Lowell James Williamson (1923–2013) was born on 19 July 1923 in Canton, Ohio to Daryl Williamson and Catherine Hayes. During World War II he served in the US Army Air Forces in a B-17 crew, and after being shot down on 8 April 1945 was interned at Stalag VII-A. Following the War, Williamson enrolled at Anderson University (Indiana) and in 1950 graduated Bachelor of Science in math and music. In 1952 he founded Williamson Oil and Gas, and around 1955 moved to Calgary. Williamson was first married in 1947 to Evelyn Amy Kissinger, with whom he adopted two children, Rhonda and Eric. The couple later divorced. On 6 December 1958, Williamson married Dorothy McGuire in New York. They had two children: Rex and David. Williamson died on 25 February 2013 at age 89.

Dorothy McGuire (1928–2012) was born in Middletown, Ohio on 13 February 1928 to Asa McGuire and Lillie Fultz. In the late 1940s, she and her sisters Christine and Phyllis formed The McGuire Sisters, a vocal trio similar to the Andrews Sisters. They quickly rose to prominence and appeared on several major television programmes. Their biggest hit was a 1954 recording of "Sincerely" that reached number one on the charts. After her marriage to Lowell Williamson in December 1958, she spent the next couple years commuting to Calgary between performances. McGuire was introduced to Calgary society on 13 June 1959 at an after-polo party held at the Hetherington Estate. On 1 September 1959 a reception was held for her and her sister Christine at the Petroleum Club. Complicated by her sister Phyllis's relationship with mobster Sam Giancana, the group stopped performing after 1968. However, in the 1980s they reunited for several concerts. Dorothy died on 7 September 2012 at age 84.