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RJ Guha
FYI
Obituaries: Toronto Agent/Label Head RJ Guha, Canadian Actor/Singer Dinah Christie
This week we also acknowledge the passing of hit songwriter Don Schlitz, acclaimed vocal coach Nevon Sinclair, Clannad singer Moya Brennan and Men Without Hats bassist and guitar doctor Al Gunn.
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RJ (Ranjan Kumar) Guha, a Toronto-based agent, artist manager and independent record label owner, died on April 12, at age 59.
An official obituary forwarded in advance to Billboard Canada by Guha's former spouse, Juanita Dickson, reported that "his passing came following a long and courageous battle with an underlying heart condition. RJ passed peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family. RJ lived a full and vibrant life — one defined by laughter, love, adventure, and, above all, connection. He had a rare gift for bringing people together and forming deep, lasting friendships. Whether through his work, his friendships, or a simple conversation, he made people feel seen, valued, and welcomed."
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Born and raised in Newfoundland, Guha went to Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland, studying science. In 1983, he was a singer in local rock band Cinema, a group that included drummer Steve Butler and guitarist Gerry Finn (Killer Dwarves). Butler tells Billboard Canada that "we nicknamed RJ Lemmy because of his heavy metal voice on the songs."
In the mid-'80s, Guha relocated to Toronto to pursue a career in the music industry, beginning at The Agency after earning a diploma in Music Industry Art Management at Trebas Institute. From 1987 to 1990 he had roles at The Agency including foreign artists/campus co-ordinator, promotions co-ordinator and agent.
Veteran Toronto booking agent David Bluestein tells Billboard Canada that "RJ started in the mail room at my booking agency at about the time I was leaving to go to Concert Productions International. We always stayed in touch because he ended up running the Labatts sponsorship program that I had initiated while I was at CPI."
At the Agency, Guha recommended his bandmate Steve Butler, who informs Billboard Canada that "I received my first start in the industry at The Agency in 1989 because of RJ's recommendation. I received my first job as an agent at his company Matrix and became a partner at Courage Artists because of him. I owe my entire life to him through his unconditional love and support." Butler is currently an agent at Paquin Artists Agency.
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Guha launched booking agency Matrix Entertainment in 1992, operating it until 2008. Guha was also co-owner and vice president of Courage Artists and Touring from 1995 to 2000 (David Bluestein was a partner there, alongside James MacLean and Steve Butler). By merging the booking operations of Matrix Entertainment with Courage Artists, FTG Production and Teamworks, the company became one of the largest independently owned and operated music talent agencies in Canada.
From 1995 to 1996, Guha was also co-owner and president of concert production company R.A.G.E. Presents, responsible for all talent buying and negotiations
From 2003 to 2009, Guha was co-owner and president of independent record label, Kindling Music. Kindling had distribution deals with EMI and then Warner Music Canada and released well-received albums by such artists as Dearly Beloved, Microbunny, Sass Jordan (From Dusk Til Dawn), Brian Byrne, Gary Beals, Kathryn Rose and The Cliks.
In 2005, Guha merged Matrix Entertainment with Toronto artist management company Management Trust (partners Jake Gold and Allan Gregg), assuming the role of vice president and co-owner until 2009.
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From 2010, Guha worked in various roles in the Toronto film industry, including as a driver for such stars as Meghan Markle, but retained close friendships with many members of the city's music community. In a post on his Facebook earlier this year, Guha noted that "I've spent 12 glorious years in the transportation department at IATSE 873," then joked that "at least my youth was misspent in the music business!"
Guha's official obituary notes that "RJ was also a tireless advocate for the music industry. Through his work with the Canadian Independent Record Production Association and the Radio Starmaker Fund, he championed independent artists, influenced policy, and supported the continued growth of Canadian music.
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"He was a teacher, mentor, and storyteller, generously sharing his knowledge through institutions such as Metalworks, as well as panels and conferences across the country."
As news of his passing spread on social media, so did very affectionate tributes to Guha, showing he was both highly-respected and loved. That was reaffirmed when Billboard Canada reached out to colleagues, industry figures and artists he worked with.
Here is a collection of those tributes.
