Lois of Sharon, Lois & Bram dies at 78

Lois Lilienstein’s son discusses mother’s careerRaffi reacts to the passing of Lois LiliensteinRaffi reacts to the passing of Lois LiliensteinLively children’s entertainer Lois Lilienstein of Sharon, Lois & Bram fame has died. She was 78.

Her son David Lilienstein said she died Wednesday at home in Toronto surrounded by friends and family. She had a rare form of cancer, which was diagnosed last October.

“She knew it was happening, she was at peace with it, and she died very peacefully and not in pain,” Lilienstein said Thursday as he recalled a childhood filled with music.

Longtime musical partners Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison said they noticed a dramatic decline in their friend’s health in recent weeks.

They visited everyday to hold her hand, and listen to music.

“It’s kind of hard to believe,” Hampson said Thursday of Lilienstein’s death.

“We fought like sisters but we loved each other like sisters, too. I just miss that relationship.”

Fighting back tears, she described the bubbly blond as “a woman of many ideas” who “would do anything” for her audience and was never concerned about being embarrassed while performing.

Lilienstein endeared herself to audiences young and old with enthusiastic performances of songs including Skinnamarink, Peanut Butter and I Am Slowly Going Crazy.

The trio further entrenched themselves as preschool stars with their CBC-TV series The Elephant Show, which ran from 1984 to 1989. It also aired in the United States on Nickelodeon, where it was a consistent ratings draw.

Morrison said Lilienstein was “absolutely vivacious, creative, full of ideas and energy.”

“It’s a shock. We’ve been together for 37 years — it’s like a marriage,” said Morrison.

“She came from a different musical place than Sharon and me. Sharon and I came out of the folk music world and she came out of the Broadway world. So it was a very interesting combination and I think that partly explains the success that we had.”

Fellow children’s performer Raffi Cavoukian, best known simply as Raffi, credited Lilienstein with giving him tips on what songs worked, and songs what didn’t.

She had a knack for reaching the youngest audiences, said Cavoukian, who met Lilienstein in the mid-70s through the Toronto folk scene.

“She understood that children love movement. She was always the one saying: ‘Don’t forget the actions!'” Cavoukian recalled, also crediting her with introducing him to the song and movements of Hokey Pokey.

Of the three group members, Lilienstein, especially, was “lively, smiling, and engaging,” he added.

“This is a sad day. I just extend all my love,” Cavoukian said.

The three-time Juno Award-winning trio issued its debut One Elephant, Deux Elephants in 1978.

The Elephant Show aired for 65 episodes, with each ending with the fan favourite Skinnamarink. In the late ’90s the group returned to the screen with Skinnamarink TV, which ran for 52 episodes.

Lilienstein retired in 1998 after the death of her husband, Ernest, while Hampson and Morrison continued touring.

Fellow entertainer Eric Nagler, who also appeared on The Elephant Show, said he was struck by “her heart and her happiness.”

“She was always a giving person. And a caring person,” Nagler said. “I haven’t seen her very often since our professional relationship ended but she has always carried a warm place in my heart.”

Toronto city councillor Josh Matlow, who got to know the Lilienstein family when he worked to dedicate a Toronto playground in Sharon, Lois and Bram’s honour, says he grew up with the group’s music.

“She, along with Bram and Sharon, were part of the magic of our childhoods. Their music played a very special role in so many of our lives. Even today, those of us who are in our 30s and 40s can still sing verbatim the lyrics of Skinnamarink,” Matlow says.

“Lois dedicated her career to making children the world over so happy by her music. And I think I know that we are all grateful.”