 with his unique blend of comedy and entertainment, guiding spectators through the two-day experience. 

“I had a quiet two years during COVID to write some new jokes and I’m so excited to be coming up there,” Hooper said. “I was there for the first one and I’m excited to be coming back 25 years later.” 

And it’s a family affair with his wife Barb travelling along with him. 

“She's so excited to be coming to Athabasca for the festival; you’d think she was going to Las Vegas,” he laughed. "She just loves, loves, loves live entertainment, loves meeting people and she's really social and outgoing.” 

Sounds a lot like her husband. 

Tickets can be found at riverratsfestival.com 

[email protected] 

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