Blake Emmons, a Canadian country singer and television host, died on March 8, 2026, at age 81.
Born Bruce MacKenzie in Toronto and raised in Prince George, British Columbia, he hosted the 1974 CTV series Funny Farm, the Canadian answer to Hee Haw. He also co-hosted the Nashville syndicated music show The Country Place with Jim Ed Brown in the 1970s.
Emmons appeared on The Joker’s Wild, Definition, and other television programs, and later hosted Chain Reaction in 1986 before stepping down after the first series.
Blake Emmons (born Bruce MacKenzie; August 2, 1944 – March 8, 2026) was a Canadian country music singer and entertainer. He hosted the 1974 CTV series Funny Farm, the Canadian answer to Hee Haw. Emmons also co-hosted the Nashville syndicated music show The Country Place with Jim Ed Brown for Show Biz Inc. in the 1970s. In 1985, Emmons appeared on the American game show The Joker’s Wild as a contestant and also appeared as a celebrity guest on the Canadian game show, Definition. He later hosted the game show Chain Reaction on September 29, 1986, which aired on Global Television Network in Canada and on USA Network in the United States. He chose not to continue as host after the first series of shows due to the fact the shows were produced in Montreal rather than California as originally agreed. He was replaced by Geoff Edwards. Other works on which he appeared include Mary, and TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes for Dick Clark, as well as hosting the Playboy Shopping Show on the Playboy Channel. He appeared nationally on CBC Television’s Countrytime in the early 1970s.