Bio - Unwound

 


  Rodger "Rodge" Coulombe

 Rodger has been playing music professionally since 1978. Although today he is renowned for his guitar playing, he actually started his career as a banjo player. He's played with a number of notable bands such as Ralph Carlson and Country Mile, George Brothers' Band, Rick Thompson and RamRod. These bands toured extensively across Canada.   As a member of Country Mile, he toured a number of European countries including England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Rodger was the house guitar player for the Calgary Stampede radio broadcast for three years in a row. In both 1979 and 1981 the band won the Top Performance by a County Band or Duo Canadian Country Music Award. Rodger has also appeared on a number of television broadcasts such as the Family Brown Show and the Ronnie Prophett Show. Over the years Rodger has had the pleasure of backing up a number of vocalists such as: Ronnie Prophett, Dick Damron, Marie Botrell, Eddy Eastman, Al Cherney, Gordie Tapp, Kalita Haverland, Dallas Harms, Neville Wells, Carole Baker, Bob and Marie King, Ron McMunn, as well as a number of local musicians. Rodger has also performed on a number of top-ten hits and a number of local projects. If you listen to any music from the Ottawa Valley area recorded in the '80s, it is likely that Rodger is the guitar and/or banjo player.   Although Rodger decided to stop touring, he is still involved in a variety of musical projects. His versatility and talent allows him to work part-time with a number of local bands and he is still in demand for both live and session work playing guitar, banjo and steel guitar.   Rodger was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011. 
   Dale "Duke" Ducharme

Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Dale has been playing professionally music since 1984.  Starting out at the tender age of 5 playing guitar, and on bass guitar at the age of 8.  Over the last 35 years, Dale has had the opportunity to play with many Valley notables such as Hi & Dri Country (with his father Dan), George Essery, Neville Wells, Gary Fairburn and Donna Moon, Ralph Carlson, Rick Thompson, and Chris McCann to name a few.  He has played bass behind many Country Music legends as well such as Charlie Walker, David Houston, Eddie Eastman, Gilles Godard and Gordie Tapp.   Dale also served on the board of Directors for the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame for over 20 years.  This includes two terms as President of the Board.  Additionally,  Dale was Director\Producer of the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for close to 10 years. In "Unwound", Dale plays rhythm guitar, or Drums, and on occasion, bass guitar.  Dale was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. 
  "Mighty" Mike Hamelin

Mike Hamelin has been playing music since he was just a teen.   Mike is a keen bass player who is also a lead vocalist and harmony singer.  He has been playing music in the Ottawa Valley for over 30 years.  In those years, he has had the pleasure of working with valley entertainers such as John Henry and the Steel Driving Band, the Ginette Porter Show, Ron McMunn and McMunn Music, the late Gary “Spike” Spicer, the McCann Family, Rae Palmer, Dusty King Jr., Gary Fairburn, the Gal Pals, The Boyd Gang, Neville Wells, just to name a few.  He has also performed with recording artists “Whispering” Bill Anderson, Bobby Curtola and participated in a Nashville Show with Ron McMunn which brought in two of Nashville’s own:  John Graves Jr. and fiddle player Kenny Baker.  Mike has also participated in numerous fund raising events, jamborees and various local fairs.  He has also done session work not only for his bass playing but also for his harmony singing.  Mike is not just limited to bass playing though this is his first love.  He started on drums, was on steel and rhythm guitar in a family band, tinkers on the keyboard and has attempted fiddle. Mike was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014. 

  
   Brian "Moogy" Ostrom

Brian was born on Calumet Island in West Quebec and was into country music at an early age, playing guitar with a family band, "The BrysonAires", which included his dad, Carl, and uncles and cousins of the Ostrom family. Brian moved to Ottawa in 1976 for a career in the Federal Government and began learning the pedal steel guitar under the guidance of his mentor, Quincy Damphousse. During the late 70’s through most of the 80's, when country music was really booming in the Ottawa Valley, Brian played at the famous Golden Rail and the Crazy Horse Saloon in Ottawa as well as the equally-famous Gavan’s Hotel in Quyon and the Lakeside Inn in Portage-du-Four, with several groups like Howard Hayes & The Country Drifters and Gord Barnes & Laredo.    From 1989 to 1995, Brian was a proud member of the Dave & Spike Show, travelling across Eastern and mid-Western Canada and backing legendary performers like Lucille Starr and Wilf Carter.   After retiring from the government in 2006, he worked on recording sessions and free-lanced with various bands, backing international artists like Hank Locklin, Stonewall Jackson, Kitty Wells and Mac Wiseman and Canadian entertainers like Tommy Hunter, Gordon Lightfoot, Ronnie Prophet and Carroll Baker. In 2008-09, he co-hosted "Valley Country" on Valley Heritage Radio with Howard Hayes, promoting Ottawa Valley entertainers and Hall of Fame members. Brian has been a member of Unwound since approx. 2005 and has been the Steel Guitar player in the Ottawa valley Country Music Hall of Fame band since 2009.  Brian was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012.