Rankin Family cross-Canada reunion tour, Digi Mart USA News (Sydney, Nova Scotia): Jimmy, Cookie and Heather Rankin will hit the road together as the Rankin Family for the first time in nearly 15 years. The three surviving siblings of the Celtic-country family group from Mabou are reuniting for a cross-Canada tour.
The tour will bring the group to Sydney’s Centre 200 on April 3, 2027, at 7 p.m. The cross-country tour will conclude at Centre 200.
Between 1989 and 1999, the Rankin Family enjoyed a successful, award-studded decade in the Canadian folk scene. The group, also known for a short time as the Rankins, also included siblings John Morris and Raylene.
They sold more than two million records, won six Juno Awards, and earned numerous Canadian Country Music Association and East Coast Music Association (ECMA) awards, among other honours.
The family was inducted into the Cape Breton Music Industry Hall of Fame in 2025.
Over five studio albums between 1989 and 1998, the Rankin Family’s blend of folk, country and Cape Breton charm helped bring a resurgence of Celtic and Gaelic music to audiences worldwide. These elements came together in some of their best-known songs, including “Orangedale Whistle,” “Fare Thee Well Love,” “Tell My Ma,” “Gillis Mountain,” “Rise Again,” “Mull River Shuffle” and “You Feel the Same Way Too,” along with a range of traditional jigs, reels and Celtic folk tunes.
In late 1997, sisters Raylene, Cookie and Heather also released a holiday-themed album, Do You Hear…Christmas.
