For Tommy Hunter, country music and the stage are his life. And for Hunter, variety is certainly the spice he lives his life by.

At 60 years of age, Hunter, the one-time king of Canadian variety television, is nothing short of the finely honed country entertainer he has always been.

Performing with his Travelin' Men last night before an audience of nearly 1,700 at the Jack Singer Concert hall, Hunter wowed the crowd with his distinguished charm; a demeanor that earned him the nickname Canada's country Gentleman.

But Hunter, a Order of Canada inductee, is so much more than just an affable front-man with magnetic and disarming charisma -- this man has talent.

Hunter served up a wide range of numbers, including the traditional Amazing Grace, Gordon Lightfoot's Me and Bobby McGee, some old-style fiddle music and a healthy dose of comedy. Unlike many of today's artists, Hunter is a well-rounded performer who learned in his nearly three decades how to reel an audience in while retaining its attention.

Variety is Hunter's stock-in-trade. It was not surprising to see the senior entertainer dishing it up much in the same way he did on his old TV show.

The surprise was how well he does it; and he does it well, still possessing his tongue-in-cheek humor, his accessible sounds and his endearing charm.

What a way to celebrate his 50th year in showbiz.