Toby Dancer

Toby Dancer (1953 – 9 July 2004, Toronto) was a Canadian pianist and music producer, best known for her work on Ian Tyson's albums Cowboyography and I Outgrew The Wagon.

Toby Dancer
Born	Adrian Chornowol 1953
Origin	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Died	9 July 2004[citation needed] Toronto
Genres	Classical country jazz
Occupation(s)	Music producer, pianist
Instrument	Piano
Years active	1975–1990
Formerly of	The Chinook Arch Riders

Life

Dancer was born as Adrian Chornowol to Ukrainian-Canadian Edmonton Symphony Orchestra musician Walter Chornowol. Dancer was a musical child prodigy.^[1]

Dancer was the music director of local country music show Sun Country; she was also a music arranger and played piano in her sister's jazz band.^[1][2] She became a member of Ian Tyson's touring band The Chinook Arch Riders,^[3] and later produced two of his albums.^[1][4][5]

Dancer was the victim of a stabbing in her Rossdale home by two people in 1989;^[5] the same year, she received Cowboyography's gold record certification with knife scars still visible under sunglasses.^[6] Some time later she moved to Vancouver, where she started socially transitioning, using a new name (she apparently rejected the idea of gender-affirming surgery). During that time her heroin and morphine addictions started.^[1][5]

Around six years before her death, Dancer was sober and homeless; she moved to Toronto, attending the Parkdale Activities and Recreational Centre, where she performed with the centre's social worker and drummer Zepheniah James.^[7] She also became the music director and choir leader of Emmanuel Howard Park United Church, led by reverend Cheri DiNovo. She died aged 51 of an accidental drug overdose.^[1]

A 2012 bill (proposed by then-MPP DiNovo) which amended the Ontario Human Rights Code to include gender identity in its protected categories was dubbed Toby's Act in her honour.^[8][9] She is also commemorated by a stained glass window in Roncesvalles United Church.^[9]

Discography

All of Dancer's discography was made before her transition and she is credited under her deadname.

• Liam Clancy – Farewell To Tarwaithie, 1975 (instruments)
• Tim Feehan – Sneak Preview, 1981 (instruments)
• Ian Tyson – Old Corrals & Sagebrush, 1983 (writing and arrangement)
• Ian Tyson – Ian Tyson, 1984 (writing and arrangement)
• Stewart MacDougall – Clean Slate / Up To Me, 1985 (production)
• Ian Tyson – Cowboyography, 1986 (instruments, production, writing and arrangement)
• Gabrielle Bujold – C'est Bien Toi, 1987 (production)
• Gabrielle Bujold – Seule à rêver, 1988 (instruments, production, writing and arrangement)
• Gabrielle Bujold – Private & Confidential, 1988 (production)
• Gabrielle Bujold – Après Lui, 1988 (production)
• Bob E. Lee West and The Mainstreet Band – This Old Freight Train / You're Just A Call Away, 1988 (production)
• Gordon Cormier & Loretta Cormier – Headin' Home, 1988 (instruments)
• Ian Tyson – Old Corrals And Sagebrush & Other Cowboy Culture Classics, 1988 (writing and arrangement)
• Ian Tyson – I Outgrew The Wagon, 1989 (instruments, additional vocals)
• Ian Tyson – Irving Berlin (is 100 yrs old today), 1989 (production)
• Big Miller And The Blues Machine – Live At Athabaska University, 1990 (instruments)