Armond Desjardins
"Rhythm King"

Armond Desjardins (musician/singer/songwriter) began playing as a child when his dad put a jumbo guitar on his lap and taught him the chords A, D, G and C. He accompanied his dad while he played the fiddle. His first job was with Len Nevin and Yuanita Figures in the mid 1960s. In the early 1970s, he began playing with Frank Boyer and the Kountry Kings. He played with Boyer for many years on and off up until 2014. In 1978, Armond started his own band "Shilo", with Randy Foreman, Eric Borline and Vic Voytek. They played primarily at The Commodore Motor Inn. In the early 1980s, he started "Kickin' Kountry" with his son Fred Desjardins, Fred Labadie and Rick Moon. Eventually Armond went solo as "The Rhythm King" and played the local pubs, the Moose Hall and others. Over the years he filled in with many notable country bands such as Fred Kent's Northernaires, Bill Haight's Border Riders, Jim Donaldson's Rebel, Joe Knight's Country Gentlemen, and Roy Rumley's Countrymen. He also played alongside the best country musicians in the area, such as Frank Boyer, Al Mooney, Jerry Pennett, Johnny Bumbacco, Harvey Bell, Ray Artuso, Harold Duguay, Gary Mason, Ken Findlay and John McClenaghan. He also wrote music and a few of the songs were "Bar Room Queen" (written for "Emily" the barmaid at The Commodore), "Dial My Number", "You're The Inspiration In My Life" (written for his wife Linda), "The Distance Between Us". "He wrote music from the heart and for the people he loved," said Linda Desjardins. He has a video on YouTube with Louie Shewfelt under "Armond & Lou" called "Together Again." He is also on Sing Snap as The Rhythm King with Shewfelt as Branded Man, performing songs together. Armond also performed with Frank Boyer Sr. and Frank Boyer Jr. in a Medicine Fiddle video. In 2017, Armond lost his battle with Leukemia, but not before he mastered the rhythm guitar, that his dad introduced to him as a youngster.