One of the bands that Guha worked with extensively at Matrix was Toronto-based ska band King Apparatus. In a tribute he sent Billboard Canada, frontman Chris Murray noted that "RJ booked King Apparatus coast to coast across Canada at a time very few people knew about ska music, and helped us build relationships with U.S. artists and agents that opened a lot of doors in my life.
"RJ was simply a good guy; hardworking, positive, capable, trustworthy, reliable. As a friend, he was someone you could count on no matter what. I will miss his laugh."
Toronto singer-songwriter and in-demand session vocalist Kathryn Rose, on Facebook: "I first met RJ Guha when he was working at Courage Artists and Touring. He later signed me as a solo artist to a management/label deal at Matrix/Kindling. We worked together on my second and third solo albums, My Little Flame and Kathryn Rose, and my time touring with Sarah McLachlan. He drove me crazy with his messy desk and I annoyed him with my incessant questions but we were fond of each other, and I am so very sad we have lost him."
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Singer-songwriter and author Tamara Williamson (to Billboard Canada): "RJ was always around in the early days of my band Mrs. Torrance and used to work out of the same Toronto office as our management and booking agency, Courage. It was a fun office with all sorts of things on the go.
"He was always someone who was respected and loved, and you couldn't say that about some others. He included my band and later project Microbunny in a lot of gigs, and I'm not sure he ever got paid. He was in it for the love of music. A good guy."
Veteran Toronto club booker Yvonne Matsell, a close friend of Guha, to Billboard Canada: "I will miss him terribly! I’m so glad that I got to sit beside him in the last days. We’d been friends for a very long time — from rides on his beloved boat or our long discussions / arguments about characters on Coronation Street and that crazy infectious laugh of his !
"He loved to criticise grammar on FB posts (Phil Evans once made a comment to him that he was now the FB editor). His posts about songs he would dream of or his view from the barstool (of a pint) and his annoyance at commercials using pseudo British accents. I’m also so glad that my British accent is real because he hated those pretend ones. He really did make me laugh. I’ll really really miss you mate."
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Another longtime friend of Guha was Toronto music journalist Karen Bliss. Her Instagram tribute reads, in part: "I first met him after high school, when he was at Trebas Institute with one of my best friends, and he’s just always been around. There are other things many people have mentioned: when people say he laughed like a hyena, he really did! (I hope someone has that recorded).
"He loved his Sunday football and poker games. We might all have to continue his 'cloggin’ the noggin’ song posts and you drinkers can do the 'view from the bar stool' photos. I will continue the Guha-isms as I carry on in this life, maybe not the laugh, though. That was one of a kind."
Former Toronto music promoter and journalist Phil Saunders worked alongside Guha in the mid-'90s. He offered this tribute to Billboard Canada: "The music business isn't known for its good characters. RJ changed that for me. He was one of the best humans I ever met. He always remained reasonable, intelligent and compassionate.
"I entered the business primarily as a fan. My stock in trade was being fair and celebrating the creativity of the artists I worked with. RJ recognized this in me. His character and ethics were artist-centered. He nurtured a resolute faith in the artists with whom he worked. This deep faith was a reflection of his character. Working with him was among the most significant experiences in my life, as a journalist, promoter and, most importantly, as a human being. There is a lesson in the life he led. We have lost a lion."
Former Ottawa club owner Eugene Haslam (Zaphod Beeblebrox), on Facebook. "RJ was a stand-up agent that convinced me to take so many chances on bands. A truly decent human. Rock in Peace."
Don Blais, former Toronto club owner, on Facebook: "One of the kindest men I have ever known. Friends since his music days. Not a sad bone in his body. May he rest in peace."
David Bluestein, to Billboard Canada: "RJ was quite a character with a laugh no- one would ever forget if they’ve heard it. I’m sure you’ve heard that already. After a long period of working together, we stayed in touch and he was a golfing buddy. We had a lot of fun out on the course. I will miss him very much."
Steve Kane, former president of Warner Music Canada (on Facebook): "This is terrible news. A jewel of a guy. I shared many a laugh and had so many great (sometimes heated) discussions. So hard to process."
Film and recording studio owner Mike Bruce (Grant Avenue) on Facebook: "Really saddened by the news that RJ Guha is no longer with us. The film world and music world both will miss you. Great guy."
Former Toronto record label executive Dave Porter (on Facebook): "You are and always will be one of the good ones, RJ. Go kick ass up there!"
