The singer, television and radio host passed away quietly at Deer Lodge Care Home, surrounded by family and dear friends, after a years-long battle with Parkinson’s disease, his wife Glory St. Germain announced on social media.

I had a great visit with Ray back in 2007 that I would like to share with you.

The 83-year-old was born in St. Vital, with the street his childhood home is on, St. Michael Road, given the honorary title of Big Sky Country way at a ceremony he attended on June 7.

St. Germain hosted television series Big Sky Country, known as Ray St. Germain Country and My Kind of Country in earlier incarnations, for 13 seasons. He also hosted a radio call-in show, Metis Hour x2 for NCI, for 20-plus years.

St. Germain’s song The Metis earned him the Aboriginal Order of Canada award in 1985. He was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Listen below.

Rest Easy Ray