By David Farrell
You read that right!
There will be no newsletter released next Monday, Wednesday or Friday as the FYI team is taking a break to kick-back and enjoy a holiday break. We promise to return refreshed and ready to roll up our sleeves and get back to the business of the day on Monday, July 15. Until then, happy trails.
Cheers – Team FYI
Wyckham Porteous
This week we also knowledge the passing of Texan country star Frankie Miller.
Wyckham Porteous, an acclaimed folk-rock singer-songwriter and playwright who was long a fixture on the Vancouver scene, died on Aug. 17, a day before his 70th birthday.
Over a long and musically varied career, Porteous released six albums under his own name and collaborated with other local artists. Mainstream commercial success eluded him, but his work attracted critical kudos and the respect of his peers.
Veteran Vancouver drummer John Cody (Lee Aaron) tells Billboard Canada that ''Wyckham was a true artist; unique and unpredictable, an exceptionally gifted and talented writer. We first worked together when his debut album was released in 1989. After a few iterations, the band eventually settled with Dan Smith on guitar and Rob Becker on bass, both fantastic players with great ears, which was essential, as Wyckham was all about spontaneity, and arrangements could and would change night to night.
'We played all the major Canadian folk festivals (Mariposa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Frostbite Festival in Whitehorse), as well as multiple hometown shows at the Commodore, Railway and Town Pump in Vancouver. Anytime we were in front of a new audience, they were invariably blown away by his incredible ability to move them with his songs, many based around his local community and friends.''
Cody analyses the lack of fame for Porteous this way: ''In many ways, he seemed to deny himself any level of real success. Much was expected, and many industry vets got involved along the way, from Rosalie Goldstein (artistic director of Winnipeg Folk Festival) to Andrew Loog Oldham and Bruce Allen, but there was no way Wyck would ever play by the rules.
''He had a fascinating sense of ethos. For instance, despite being fiercely pro-union, even writing a song cycle based around labor activist Ginger Goodwin, he refused to join the Musician’s Union, so arrangements had to be made every time we were on a union gig. He would join for however long was required, and quit immediately after.
''The night he was slated to play a career-making appearance in London (UK) he was a no show, deciding to visit friends in Scotland instead. Far more important than commercial accomplishment was his standing among peers. A tour with Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, where he was accepted as an equal by both legends, was all the confirmation he needed.''
''Dan Smith likened Wyckham to the Peanuts character Pigpen; a cloud of dust and confusion invariably followed, but the brilliance was always evident as well. Each of us eventually bowed out, but it’s agreed they were some of our all time favorite gigs. His passing brought back a flood of memories, of fantastic musical highs along with frustration at missed opportunities, but we wouldn’t have missed it for the world.''
Cody, Becker and Smith also worked on Porteous' second album, 1992's Americana-accented Coud It Be My Road?, released on independent Canadian label Arpeggio Records.
Porteous attracted attention with his third album, Looking For Ground, released in 1995 on the Bohemia Beat label and produced by noted Texan songsmith Jimmy Lafave. AllMusic's John Bush wrote that ''Wyckham Porteous combines elements of rock, pop and folk on his album for Bohemia Beat, Looking for Ground. Austin-based Jimmy Lafave's production gives Porteous a Texan tone to his music.''
A 1997 album, In This World, produced by Morris Tepper (Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits) was released via Ragged Pup and later picked up by Cordova Bay Records, and the latter BC-based label released two more Porteous albums, 2001's sexanddrinking and 2007's 3AM. Jocelyn Greenwood, president of BC-based label Cordova Bay Entertainment, tells Billboard Canada ' that ''We had the privilege of working with Wyckham Porteous throughout the release of his albums Looking For Ground, sexanddrinking and 3AM (produced by former Rolling Stones manager and producer Andrew Loog Oldham). And later with Bop Ensemble, Wyckham’s collaboration with Bill Bourne and Jasmine Collette.''
''Wyckham was a gem of a storyteller, his exceptional turn of phrase was accompanied by a pure folk sensibility that explored themes of love, lost and the untold stories of everyday heroes. His music found its way into the hearts of many, particularly across Canada, The United States and The United Kingdom. Wyckham was one of life’s true characters, he will be missed.''
In 2002, Porteous spearheaded the Buried Heart Project, a large scale recording project featuring songs co-written by Porteous and performed by celebrated Canadian musicians. The track "The Streets Where You Live'' featured Gord Downie, Ron Sexsmith, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Jim Cuddy, Colin James, Tom Wilson, Sarah Harmer, Neil Osborne, Bif Naked, Snow, David Usher and more and it was released as a charity single to raise funds for a transition and detox centre for female drug addicts and sex trade workers.
