Hal Lone Pine (born Harold J. Breau June 5, 1916 in Pea Cove, Maine - March 26, 1977) and his wife Betty Cody (born Rita Cote in Sherbrooke, Quebec August 17, 1921 - July 1, 2014,Maine) are best-known these days as the parents of guitar phenom Lenny Breau, but in their day they were bona-fide country music stars themselves.
The professional Country Music career of this fine gentleman commenced in the 1940s and early 1950s when he and his group were known as "The Lone Pine Mountaineer & The Noisiest Gang in Radio." Lone Pine and his lovely wife, Betty Cody, along with their "Gang" entertained Country Music lovers throughout New England and Canada for a number of years and later moved on to be national stars of the profession. Hal and Betty were blessed with four devoted sons, Lenny, Dick, Denny and Bob Breau.
Harold initiated his radio career at WABI in Bangor in the mid-30's and soon came to lead a group known as the Lone Pine Mountaineers and changed his name to Hal Lone Pine (although he sometimes said the name was given to him by local Indians). Meanwhile, young Rita Coté had moved to Auburn, Maine, with her parents. She took an interest in singing at an early age. About 1936, her brother brought home a Patsy Montana record and the "little French girl," as Rita was known, determined to perfect the technique. The following year, Rita started to sing on radio at WCOU in nearby Lewiston with a group called Curly and the Country Boys. In 1938, she met Lone Pine in the radio studio and the two married on June 29, 1940. Rita began using the stage name "Betty Lou," later changing to Betty Cody, which was an Anglicized form of her maiden name.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| Hal & Betty with Tex Ritter |
Hal was heard and seen on numerous radio, TV and road shows. Hal broadcast from Radio CFBC, St. John, New Brunswick, Canada and Radio WABI, Bangor, Maine where he had a weekly coast to coast program over the ABC Network which originated from WABI. The Lone Pine Mountaineers continued on radio in Maine through the 40's and into the 50's. In 1952, they signed with RCA Victor and each had several solo and duet releases over the next three or four years.
Hal Lone Pine composed and recorded many fine songs for such recording companies as Event Records (Westbrook, Maine), RCA Victor and Rodeo International of Canada. His recordings of "Prince Edward Island Is Heaven To Me,""Annapolis Valley,""It's Good-bye and So-Long To You,""Waltz Of The Bride" and "O Lord Please Tell Me Do" are remembered well by fans of Hal Lone Pine.
He and Betty Cody also broadcast from WCOU in Lewiston, Maine and later moved on to WWVA, Wheeling, West Virginia where they became favourite stars on the world renowned WWVA Wheeling Jamboree. From 1953, Lone Pine and Betty Cody worked as regulars on the World's Original Jamboree at WWVA Wheeling, West Virginia. Sometime later in the 50's, the Breaus went to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where they subsequently split. Betty Cody gave up her career and worked in a shoe shop in Lewiston, Maine to care for her three younger sons.
Hal "Lone Pine," as he generally became known in this later period, remained based in Winnipeg, where he cut albums for the Canadian label Arc, some with a girl vocalist named Jeanie Ward. Later, he returned to Maine and remarried, working at some of his old haunts in New England and the Maritimes. Very suddenly on 26 March 1977 Hal passed away.
The Hal Lone Pine Memorial Award was established by the producers of the State of Maine Country Music Awards Show and in October 1977 this first annual award was presented to Betty Gribbin by Hal's sons, Dick, Denny and Bob Breau. Hal closed his programs and shows with a very appropriate message and has left us with these words, "Good-bye friends. I've got to leave you now. So I'll leave you with a smile." He was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame on April 30, 1978.
Betty Cody remained out of music for some years until her children had grown older. In the early 70's, she toured some with Dick Curless and played one night a week for ten years (1972-1982) at the Poland Springs Inn. She remarried in 1979 to George Binette, by which marriage she became stepmother to four children. That same year she cut a new record album. Her eldest son, Lenny Breau, who had lived with his father, later moved to California. Lenny became a noted jazz guitarist. In 1984, Lenny Breau's dead body was found in a swimming pool. The death was ruled a murder and the case was never solved. Another son, Denny Breau, is also a musician.
Betty Cody died from undisclosed illness on July 1, 2014, at age 92 in Lewiston, Maine.
(Edited mainly from Century Of Country & Wikipedia)