welcome to the homepage for WILDFLOWER,
celebrating its 50th anniversary as
one of the most performed songs in the
history of Canadian popular music.

Since 1973 when Skylark's original version
went Top Ten, WILDFLOWER has become a
pop and soul standard. It's been honoured
with SOCAN Classic and Crystal Awards and
a BMI Millionaire's Award.

On April 2, 2011 it was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

WILDFLOWER has been recorded by many
artists including The O'Jays, The New Birth,
Blake Shelton, The Neville Brothers, Hank
Crawford, Color Me Badd, Lisa Fischer,
Johnny Mathis and Sandy Lam.

It's been sampled by Kanye West, Eminem,
Jaimie Foxx, Tupac Shakur, Drake and Estelle.

FLEUR SAUVAGE, a French translation by Joelle Rabu, was released in February 2011 as a single from Maurice Gainen's world music CD "The Sound of Freedom" with vocals by Karoline Blandin.

Estelle's THANK YOU which samples the Creative Source version of WILDFLOWER, was nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance.

The life story of lyricist/ policeman Dave Richardson, THE HAND THAT WRITES THE LOVE SONG ALSO HOLDS THE GUN, written by his wife, Lesley Richardson, was published Jan 31, 2013 is available from http://www.elation-press.com/products.html.

See 'recordings' for a complete list of versions.

Click 'news' for updates.




wILDFLOWER lyricist Dave Richardson died Sunday Aug 25, 2019 in Victoria, BC of a brain hemorrhage after a short illness.

https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/obituary-saanich-police-officer-wrote-lyrics-of-popular-canadian-song-1.23928009

Composer Doug Edwards died at home in Vancouver, BC on November 11, 2016.

https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/wildflower-hit-maker-doug-edwards-a-one-in-million-pop-artist-dies-at-71-1.2666590

Skylark vocalist Donny Gerrard died in New Mexico on Feb 5th, 2022.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-donny-gerrard-lead-singer-of-skylarks-wildflower-dies-at-75/

Rest in peace, beloved friends.



"She's faced the hardest times you can imagine
And many times her eyes fought back the tears
And when her youthful world was about to fall in
Each time her slender shoulders
Bore the weight of all her fears
And a sorrow no one hears
Still rings in midnight silence
in her ears

Let her cry, for she's a lady
Let her dream, for she's a child
Let the rain fall down upon her
She's a free and gentle flower
growing wild..."


Words by David Richardson
Copyright Edsel Music 1972, Renewed 2000




CONTACT INFORMATION

For WILDFLOWER licensing contact:
Kobalt Music
email: licensing@kobaltmusic.com
 
For other information contact:
Copyright owner Edsel Music
Phone: 250-740-0047
email: info@wildflowersong.com

"WILDFLOWER will live long after all of us are gone--I don't know where my career would be today if I couldn't have hung my hat on that first hit.

Doug Edwards was one in a million--no instrument he couldn't play, no chord he couldn't access with ease, no musician he couldn't make immediately comfortable and sound better than they were, no musical situation around the globe that he didn't belong in--a true world class talent before we even knew what that meant.

To say that I admired him would be an understatement--to say that I always wanted to be as good a musician as him is completely true and was never accomplished."

- David Foster


ll;;lll

Buy WILDFLOWER sheet music
Listen to WILDFLOWER

By Skylark, 1972
>Listen
>Watch

By The O'Jays, 1973
>
Listen

By Hank Crawford, 1973
Sampled by Tupac, Kanye, Drake, Central Cee
>
Listen

By The New Birth, 1975
>
Listen

Listen to FLOR SILVESTRE (Spanish)

Lyrics translated by Edgar Cortazar
(unreleased)

>
Listen

Watch Skylark WILDFLOWER Live

Skylark Live on Midnight Special 1973
> Watch

Watch Skylark WILDFLOWER Video

Skylark 1972 WILDFLOWER Music Video
> Watch

Dave Richardson on writing WILDFLOWER

Dave Richardson talks about writing WILDFLOWER
> Watch
 
 




homelllllllllll historylllllllllll lyricslllllllllll listenlllllllllll recordingslllllllllll newslllllllllll contact

Copyright © 2003 Edsel Music. All rights reserved.
Painting by China Goodhue.china2@telus.net