In Canoe, Karen Bliss wrote that ''the original idea for the song came from the horrific disappearance of over 50 women from the seedy East Side of downtown Vancouver, it is now meant to raise awareness for women who turn to the streets as a way of life and can’t find a way out.''
One of Porteous' many varied projects was the Vancouver-based roots-rock band The Deadlights, which made a splash locally in the early 2010s. In a feature in The Province in Nov. 2011, Tom Harrison wrote that ''The Deadlights are Mal Temple, Paul Pigat [Cousin Harley] , Jas Ohlhauser and Wyckham Porteous. They’ve made their first album, performed at least one gig, have another Dec. 8 at the Crofton Hotel near Duncan, and plan to tour in the new year.
''This is a quick development, but typical. Porteous seems to jump from project to project. In the past few years, he’s been a solo recording act, teamed with Bill Bourne and Ohlhauser in the folkish Bop Ensemble and been a member with Kevin Kane, Johnny Faye and Stephen Drake in Stellar Band Of Neighbours. Apart from his solo career, nothing has gone beyond one album.
''In fact, Deadlights started as a solo album with a soul bias. Ohlhauser, who’d tired of folk, joined in as bassist and co-singer, Pigat surfaced from his immersion into roots rock, blues and old time music as Uncle Harley to rock out and suddenly Porteous was in a band. It’s a good album that gets the most out of everybody, particularly Pigat, and rocks as spontaneously as its creation suggests.
'''That was part of the motivation – to do something different,' says Porteous. 'In a way, we’re trying to get away from my name. This band has become more and more a priority as time goes on.'"
In his interview with Harrison, Porteous stressed “This is a long term goal. All of us are comitted to this band. We all think it’s a good band, a commercial band. I worked on this longer than anything I have done in a long time. It was fun.” Porteous' prediction of a long life for the band did not pan out, however, as their self-titled 2011 debut album would be their only one.''Wyckham’s performance in JOE’S CAFE gave all who saw it at the Seymour Stage ‘a glimpse of paradise,’” said Bill Millerd, Arts Club’s Artistic Director Emeritus. He will be deeply missed by the arts community locally and beyond.''
As news of his passing spread, Porteous' peers and admirers were quick to pay tribute. Blues singer and guitarist David Gogo posted on Facebook that ''I’m sorry to learn that Wyckham Porteous has passed. He could be a rascal and a raconteur, but he was always a true talent. He was Mister East Van. Poet, musician, actor, songwriter…you name it. If it was art, he was in. We co-wrote 'Where The Devil Won’t Go' together, which I usually start my shows with. Sail On, Sailor''
Canadian folk star James Keelaghan, on Facebook: ''Wyckham Porteous has passed. Every encounter with Wyck was a journey punctuated with provocative thought, careful consideration and tons of laughter. He was a writer of exceptional depth and empathy. I treasured any chance I had to hang with him. If you don't know his music, seek it out. And if you are the persuasion, lift a glass to him tonight and wish him safe home. My deepest condolences to his family.''
Singer/songwriter Myk Gordon (on Facebook): ''A lot of feelings stirred up about the passing of Vancouver singer-songwriter and playwright Wyckham Porteous. Condolences to his family, with whom I formed close bonds back in the 1990s. I was frequently a guest in his home and had an extended stay when I was 'between places.'
''Wyckham and I did a fair share of musical work together, not the least of which due to being label-mates at Ragged Pup/Cordova Bay Records. We toured Italy by train, had a small tour of Vancouver Island, gigs in Ontario, shared festivals across Canada, culminating in a mainstage performance at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.
''Many of those shows I opened with the band, and then functioned as his lead guitarist/band leader. I'm overall grateful to have known him and for our musical adventures and comraderie. Wyck had a lot of depth, pathos and humanity, with a healthy does of mischief and chaos.''
Paul Pigat, to Billboard Canada: ''Wyckham was an amazing cat. He will be missed.''
A memorial will be held for Wyckham Porteous on October 3, 1 pm, at the Legion Hall, 2205 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.
David Stearn, the co-founder and co-owner of the legendary Toronto music and comedy venue The Rivoli, died in August. His age has not been reported.