Record label owner Phil Klygo (Teenage USA), on Facebook: "Sorry to hear of your passing, RJ. Thanks for all the talks at the Courage Artist offices on Richmond St. back in the early days of Teenage USA. I appreciated our continued friendship over the years, I still think of the time you took me out on your sail boat in Lake Ontario. Will miss your social media quips about Corrie St. & the NFL. Condolences to your family & friends. xo"
Newfoundland music Facebook group NL Live Events: "We lost another great NL Musician. Rest in Peace RJ Guha. RJ always had a warm smile on his face and he had such an infectious laugh."
Toronto record label owner, musician and music historian Jaimie Vernon, on Facebook: "Those in the Toronto music scene will know that he was a major supporter of indie music. He even had his own label for a while. Last time we hung out together was at the ECMAs many years ago with Dulce Barbosa. It was a memorable night at The Marquee where we heard The Trews for the first time. RJ later pivoted to the TV and movie industry and I've been following his exploits in recent years. A great guy, a fun hang. RIP. Condolences to his family and friends."
Juanita Dickson, Guha's former spouse, on Facebook: "RJ had a way of bringing people together and leaving a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. I was always told that you meet people for either a reason, a season, or a lifetime. RJ was all three for me and so much more. He was also that for my family, especially for Mason and Lance. I'm sure that many of you could say the same thing. He will be sorely missed and forever in our hearts."
A private service with family will take place in the coming days. A larger celebration of Guha’s life will be held in the first week of June in Toronto, with details to follow.
Dinah (Barbara) Christie, a Canadian singer and comic actor, died on April 10, at age 83.
A Canadian Encyclopedia biography notes that "she was born in London, England, the daughter of the British-Canadian actors Robert and Margot Christie. She was taken to Canada at two and she began her career at 17, singing to her own guitar accompaniment in Toronto folk clubs and night spots.
"Later she studied voice with Portia White. After taking roles at the Stratford Festival and on CBC TV, she starred in 1965 at Toronto's Theatre in the Dell in Ding Dong at the Dell, the first of many revues in which she has appeared with Tom Kneebone. She came to national attention as a singing host 1965-6 for CBC TV's controversial public-affairs program This Hour Has Seven Days, with Patrick Watson, Dinah Christie and Laurier LaPierre.
"Further nightclub and stage engagements followed. Among the latter: Spring Thaw (1967, on tour), Mavor Moore'sThe Best of All Possible Worlds (CBC TV 1968), Your Own Thing (off Broadway, 1968), Satyricon (Stratford 1969), and Annie Get Your Gun (as Annie, Rainbow Stage, 1973).
Her revues with Kneebone included Oh Coward! (1970), Non-Stop Britain (1971-3), The Apple Tree (1973, recorded for the Trillium label, TR-2000), An Evening with Noel Coward and Cole Porter (1973) and An Evening with Tom Kneebone and Dinah Christie (1977). The duo was seen across Canada and in the USA, performed on CBC radio, and appeared in pop presentations with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic, London SO (Orchestra London Canada) and the TSO.
Christie was in demand by television as a comedienne, with long runs on Hamilton channel CHCH's charades show Party Game, (1970-80), CTV's Check It Out (1985-88), a singer (a CBC Superspecial in 1980), and/or host (CBC TV's Dress Rehearsal in 1978, Global TV's Dinah Christie Presents Canada in 1983 and many charity telethons during the 1980s).
Discussing Party Game, Hamilton music history Facebook group Steelore posted that "in 1970 at CHCH-TV Studios, Christie's career would lead her to Hamilton. Along with Billy Van and Captain Jack Duffy and host Bill Walker, Dinah Christie was one of the main regulars on the show from 1970-1981. The show was based on charades which used jokes or complex phrases involving a pun or some other form of word play. The show and the cast became loved by many, especially people from The Hammer."
She performed in one-woman shows in Toronto and appeared in productions of Supporting Cast (Teller's Cage, Toronto, 1982) and Hometown (Hamilton Place 1983). In 1984 she was host for the province of Ontario's 'Bicentennial Showcase,' which toured to 26 communities. Her musical Ruthie, based on the life and songs of Ruth Lowe ( 'I'll Never Smile Again'), was presented by Kneebone's Smile Theatre Co in 1990.
