Appleshine

By 1973 The Original Caste had run its course and topped the charts with one of the most iconic contemporary songs of the era with “One Tin Soldier” (also featured on the movie “Billie Jack”). Calgary native Bruce Innes’ next project was dabbling more in his country roots with Appleshine, along with friend Harvey Sawatzky. …

Avril Lavigne

Canada’s pop princess of the new millennium, Avril Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario in 1984, but grew up in a musical family in nearby Napanee. She was singing singing church songs with her mother before she was in school, and often used music and writing as escapes from the problems she was having in …

The Band

Rick Danko memorial Levon Helm memorial Richard Manuel memorial When Ronnie Hawkins came to Toronto for a series of shows in the late 50’s, he brought with him a rockabilly sound which was totally foreign to the crowds. This wasn’t his first trip to Canada. And because the money was better than in the Deep …

Barde

They got their name from the medieval Gaelic term for a poet or minstrel who made his money playing for royals and such, although it was still a popular term when William Shakespeare was known as the Bard of Avon. Hailing from Montreal, Barde was the brainchild of the two Irishmen in the group: Toby …

Barney Bentall

Formed from the ashes of Brandon Wolf, his previous pseudonym, Calgary native Barney Franklin Bentall kept Vancouver as his home base and assembled The Legendary Hearts in ’84, a name taken from a Lou Reed album title. Former Wolf-alumni Colin Nairne on guitars and drummer Jack Guppy. Cam Bowman was soon added on keyboards, along …

Barra MacNeils

The beginnings of The Barra MacNeils weren’t unlike most family groups, growing up with music in the home and everyone picking up the different instruments that were laying around the house – and deeply rooted in Celtic culture, its music, dance, language, and history. The name comes from the Scottish island of Barra, the ancestral …

Barry Allen

Born and raised in Edmonton, Barry Allen Rasmussen grew up in a musical family, and learned guitar and took singing lessons while young. While attending Victoria High School, he was a member of the curling club, and had aspirations of becoming a chartered accountant. But by the time he’d graduated, he was looking at a …