Fred Penner says children's entertainer Lois Lilienstein had 'a loving, caring energy'
Lois Lilienstein died Wednesday at age 78
Winnipeg children's entertainer Fred Penner is encouraging Canadians saddened by the passing of Lois Lilienstein to take time today to return to their childhood memories of her.
"Life gets so insane and crazy and you just get busy - and you forget about that bit of sensitivity, that bit of youthful exuberance and joy that really formed part of who you are and your personality. So I encourage people today: take it back. Go back to your earliest memory and remember the song and remember the joy and let that be a part of your life today," Penner said Thursday.
Penner said if you're struggling to remember a favourite, he recommends Sharon, Lois & Bram's Peanut Butter Song.
Penner described a tight-knit scene of children's performers that began to emerge in the late 1970s, which was when he met the trio. They took turns hosting Christmas parties and attending awards ceremonies together.
"Lois was very refined," he said. "She had just a loving, caring energy... A very caring human being."
"It was a surprise," Penner said of Lilienstein's passing. "I knew that she had been ill for a number of years. She pulled out of the business ...at least 10 years ago now. Once her husband passed away, she sort of lost some of the drive to do that."
Sharon, Lois and won three Juno awards over their career, for best children's album in 1979, 1980 and 1999.
"They - Sharon, Lois and Bram - they loved what they were doing and they really respected families and respected children," Penner said.
"They were part of the fabric of a child's life," he told CBC's Up to Speed. "It not only gets inside of you, it becomes a part of you in a way - and you never lose that."