Christie was the recipient of some major industry awards. In 1981, she won an ACTRA Award for best variety performance for her performance on the D.C. and Friends TV special. She and Tom Kneebone won the 1984 ACTRA for best radio variety performers, and Christie won the 1987 Gemini Award for best actress in a continuing series for Check it Out!
Christie released her own 7” single around 1971, “I Can Hear Canada Singing," a compilation album cut "Stacy & Me" (also 1971) and released "Justin Pierre," a tribute to the newborn Justin Trudeau, in 1972.
Upon news of her passing, social media tributes praising Christie's work and personality were posted.
Author and graphic artist Stacey Case wrote about Christie in Who’s the Man? Billy Van!, his biography of TV personality and cult hero Billy Van, long a regular face on CBC-TV variety shows. In a Facebook post, Case recalls that "I was thrilled when Dinah Christie agreed to come to the Billy Van book fundraiser in Hamilton in 2018. Thanks to Lou Molinaro at This Ain’t Hollywood for letting me do the show at that amazing venue. Dinah was a true gem. She was so helpful to me over the years. She was so happy I was doing everything I could to get people to honour and remember her friend Billy Van. What a wonderful woman. Tom Wilson went on record saying it was the teenage male thrill of his life to finally meet her that night."
Toronto songwriter and vocalist Kathryn Rose worked alongside Christie and offered this Facebook tribute: "I met Dinah on the set of TV show Check It Out in 1987. I had a guest lead role for one episode. I'll never know why she did this, but Dinah took one look at me and said, 'do you sing?' Far more excited about my music career than my acting career, I said, 'yes I do,' and she introduced me to her dear friend Tom Kneebone.
"I was cast in a new version of The Apple Tree for Smile Theatre Company, directed by Tom. She even loaned me her original costume from when she had played the role of Eve, and was present for some rehearsals and the opening. Thus began an ongoing work relationship with Tom Kneebone and Smile and my everlasting thanks to Dinah. She was a smart, sweet Amazonian goddess dear to many. What a woman!"
Bruce Good (of The Good Brothers), on Facebook: "Today we lost a beautiful soul. Dinah Christie, our dear friend, actress, singer and all round entertainer, has left us. Our family mourn her passing but celebrate a life well lived. Condolences to the many people who loved her and sympathy to her family. RIP Dear Dinah."
Musician D'Arcy Good, on Facebook: "Dinah was a lovely woman. She was a family friend for decades and my dad knew her very well. I had several brief encounters with her over the years via my family and she was always very kind and gracious to me."
Her family asks in lieu of flowers to send donations to The Toronto Humane Society or to a local animal rescue.
Nevon Sinclair, a Grammy-nominated, Juno-winning Toronto vocal coach, vocal producer and singer, has died.
His death was confirmed to Billboard Canada on April 14 by Jermayne Clayton, artist manager and vice-chair of government and community relations at Music Managers Forum Canada. Sinclair’s passing was unexpected, while he was abroad in Thailand.
A Billboard Canada obituary notes that “Sinclair was an active mentor in the city, providing intentional vocal development, vocal arrangement and coaching sessions to Canadian artists like Daniel Caesar, Charlotte Day Wilson, TheHonestGuy, Savannah Ré, Loony, Dylan Sinclair and more.
"In the 2010s, he launched The Vocal Alchemist, a hub to develop his services, in what he called 'the home of intentional sound.' Nevon Sinclair built up a roster of talent over the past decade, helping them elevate their vocal potential."
Sinclair worked closely with Daniel Caesar on the Toronto singer’s breakout debut album, Freudian, in 2017, providing coaching, background vocals, arrangement recording and tour support on the project. He worked on the vocal performance and arrangements of Loony's 2021 hit "Raw," that artist's biggest hit to date. That song went on to be sampled by 21 Savage, Metro Boomin' and Burna Boy on 2024's "Just Like Me," which debuted at No. 49 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
Such Sinclair peers as Savannah Ré, Dylan Sinclair, Matthew Burnett (Daniel Caesar's manager) and producers Akeel Henry, Jordan Evans and Jordan Manswell all offered tributes to Billboard Canada.
Sinclair’s family launched a GoFundMe to raise money for his funeral and other related costs, including bringing him back to Canada, and the campaign quickly reached its $30,000 goal. Donations are now paused.
