The Greetergrammers: Connecting Our Community

The Greetergrammers performing to an unsuspecting client. Photograph courtesy of Mark “Boogieman” Campbell from his blog, Random Thoughts at Random Times.

Mark Campbell was born and raised in Lethbridge, and was involved in local fine arts programs. While rummaging through some boxes, Mark Campbell recently came across old schedule books from his performance days with his group, The Greetergrammers. The group was created in the early 1980s for fun and to bring a smile to the Lethbridge community. This group of friends could be hired to sing and entertain people around town, performing songs to unsuspecting individuals.

The schedule books contained 20 years of Greetergrammer gigs. Campbell decided these belonged to the community’s history. Triggered by a timely Facebook video from his broadcasting days, he donated the books to the Galt Museum & Archives.

The Greetergrammers performed for any special occasion that a client would request. They performed for birthdays, proposals and going away parties. The group created personalized songs for each client. People could have their friend or family member sung to by the Greetergrammers, any time or place. They would show up, surprise the individual, and serenade them with a personalized song based on a famous tune. Most performances were met with laughter and gratitude.

The local radio station promoted The Greetergrammers in the early 1980s, which sparked interest from the community. The performances started to catch on in 1984, and the group began performing weekly. Some days were so busy, they performed 19 shows in one day! They became a staple form of entertainment in Lethbridge for 36 years, performing to over 20,000 people.

The Galt Museum & Archives holds many local stories about people in our community, just like this one. To conduct your own search of the Archives, visit www.galtmuseum.com/research.