This year Sydney Mines native Allie Bennett is celebrating his 50th year in the Canadian Music Industry. To say that he has worked with pretty much every East Coast Musician that you have ever heard of during these years might seem an exaggeration, but it’s actually not far from the truth. The fiddle, guitar, and bass player, who also sings, has toured Canada, the U.S., Britain, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria and has more than 150 album projects to his credit as a studio musician. Frequently called on to play the role of musical director and band-leader for events like the East Coast Music Awards, the Cape Breton Summertime Revue, The Rise & Follies of Cape Breton Island, and Howie’s Celtic Brew, Allie has won East Coast Music Awards for co-producing Dave Gunning’s A Tribute to John Allan Cameron and the prestigious Musician’s Achievement Award. Allie has released two fiddle albums and is currently working on a new vocal album project featuring covers of some of his favourite songs. He also operates a private music school teaching fiddle and guitar, and continues to work as a studio and touring musician. For the past thirteen years, he has been playing solo, singing and playing guitar. This year Allie will be performing in duos with Fred Lavery and Brenda Stubbert as well as in the special presentation of the Celtic Mass for the Sea.