Sharon, Lois & Bram
Sharon, Lois & Bram (also known as Sharon, Bram & Friends, Sharon & Bram or Sharon & Randi) are a Canadian children's music group founded in Toronto, Ontario, 1978. The group's original lineup consisted of Sharon (née Trostin) Hampson, Lois Ada (née Goldberg) Lilienstein, and Bramwell "Bram" Morrison.
Sharon, Lois & Bram
Sharon: vocals, guitar, piano, tambourine
Lois: piano, autoharp, vocals
Bram: guitar, banjo, vocals
1978–present
Elephant, A&M, Drive Entertainment, Skinnamarink Entertainment, Casablanca Kids Inc., Red Brick Songs.
Sharon Hampson
Randi Hampson
Lois Lilienstein
Bramwell "Bram" Morrison
March 31, 1943
April 22, 2015 (aged 78)
American
December 18, 1940
Canadian
Group formation[edit]
Sharon Hampson, Lois Lilienstein, and Bram Morrison began their singing careers as individuals, and met while performing for the "Mariposa in the Schools" program, a project of the Mariposa Folk Festival.[1] The three performers quickly discovered that they shared a common philosophy about creating quality music for people of all ages.
Hampson studied piano, cello, and guitar as a child[2] and began publicly performing as a folk singer in cafes at 17.[3] Performing as a duo with Michel Choquette, in 1964 the pair released an album with songs in French and English entitled Songs for Children and Other People.[4] She married Joe Hampson of the folk band The Travellers.[5] Lilienstein's father was a piano player,[3] and she began performing at age six.[2] She trained in classical and jazz piano and earned her degree in music literature and piano from the University of Michigan.[6] Morrison attended the University of Toronto,[7] and for four years toured North America backing the folk singer Alan Mills, playing guitar on two of his albums.[2][8][9] He taught music in Toronto Public Schools for seven years.[2][3]
In 1978, with $22,000[3] borrowed from family and friends, they recorded their first album One Elephant, Deux Éléphants, released by Elephant Records and distributed by A&M.[10] The folk-style album, with its eclectic musical mix, became one of the fastest-selling children's albums ever produced in Canada.[11]
Producer Bill Usher contributed to their singing style.[10] Usher was looking for a more energetic twist to children's music and a shift away from the previous traditional folk style. He sought out songs that drew upon various musical styles, such as rock'n roll, Broadway, and calypso. Sharon, Lois & Bram's appeal crossed a variety of demographics.[12]