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FYI

The FYI Bulletin: May 04, 2023

Gordon Lightfoot will be laid to rest in Orillia with a service in the church he grew up attending.

The FYI Bulletin: May 04, 2023

By David Farrell

Gordon Lightfoot will be laid to rest in Orillia with a service in the church he grew up attending.


The public is invited to a visitation on Sunday. A book of condolences will be available at the church and online.

The public is invited to pay their respects at St. Paul's United Church, 62 Peter St., N., Orillia, ON, this coming Sunday, May 7, from 1 to 8 p.m. Memorial donations to the United Way (Simcoe County Area) are appreciated and may be made at the Mundell Funeral Home, 79 West St., N., Orillia, Ontario L3V 5Cl (705 325-2231). Messages of condolence are welcomed as well.

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– A much-overlooked tribute to Gordon Lightfoot was recorded by the Guess Who in 1968. It appears on the band’s first album, Wheatfield Soul, released in 1969. These Eyes was the first single from the album with Lightfoot on the flip side. YouTuber Joe Boudreault created the following pastiche of photos around the song back in 2017. Enjoy!

–Veteran music agent Stefanie Purificati has joined The Feldman Agency (TFA). In addition to bringing several high-level clients to TFA, her roster of acts such as Digging Roots, Aysanabee, iskwē, and Tynomi Banks will now be repped by the agency. Purificati has over 13+ years of experience as an agent who got her start as the in-house talent buyer at the legendary Drake Hotel.

A leading member of the music industry community, Purificati has sat on the Board of Directors for the Country Music Association of Ontario, worked for the Polaris Music Prize for over a decade, and is a frequent panelist at conferences including Canadian Music Week and Canadian Country Music Week.

This announcement is the latest in a series of recent successes for TFA following the launch of the record-setting sold-out Shania Twain tour and TFA President Jeff Craib’s designation as a 2023 Billboard International Power Player.

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– Bob Lefsetz had his 70th birthday on April 22 and here’s the celebratory love and hugs to the scribbler that starts with Donnie Osmond, ends with Paul Anka singing Happy Birthday, a cameo from Elton John and in the middle is Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino giving us a laugh. Also making appearances are Bob Ezrin, Daryl Hall, and Irving Azoff.

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Charlotte Day Wilson
Jessica Foley
Charlotte Day Wilson
Concerts

CNE 2026 Bell SOUNDSTAGE Lineup: Charlotte Day Wilson, JoJo, Finger Eleven and More

As part of its partnership with NXNE and a renewed focus on live music, CNE will also welcome a special soon-to-be revealed global headliner presented by Billboard Canada on Aug. 28.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is embracing its musical roots with a high-profile lineup for 2026.

The beloved long-running fair, baptized The Ex by Torontonians, has unveiled the full list of artists who will be headlining the newly-named Bell SOUNDSTAGE at the Bandshell to celebrate the event's 147th edition. Canadian stars like Charlotte Day Wilson and Finger Eleven as well as international pop star JoJo have been added to this year's programming, which reflects a diverse mix of renowned names and rising stars across a multitude of genres including pop, hip-hop, Punjabi music and soca, among others. They join previously announced acts like Lights, Lupe Fiasco, Shaggy and more.

This year, the exhibition is partnering with Toronto music festival NXNE, to modernize its musical programming with chart-topping artists and newer acts, and revamping the Bandshell as the Bell SOUNDSTAGE. “Music is such a massive part of who we are,” Mark Holland, CEO of the CNE, told Billboard Canada in April during his Executive of the Week interview. "Connecting everybody to that is a democratic mission that we are really invested in."

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