Browse "Musicians"

Bertha Drechsler Adamson (b Hamilton). Violinist, teacher, conductor, b Edinburgh 25 Mar 1848, d Toronto 12 May 1924. A relative of the noted cellists Louis and Karl Drechsler she first studied music with her father, Adam Hamilton, a pianist and organist who taught at the University of Edinburgh.

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings was initially conceived in 1996 as a tribute act to singer-songwriter Willie P. Bennett. By renewing interest in Bennett and other Canadian songwriters, Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson believed they would also gain a wider audience for their solo careers.

Blue Rodeo, a rock group, was formed in 1984 by high school friends and songwriters Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. After playing as the high-energy pop group the HiFi's and the New York-based Fly to France, Cuddy and Keelor returned to Toronto and recruited self-taught jazz pianist Bobby Wiseman, bass guitarist Bazil Donovan, and drummer Cleave Anderson. Beginning in clubs along their hometown's Queen Street, Blue Rodeo delivered a melodic blend of folk, rock and country marked by Beatle-esque harmonies.

Its affinity for the "roots music" styles of US pop - country, rockabilly, and folk-rock, as well as rock 'n' roll - initially drew Blue Rodeo comparisons to The Band and gave it both a populist and critical appeal.

Jim Cuddy hears the music. I see the grotty stairwell. Standing in the open doorway amid the stacks of cardboard boxes and equipment cases, he slaps his palms together and cocks his head for the echo that stretches thin above us.This article was originally published in Maclean's Magazine on July 15, 2002

Robert Alan “Bob” Ezrin, OC, producer, keyboardist, songwriter, entrepreneur, philanthropist (born 25 March 1949 in Toronto, ON). Bob Ezrin is one of the music industry’s most successful record producers. He produced commercial breakthrough albums for Alice Cooper and KISS, as well as such classic rock staples as Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Peter Gabriel’s “Solsbury Hill,” and The Kings’ “This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide.” Other artists he has worked with in his 50-year career include Lou Reed, Elton John, Rod Stewart, U2, Jay-Z and Taylor Swift. An Officer of the Order of Canada, Ezrin has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and Canada’s Walk of Fame.

­Robert Jens Rock, record producer, engineer, guitarist, songwriter (born 19 April 1954 in Winnipeg, MB). Bob Rock started out as a recording engineer and enjoyed some success as a core member of the punk/new wave/pop band Payola$ before going on to produce top-selling albums by such artists as The Cult, Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Bon Jovi, Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Michael Bublé and many others. Known for a big, muscular, radio-friendly sound, highly-polished production values and an ability to play to an artist’s strengths, Rock has produced or engineered some of the most commercially-successful rock records of all time. He has won multiple Juno Awards and been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Bobby (Robert Stead) Gimby. Orchestra leader, trumpeter, songwriter, b Cabri, west of Moose Jaw, Sask, 25 Oct 1918, d North Bay, Ont, 20 Jun 1998.

(Mary) Alma Brock-Smith, (b Sheasgreen). Pianist, teacher, born Concord, Mass, 21 Feb 1908, died 18 Oct 2009, naturalized Canadian 1971; ATCM 1927. As a young woman she lived in Saskatoon. She taught there privately 1924-34 and studied 1927-38 with Lyell Gustin.

Broken Social Scene is a Toronto indie rock band formed in Toronto by core members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning in 1999. They recorded their primarily instrumental album Feel Good Lost with help from a handful of friends.

Broken Social Scene is an indie rock band formed in Toronto by core members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning in 1999. They recorded their primarily instrumental album Feel Good Lost with help from a handful of friends. It was released in 2001 and more people were added to fill out its sounds on stage.

Bruce Douglas Cockburn, OC, singer, songwriter, guitarist, activist (born 27 May 1945 in Ottawa, ON). Bruce Cockburn is one of Canada’s preeminent singer-songwriters, guitarists and social-justice activists. His music blends folk, rock, pop and jazz, and typically addresses spiritual themes and global issues from a politically charged perspective. He has had 17 albums certified gold in Canada and three certified platinum, and has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. The winner of 11 Juno Awards from 31 nominations, he has also received the inaugural Allan Waters Humanitarian Award and the Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award. He has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame. Recognized as “a latter-day wandering minstrel whose songs reflect the discontents of modern society,” he received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awardfor Lifetime Artistic Achievement, and was made a Member (1982) and Officer (2002) of the Order of Canada.

Bryan Adams released his self-titled debut album for A&M Records in 1980, and he's remained with the label for his entire career.

Bryan Adams' first single, "Let Me Take You Dancing," was a disco hit in 1979, and was followed by the albums (for A & M) Bryan Adams (SP-4800) in 1980 and You Want It - You Got It (SP-4864) in 1981. Of his other early singles, "Fits Ya Good" was popular in 1982.

BTO, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, rock band including Robin Bachman, Randy Bachman, Blair Thornton and Fred Turner. They were internationally popular during the mid-1970s. BTO's third album Not Fragile, spawned the million-selling single "You Ain't Seen Nuthin' Yet.