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Bif Naked was born in 1971 to teenaged boarding school parents in New Delhi, India, and was adopted by American missionaires shortly after birth and named Elizabeth Torbert. She spent her early childhood growing up in Lexington, Kentucky, where her father taught at the state university. Her family moved to Manitoba before she was a …
The story of Big Sugar dates back to the mid 1980s, when guitarist/vocalist Gordie Johnson, bassist Terry Wilkins, and drummer Al Cross backed Molly Johnson’s live jazz performances. But when she returned to rock music by forming Infidels, they were left doing informal jams with the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir while they re-assessed their careers. Johnson …
Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Bill Amesbury grew up in Toronto after moving there as a teen. While learning to play guitar, he soaked in the various sounds eminating from the radio in the mid ’60s, and joined several groups after finishing high school, the most noteable of which was Five Shy. They released a …
Born in 1954, stories are that while he still in diapers, Bill Bourne was sleeping behind the piano in the community halls while his parents Alfred and Iris played the jamborees around their Penhold, Alberta homestead. Mixing old-time roots, country, gospel, and the blues gave him his foundation, and although he tried his hand at …
Contrary to early popular belief, no one in the band Billy Talent actually has that name. They first got together as teens at Mississauga, Ontario’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School, and consisted of vocalist Ben Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D’Sa, bassist Jon Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. They chose the name Pezz because of …
Domenic Troiano memorial After spending nearly two full decades mastering every blend of rock there is in Robbie Lane & The Disciples, then Mandala, then Bush, The James Gang, The Guess Who and cutting five solo albums, Domenic Troiano had gained the reputation of being one of the most influential and talented guitarists in the …
Called by some ‘Canada’s answer to The Travelling Wilburys,’ Blackie & The Rodeo Kings was conceived in 1996 as a sideline project while its members, Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing, and Tom Wilson were enjoying some off-time from their regular gigs. Born in Toronto, Linden’s career was as storied as the artists he’d worked with to …
By the end of 1971 Rhinoceros had run its course after a trio of well-received albums, and everyone came back to Canada after trying to make a go of it in Hollywood. But on the encouragement of Epic executive Barry Friedman (going by the name Frazier Mohawk), the band basically re-invented itself as The Blackstone …
Formed in 2004, Bitter Suite is a collection of Canadian musicians who got together to produce their debut, CRIME OF LOVE the next year, some with more previous success than others. Spearheaded by David J Petovar, the roster included George Christon of Kick Axe and Don Wilk of White Wolf sharing the lead vocals with …
Short-lived Edmoton addition to the Canadian punk movement, Blank Generation was founded in ’79 by U of A students and chums guitarist Helmuth Sultanow and bassist Craig Fenrich. With drummer Mork Stordal and James P McQuarrie on keyboards, they were influenced by the tail end of the British punk invasion, and began playing the clubs …