The FYI News Bulletin

By David Farrell

We start things off with a big 'Congrats' to Bloc Notes’ Diane Pinet in receiving the Music Publishers Canada's Life Achievement Award. In the cropped picture above she is holding her award, or at least the handle to an original Tom Wilson Art Paddle inscribed with lyrics from one of her folio writer’s songs. We're not sure which song it is, but we hope to be able to tell you in some future story about her Montreal company and the extraordinary ends to which she has gone in promoting Quebecois music in France and around the world.

– Warner Music Canada, Warner Music India and Coalition Music have partnered with Canadian artist and Bhangra producer Ikwinder Singh (AKA, Ikky) for the launch of his label imprint, 4N Records. Leading off on Friday was the debut single 80 90 featuring Garry Sandhu and Amrit Maan. 4N is based in Coalition’s Toronto complex. Future projects include forays into Latino music.

– The Queen City Ex is returning to Evraz Place in Regina this summer after being cancelled last year due to the plague. Regina Exhibition Association CEO Tim Reid tells the CBC: “Its been difficult for venues to book U.S. artists due to quarantine restrictions” so Canadian acts win big  in the marquee booking this year. Over 200K attended the 5-day shindig in 2019 to see the Pile O’ Bones Rodeo, Pinkfong & Baby Shark, Tom Cochrane, and the RSO performing the music of Journey and Queen.

– Jägermeister has partnered with the Canadian Live Music Association to offer a $100K relief fund for venues across the country, but the deadline in the lottery is June 2. 100 winners will receive $1K each. The program was announced May 17.

– Celine Dion is booked for 10 shows, Nov. 5-20, at The Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas. Tickets are scaled between US$95 and $1250. In August, she brings her Courage World Tour to Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Vancouver.

- Lee Aaron’s indomitable spirit has allowed her to survive a roller-coaster 40-year career and record more than a dozen albums and probably as many live DVDs. These days the Vancouverite has found serenity as a mother of two and working with kids in distress, but she hasn't forgotten her hard rock roots. There's a new album on her Big Sister imprint coming out on July 23, entitled Radio On. There’s also a new vinyl release of Metal Queen that Unidisc releases on June 12. Below, the teaser single from her next album.

– Barrie country artist Brian John Harwood's song Together We're Strong has been selected for use during the upcoming Snowbirds summer airborn tour. Jason McCoy, Jason Blaine and Aaron Pritchett are featured, and Tom Cochrane makes a cameo in the video. Nikki Cole has the backstory that can be viewed online here.

– If Hell's Where You Aren't That's Where I Wanna Be is one helluva good title for a breakup song.  NeonHeart singer Christina O’Connor, now going by the stage name of Constance, is both writer and performer on the track.

– CARAS has taken some big financial knocks along with the CBC with the Juno Awards, but its corporate alliances have and continue to be rock solid. The Academy has announced this year’s lead brand sponsors for this year’s Juno’s Gold anniversary include TD Bank Group, SiriusXM Canada, Freedom Mobile, Ford of Canada and TikTok. Sonos is a Platinum partner and Chatters Hair Salon, Johnnie Walker/World Class Canada and UNO join as Gold Partners. The complete and extensive list of partners can be found on the Juno website.

   As part of a six-year agreement, CBC returns for the fourth year as the exclusive broadcast and content partner.

– Ticket News is reporting that the Billie Eilish tour is drawing flak from UK fans over its dynamic pricing policy that has left fans aghast at the ticket stub prices she is benefiting from. Part of the anger is because her earlier tour was cancelled rather than postponed, resulting in ticket holders being left with no option other than to pay today’s inflated prices. The new tour, ironically titled Happier Than Ever Tour, is due to take place in 2022 following the release of her second album of the same name.

Entertainments

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T. Hardy Morris, best known as the guitarist and singer with Southern rock band Dead Confederate, offers deadpan observations about modern life in small town Georgia in this performance video for  his Shopping Center Sunsets, included on his The Digital Age of Rome album that comes out June 25.

Edgar Wright’s directorial debut on The Sparks Brothers doc has scored an almost unprecedented 100% approval from 46 advance reviewers reported in Rotten Tomatoes. The film has its public release on June 16. Here’s the trailer.

Martin Mull & Glenn Campbell appearing on a 1980 Smothers Brothers special