Sharon, Lois & Bram

During their heyday, few acts rivaled the popularity of Sharon, Lois & Bram among children’s performers, thanks to multiple chart-topping releases and an extended run on television. Sharon Hampson, Lois Lilienstein and Bram Morrison had each built separate careers appearing at music festivals, workshops and school events before crossing paths in 1978 while contributing to the Mariposa in the Schools program. They quickly developed a shared vision, secured a $20,000 loan and cut their debut album, One Elephant, Deux Elephants, which set a record as the fastest-selling children’s record in Canada at the time. Joined by their trademark companion Elephant, the three subsequently crisscrossed North America with a sing-along stage show that regularly filled venues; additional gold and platinum discs followed, along with the half-hour series Sharon, Lois & Bram’s Elephant Show. Named Canadian Ambassadors for UNICEF in 1988, the trio later broadened their output to include books, videos, CD-ROMs and large-scale multimedia productions.