Donny Parenteau [windspeaker confidential]

Windspeaker: What one quality do you most value in a friend?
Donny Parenteau: I value honesty as the most valuable asset to have in a friendship. Without this your friendship becomes nothing more than a lie and I strongly believe the world has enough of this.

W: What is it that really makes you mad?
D.P.: Anything you do that hurts my family. You want to hurt me, fine, I can take it, but you will cross a line with me if you ever hurt my family.

W: When are you at your happiest?
D.P.: I am happiest when I am with my family first and second when I am on stage. I have learned this lesson the hard way by putting music first and family second and it cost me.

W: What one word best describes you when you are at your worst?
D.P.: Moody.

W: What one person do you most admire and why?
D.P.: This is a tough one but this is what comes to my mind first. My mother I admire most for all she has done for our family. The sacrifice she made to help get us a better home is what really blows my mind. Back when I was four years old we lived in a two-bedroom home in the city of Prince Albert, Sask. with no running water or sewer. My mother wanted better as much as my father did. My father took care of all the bills he could off his wage. My mother, who worked minimum wage back then, managed to save up $300, which took her one year to do. She had applied for a brand new low-income house that cost $12,500. But the one thing she needed to get the loan approved was the $300 down payment. It was done and we moved to a brand new three-bedroom home. I will never forget what she had done for us, and also the look on our father’s face when she showed him the paper to sign that put us into our new home. My father was so proud of what my mother accomplished. There is a special song I wrote for my mother called “Momma Taught Me Love” that was my gift to her. I love ya, Mom.

W: What is the most difficult thing you’ve ever had to do?
D.P.: Say goodbye to my father who we lost in 1990 after a short battle with cancer.
I made Dad a promise as they closed the casket that I would do my best to make him proud and that I would take the family name as far as I could. This promise has been taken farther than I could imagine when I was told my latest CD BRING IT ON was placed into a time capsule in the Legislative building in Regina, Sask. to be opened in 100 years. My CD was the only CD placed into the time capsule and what gives me great pride is the fact that my family name will be spoke 100 years from now again after my life is done.

W: What is your greatest accomplishment?
D.P.: My greatest accomplishment was the birth of our little girl Julianna. She totally changed my life for the better and made me realize I want to live my life the way I want to be remembered.

W: What one goal remains out of reach?
D.P.: The one goal that still remains out of reach is what I cannot control. This is to have a Number 1 hit on Canadian radio. Is it still possible? Yes, anything is possible. If it happens it was meant to happen and if not I am good with that too.

W: If you couldn’t do what you’re doing today, what would you be doing?
D.P.: I would be a police officer in my City of Prince Albert. This is what I wanted to do if the opportunity of music was never offered. I’m grateful music came calling.

W: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
D.P.: The best piece of advice I ever received was to never judge a person until you meet them.

W: Did you take it?
D.P.: Yes, I did take that advice, and still use it to this very day.

W: How do you hope to be remembered?
D.P.: Ah ha, I was waiting for this one. I want to be remembered as a person who believed in dreaming and one who accomplished those dreams. I want to be remembered as a family man who loved his family more than himself. I want to be remembered as a person who was always willing to give when asked and a person who was extremely grateful for the talent that was given to him that was never abused. I want people to remember me in my songs I wrote. I want to be remembered as a person that was full of life, loved to laugh and lived everyday like it was his last.

Donny Parenteau first began his musical journey with a fiddle at the age of 14 and, after mastering that instrument, moved on to teach himself numerous others, including the mandolin, acoustic and electric guitars and a double-neck mandocaster guitar.  At 19 he was playing professionally. Parenteau began life in Prince Albert, Sask., the youngest child of four. He finished high school and began his professional music career that afforded him the opportunity to perform with a long list of country music stars, include Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, George Jones, Charlie Pride, Loretta Lynn, Charlie Daniels, Hank Williams Jr., Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Shania Twain.  Some of his appearances were on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Grand Ole Opry, Crook and Chase and, Nashville Now.

Parenteau’s achievements include three JUNO nominations. He performed at the 2010 Cultural Olympiad at the Olympics in Vancouver, and he received the 2012 SCMA Achievement Award for his tour entitled, “It Starts with a Dream”.  Parenteau received a grant from the Saskatchewan Arts Board to take his tour to communities throughout Saskatchewan. He works to help students identify their dreams and teaches them the steps they can take to fulfil them. The tour includes motivational speaking engagements and song writing workshops in rural and First Nations schools, along with musical performances in communities. Parenteau has also loaned his name and talent to Telemiracle by performing, as well as co-writing with Brad Johner, the theme song entitled “You are the Miracle.” This March he opened his first music school in his home town of Prince Albert.