Don Messer was more than a household name in Canada - he was part of family life, the background music in Canadian kitchens. His performances aired first on radio and then made the transition to television. Private and unassuming, Don was everyman and yet someone singular and special: a devoted family man, a rigid Calvinist, band diplomat, enemy of the dandelion, and lover of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He was a musical prodigy who from the age of seven knew and played directly to his audience - an audience that eventually protested in unprecedented numbers on Parliament Hill upon CBC's sudden cancellation of his show, Don Messer's Jubilee. In this intimate account, Johanna Bertin shares anecdotes, photographs, and family recollections, revealing the inner complexities of the man family and friends knew: the man behind the music that warmed the hearts of millions.