It's one thing to dedicate your life to a career in country music, but it's another to dedicate it to making music for other people—especially those who can't speak for themselves. On July 17, 2025, "The Rocky Mountain Lady" passed away, leaving a lifetime of doing so behind her.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Laura Vinson was born in Alberta, Canada, and was of French, English, Cree, Iroquois, and Cherokee descent. She became known as "The Rocky Mountain Lady" for using her platform to highlight indigenous people, particularly those from Canada.
Born in 1947, Vinson began performing folk and rock music as a teenager before eventually transitioning to full country music with her band, Red Wyng. With her label at the time, she released songs like "Sweet Mountain Music" and "Mes amis O Canada." For songs like these, she became a seven-time nominee for the Juno Awards in the "Most Promising Female Vocalist" and "Country Female Vocalist of the Year" categories.
Over time, Vinson began to realize that she didn't really fit into the country mold commercially. As she told International Musician Journal of this time in her life, "If you don't really do what you believe in and be true to what you need to say, it's not what you want to do anymore."
How Laura Vinson Became "The Rocky Mountain Lady"
Through working with indigenous youth, she became inspired to try a new approach to her art, using it to shed light on issues happening in indigenous communities. In the 90s, this led to her taking an entirely new musical direction when she and her husband, Dave Martineu, decided to form the band Free Spirit. Her music had suddenly become less about being commercial and more about being something bigger for other people. From that point on, she dedicated her artistry to telling the stories of the First Peoples of North America.
Her new style was unique in its approach, obviously, but also in its style. Often, her songs would include historical themes and frequently featured drum beats and Indian chants. A fiddle and bagpipes would not be abnormal to hear either. The video above shows her playing one of her songs, "Half A Half Breed", which details the experience of those of Métis descent. Her approach to this genre received recognition from big stars like June Carter and Johnny Cash, allowing her the opportunity to open for them on tour.
"I'm getting to write about what I really love and what I really think people need to know about," said Vinson of her craft. Through her award-winning projects, such as her album Voices On The Wind, and her legacy as "The Rocky Mountain Lady," she not only lives on but also does what she enjoys most: bringing light to the Mountain Métis culture.
(Celt Studio / Shutterstock)