Al Gunn (born Alain Lefebvre), former Men Without Hats bassist and a respected luthier and guitar tech in Montreal, died on April 8, at age 65. A cause of death has not been reported.
Gunn had a stint in Men Without Hats in the mid-'80s. On Facebook, MWH leader Ivan Doroschuk recalled the story of how he became the bass player for Men Without Hats. "It was 1985, and we were putting together a larger band to go on tour to promote the Freeways album. We were down to the bass player as the last position that needed to be filled, and I was auditioning all the best guys in the city. I needed someone who could emulate a synthesizer and play 'pulse bas,' ie. stay on the same note forever if need be and provide a solid foundation for the music that went on top."
"Having seen Al play in a couple of bands, I knew it could be done, and I was using him as the bar that others had to reach. After having exhausted the pool of Jaco Pastorius/Stanley Clarke-playing virtuoso musicians in the city, and having not one of them understand what I wanted, or if they did, feel it was beneath their talent to play one note over and over, I finally said 'Screw this, I'm just going to get Al Gunn,' and the rest is history.
"Not only did Al fit the bill perfectly, he came up with great ideas for the performance, like having all the band members wear mirrored sunglasses and use only bright white lighting for the show-opening song Heaven. He will forever be remembered for his colour-coded charts that he would tape to the floor in front of him on stage, to help with the songs he had trouble remembering, and much much much more. He was a gentle giant, a pussycat in lion's clothing, a pillar of the Montreal music scene, and basically just an all-around great guy. Safe journey Alain, bonne route mon chum, we'll see you when we get there. God bless."
In its obituary, the website No Treble reported that "Gunn got his first guitar at 13 and wrote that he was fascinated by music and the tools to make it for his whole life. He started his musical career in 1976 doing freelance playing and tech work. Gunn was a member of Men Without Hats in 1985 during their Freeways tour. Notably, he’s featured on the 1985 concert film Live Hats.
"Post MWH, he once again took up guitar repair and building, launching his own business, The Guitar Hospital, in April 1991. He was a pillar of the Montreal guitar repair scene for 35 years."
On Facebook, former MWH bandmate Lenny Pinkas called Gunn "a really great guy. We were in the band together during the Freeways tour and we roomed together on the road. Been quite some time since I saw him but the last time was at a Go Van Go reunion show at the old Club Soda and he was the same old Al."
Acclaimed jazz guitarist Tim Brady, on Facebook, called Gunn's passing "A great loss. Al was so full of ideas, and energy and positivity (in his special "AL" kind of way). Going to get my guitar set up or fixed was always a treat as I knew I'd get to hang with Al for an hour or two. RIP Al — you will be missed. As someone said — LEGEND."
Veteran local musician Patrick Hutchinson (Bare Bones) recalled on Facebook that "One of my fave Al stories was a few months after he'd sold a pair of cool old Supro/National guitars, to me and someone from Vilain Pingouin respectively. I came home from a gig one night to a long phone message from Al. After he'd had a few beers watching le CH, he'd clicked onto Musique Plus after le match and seen both Bare Bones and VP with the guitars he'd sold us, and was torn between being happy we were playing them, and sad he didn't have them himself anymore...that was how much he loved guitars."
The official Men Without Hats tribute reads, in part: "It is with great sadness that we regret to inform you of the passing of Al Gunn, former bass player for Men Without Hats. Al (Alain Lefebvre) was a larger than life character, immortalized in the song 'Pop Goes The World' ('Send Al Gunn to see the doctor BEN!'). He was a childhood friend, a loyal supporter, and a talented luthier to several generations of Montreal guitarists (The Guitar Hospital). He has left us much too soon, and will be dearly missed. RIP Al Gunn."
International
Moya Brennan (born Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin), singer and harpist in internationally popular Irish group Clannad, died on April 13, at age 73, of pulmonary fibrosis.
An obituary in The Guardian noted that "the Grammy and Emmy-winning ‘first lady of Celtic music’ was credited with popularising Irish music and lyrics. Forming in 1970, Clannad was credited with the contemporisation of Celtic music. Brennan drew praise from artists including Bono of U2, with whom she would later duet, and she appeared on the soundtracks to major films including Titanic and King Arthur."
