Eric Nagler

Eric Nagler (born June 1, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician and television personality known primarily for his work on Canadian children's television series such as The Elephant Show and Eric's World.

Initially, Nagler was a folk musician in the United States, and in 1966 he marched through Mississippi with Martin Luther King Jr., encouraging people to register to vote. He married fellow musician Martha Beers in 1966. Due to their conscientious objection to the Vietnam War, the couple moved to Toronto in 1968 in order to “avoid” the draft. In 1972, Nagler returned to the United States to stand trial for draft evasion; he was acquitted. Around 1971, Eric and Martha owned a guitar/folk-music store on Avenue Road in Toronto called the Toronto Folklore Centre. The couple divorced in 1977. Since 1991 Nagler has lived with his partner Diana Buckley in the hills of Mulmur, near Shelburne, an hour north of Toronto, Ontario, and home of the Annual Canadian Championship Fiddling Contest.

In 1991–1996, he had a children's TV show called Eric's World, which aired on the Canadian provincial networks (TVOntario, Knowledge Network, SCN, and Access) and Family Channel.

Nagler plays a variety of instruments, often homemade or improvised, in the skiffle style.

• 1982: Award for Excellence, American Library Association for the album Fiddle Up a Tune
• 1986: nomination, Juno Award for Best Children's Album, Come On In
• 1990: nomination, Juno Award for Best Children's Album, Improvise with Eric Nagler
• 1994: nomination, Juno Award for Best Children's Album, Can't Sit Down
• 1995: nomination, Juno Award for Best Children's Album, Eric's World Record

This is a partial listing:

• 1971: contributed to High Winds, White Sky by Bruce Cockburn
• 1973: The Gentleness in Living (Swallowtail)
• 1977: A Right and Proper Dwelling (Philo)
• 1982: Fiddle Up a Tune (Elephant) (producer Paul Mills)
• 1985: Come On In (Elephant) (producer Paul Mills)
• 1989: Improvise with Eric Nagler (Oak Street/Rounder)
• 1992: Can't Sit Down
• 1994: Eric's World Record

• 1984–1989: The Elephant Show
• 1990–1995: Eric's World

• 1989: Eric Nagler makes music, co-writer Diana Buckley (McGraw-Hill Ryerson) ISBN 0-07-549777-8