<P> Rita MacNeil , CM , ONS ( May 28 , 1944 -- April 16 , 2013 ) was a Canadian singer from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotia 's Cape Breton Island . Her biggest hit , `` Flying On Your Own '' , was a crossover Top 40 hit in 1987 and was covered by Anne Murray the following year , although she had hits on the country and adult contemporary charts throughout her career . In the United Kingdom , MacNeil 's song `` Working Man '' was a No. 11 hit in 1990 . </P>
<P> Rita MacNeil , CM , ONS ( May 28 , 1944 -- April 16 , 2013 ) was a Canadian singer from the community of Big Pond on Nova Scotia 's Cape Breton Island . Her biggest hit , `` Flying On Your Own '' , was a crossover Top 40 hit in 1987 and was covered by Anne Murray the following year , although she had hits on the country and adult contemporary charts throughout her career . In the United Kingdom , MacNeil 's song `` Working Man '' was a No. 11 hit in 1990 . </P>
who sang its a working man i am
who sang its a working man i am
Rita MacNeil
Rita MacNeil