Born in Dublin to a musical family, Brennan and her siblings sang in the family's pub from a young age and she pursued her musical education at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.
Clannad was formed by Brennan, her brothers Pól and Ciarán along with their mother’s twin brothers, Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin, and made their live debut at the Slógadh Youth Festival in 1970. They won the event's prize and quickly signed to Polydor Records.
Major commercial success took a while, coming in 1983 with the release of their seventh album, Magical Ring, and its hit single "Theme from Harry’s Game," the soundtrack to a television drama about the Irish Troubles. It reached No 5 in the UK Top 40 and made them the first act to perform in Irish on Top of the Pops. It also garnered an Ivor Novello award and its success led to them soundtracking the 1984 ITV series Robin of Sherwood, which in turn made them the first Irish band to win a Bafta.
The Irish Times noted that the success of "Harry's Game" also "paved the way for their subsequent success with 'In a Lifetime' (from their 1985 album, Macalla) featuring a mesmerising duet with Bono. "
Clannad won an Emmy and a Grammy followed in 1999 in the best new age album category for Landmark.
A signature of Clannad was their defiant embrace of the Irish language. “They regarded it as a poor man’s language,” Brennan told the Irish News in 2022. Singing in it “was like we were letting them down in some way, but we fell in love with Gaelic melodies and Irish was my first language.”
Personnel changes followed through the '80s. Brennan's Eithne Ní Bhraonáin played with the group early in the decade before leaving to pursue a hugely successful solo career as Enya; and their combined careers made them Ireland’s most commercially popular musical family.
Brennan fought substance abuse problems and went through an abortion and a divorce prior to finding her faith. She launched a solo career in 1992 with acclaimed album Máire, and continued a solo career that would last until 2024, when she released the album Voices & Harps IV with Cormac de Barra.
Her career also included collaborations with artists including Shane MacGowan, Robert Plant, Bruce Hornsby, the Doobie Brothers and Ronan Keating.
Alongside the release of 25 Clannad and solo recordings, Brennan collaborated with three Donegal singers and musicians, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan, Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill (formerly of The Bothy Band) and Maighréad Ní Dhomhnaill, in a group named T with the Maggies.
The Guardian reports that "Brennan also became known for her philanthropy, working with Christian Blind Mission Ireland in countries including the DRC, Rwanda, Brazil and Tanzania. She also worked to benefit those affected by drug and alcohol dependency."
The Irish Times notes that "it was the RTÉ Folk Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2019 that resonated most deeply with Moya though, as she appreciated this recognition from her Irish peers. In 2022 DCU conferred an honorary doctorate in recognition of her big contribution to Irish music and culture."
Don (Donald Alan) Schlitz, a country music Hall of Fame songwriter behind such classic hits as "The Gambler," "When You Say Nothing at All," and "On The Other Hand," died on April 16, at age 73, after a brief illness.
In its obituary, Billboard reports that "Schlitz wrote some of country music's most enduring songs, and was lauded with several lifetime achievement awards."
Schlitz earned two Grammy awards for his songs, the first being for Kenny Rogers' massive crossover 1978 hit "The Gambler," the first Schlitz composition ever recorded. In 2018, the song was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
In 1998, the Schlitz song "The Greatest" became another hit for Rogers, who recorded several more of his songs in 2013 for his best-selling You Can't Make Old Friends album.
Schlitz is credited with 24 number-one hits on the country music charts, including the Grammy-winning "Forever and Ever, Amen" (Randy Travis) and "When You Say Nothing at All" (Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss & Union Station), and he earned four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards.
He composed the music for the 2001 musical, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and recorded three solo albums, 1980's Dreamers' Matinee, 2001's Live at the Bluebird Café and 2010's Allergic to Crazy.
Schlitz was inducted in to four different halls of fame, namely the national Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Veteran Toronto country-folk singer-songwriter Lori Yates collaborated with Schlitz on the song "Lonesome Desire," appearing on her 1989 album, Can't Stop The Girl. On Facebook, Yates posted this tribute: "RIP Don Schlitz. A GIANT who wrote The Gambler, On the Other Hand, Forever and Ever, Amen, He Thinks He’ll Keep Her, The Greatest, When You Say Nothing at All. I was blessed to be able to write 'Lonesome Desire' with him. He said inspiration was just above your head, all you had to do was let it flow in like a stream of light."
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