The FYI Bulletin, Nov. 02, 2023

By David Farrell

Multi-talented Canadian singer Deborah Cox (pictured above) is named as co-host of the Dec. 2 silver anniversary edition of Canada’s Walk of Fame at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Also named are TV stars and entrepreneurs Drew and Jonathan Scott, who are perhaps best known to audiences as The Property Brothers.

Cox needs no introduction. She is an award-winning recording artist, Canada’s Walk of Fame and Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee whose international career spans the worlds of music, Broadway, television, film, and fashion.

This year’s inductees named so far include singer Avril Lavigne, Roots co-founders Michael Budman and Don Green, actress Tantoo Cardinal, comedian and broadcaster Rick Mercer, Kardinal Offishall, and arts philanthropist Gary Slaight.

In a special event staged at Massey Hall last month, 13 of the country’s most influential ‘70s and ‘80s rock legends were named inductees at a Rock of Fame. Those named were April Wine, Chilliwack, Glass Tiger, Lee Aaron, Lighthouse, Loverboy, Max Webster, Michel Pagliaro, Platinum Blonde, Prism, Rough Trade, The Parachute Club, and Trooper.

–Josh Alexander is this year’s winner of Canada’s Walk of Fame RBC Emerging Artist Program, which earns the 23-year-old QC native with Latino roots a basket of promo tools and main stage appearances valued at $20K+.  With upcoming credits in film and TV, he’s set to play the Walk of Fame Silver anniversary edition in TO on Dec. 2. Here’s Josh’s latest single release.

– This Saturday, Nov. 4, TMEpresents a tribute to Toronto’s Caribbean music roots at the TD Allied Music Hall. Jay Douglas and Nana McLean headline with an impressive cast of DJs and upstart Carib-rooted acts on board, including five-time Juno nominee Ammoye, as shown below with Lord Sassafrass.

– Musician-to-consumer platform Bandzoogle is touting many notable achievements in its 20 years as a Canadian company. The platform’s global membership base, located in 219 countries and territories, has used its built-in e-commerce tools to generate US$114 million in direct-to-fan sales, all commission-free, according to the company.

In Sept., the company was acquired by US-based DistroKid, an online indie music distribution platform.

Some other data gathered from Bandzoogle’s 20 years of powering websites for musicians includes:

• Twelve million six hundred six thousand four hundred eighty-nine minutes of music have been uploaded to the platform. 

• Nearly 4 million shows have been listed on Bandzoogle’s calendar tool, with 3,756,779 tickets sold, commission-free, directly to fans. 

• 8,741,946 photos have been uploaded, totaling 11.32 Terabytes. 

• Over 500,000 email newsletter campaigns have been sent by members to their fans promoting their music.

– Onetime RCA Canada president Ed Preston is now 92 and continues to be an FYI fan. Last week, he sent us a link to a Russian-based Chicago tribute band, Leonid and Friends, but in this video, the band is belting out an enthused version of Lighthouse’s One Fine Morning that became a platinum-selling single at home and almost grazed the US top 20.

– There’s simmering discord in Toronto’s concert biz that has spilled into a Globe and Mailfeature penned by Brad Wheeler earlier this week, headlined ‘Is concert promoter Live Nation’s growing footprint in Toronto stomping out competition?’ Mid-size city venues LN owns or has interests in include History, Velvet Underground, the Danforth Music Hall, and the Opera House. Additionally, LN runs the 16,000+ capacity Budweiser Stage and soon the 5K capacity Theatre at Great Canadian Casino Resort. It’s a complex story, but the nut is that indie promoters feel squeezed with significant rent and tax increases on venues, escalating insurances and finding affordable acts they can book in a glutted market. It’s an issue that’s not unique to Toronto, but the city is frontline in the concert-promoting business where the number of indies is diminishing fast.

– Congrats to David Foster and his ‘70s group Skylark. Both were recently inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame.

– And a salute to Holger Petersen, longstanding host of Natch’l Blues on CKUA, who was recently inducted into the Edmonton Blues Hall of Fame. The former owner of roots & blues imprint Stony Plain Records (acquired in recent times by Linus Ent.) earned his induction in the literature and recording category for his two books, Talking Music: Blues Radio and Roots Music (2011) and Talking Music 2: Blues and Roots, Music Mavericks (2016).

Appointments

– Meghan Gamble has been promoted to Director of Marketing at Nettwerk Music Group. She was previously a senior manager in the department and served with Sony Music Canada’s marketing department for nine years.

– Republic Live, award-winning producers of Boots and Hearts Music Festival, has named Anne Stirk as Marketing and Brand Strategy Director. Before, she was with Spotify for five years, handling artist and label partnerships, and with UMC for ten years as a digital and marketing manager.

– Heather Hawke has been named Sr. Director of Publicity for NYC-based Reybee artist publicity firm. Her resume includes having worked for Canadian artists, including Montreal alt-pop singer-songwriter Laye, Carib-influenced balladeer Tedy (both Sony Canada), and super-streamer indie act Madison Olds.