As well as his crucial role in the ownership and operation of The Rivoli, Stearn was also a partner in the Queen Mother Cafe, a still-thriving restaurant that opened in 1978. Both those establishments (situated a few blocks away from each other) have been key components of the fertile Queen Street West scene for nearly five decades.
The Rivoli was launched in 1982 by Andre Rosenbaum, David Stearn, and Jeff Strasburg, already partners in the Queen Mother. Recently on CBC Morning, Rosenbaum described their vision of The Rivoli as ''a working laboratory for people in the community to get their ideas out.''
Stearn's background was in law, as Rosenbaum explained to Billboard Canada. ''David was a highly trained and educated lawyer who opted to 'feed and entertain folks rather than fight with them.'
''He had a law degree from Osgoode Hall in Toronto, a master's in law from the London School of Economics, was a member of the Ontario and California bar and had worked at prestigious law firms such as Faskin and Calvin and Cassels Brock.
Stearn was passionate about the role The Rivoli played in the city's music and arts scene and employed a very hands-on approach, as Rosenbaum recalls. ''At The Rivoli, our very first booker was Robin Wall, who had worked at the Cabana Room in the old Spadina Hotel. He didn't stay long and then David took over for a while before we hired our next booker.
''From the very beginning, David worked hand in glove with all the bookers, reviewing the bookings and promoting the listings with the press. Every Thursday afternoon he would head out on his media route, dropping in, Rivoli listings in hand, on the entertainment editors at NOW magazine, Eye Weekly, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail and Xtra. He would also pop by some radio stations. If he could get an article, or better yet the cover of NOW or EYE, for a headline band, comedy troupe or event at the Rivoli, his week would be made.''
Over the decades, The Rivoli has hosted a very long list of major international artists as well as Canadian notables and emerging locals. A very abridged list of international stars includes Adele, Beck, Elliott Smith, Flaming Lips, Hole, Iggy Pop, L7, Indigo Girls, Jonathan Richman, Michelle Shocked, Screaming Trees, Tori Amos and Stone Temple Pilot. On the Canadian side, there's Neil Young, Blue Rodeo, Gord Downie, Jane Siberry, Sum 41, Feist, Hayden, Mary Margaret O'Hara (she designed The Rivoli sign), Caribou, Cowboy Junkies, Arcade Fire, Moist, Spoons and Chalk Circle. This scribe would single out Iggy Pop and a pre-fame Flaming Lips as highlights of the more than 100 shows I've seen there over the decades.
The venue has also played a major role in the world of sketch, improv, and stand-up comedy, boosting the early careers of many noted comedians and troupes. It was the spawning ground of The Kids In The Hall and hosted the likes of Sean Cullen and The Frantics. The play The Drowsy Chaperone premiered at the Rivoli and went on to have a highly successful run on Broadway. Rumour has it that Mike Myers’ Saturday Night Live German club character Dieter was inspired by a Rivoli waiter. In May 2022, on the occasion of The Kids in the Hall television show returning after 27 years, the Rivoli unveiled a plaque honouring the troupe and recognizing its association with the venue.''
The Rivoli has been less active as a music venue in recent years, but continues to play a significant role on the scene. The club gained international attention in Nov. 2023 when Neil Young played a private concert there, a 50th birthday celebration for the billionaire CEO of the Canada Goose clothing company, Dani Reis.
The club's profile was also boosted via its role in the plot of the Canadian mockumentary-sitcom web series Nirvana the Band the Show, as well as its sequel television series Nirvanna the Band the Show and feature film Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. Series creators Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol star as fictionalised versions of themselves attempting to book a show at the Rivoli for their band. Most episodes of the series feature scenes recorded on the premises of the Rivoli.
The three original owners of The Rivoli sold the venue in 2014 to three female entrepreneurs, Jenna Wood, Sarah Henning, and Jessica McHardy, on the condition they maintain it as a venue. An FYIMusicNews feature explored the change in ownership.
Rosenbaum tells Billboard Canada that ''the present owner of The Rivoli is John Christensen. He bought it from our original purchasers and has owned it since 2021, I believe.''
As news of David Stearn's passing spread on social media, tributes to the man and his impact followed.
Legendary Toronto promoter Gary Topp often booked shows into The Rivoli and he posted this tribute on Facebook: ''Remembering David Stearn, who defined mensch. He was a groundbreaking entrepreneur who contributed so much to Toronto’s Queen Street West entertainment zone and the growth of the city’s restaurant, Thai food, music and nightlife scenes with the Queen Mother Cafe and Rivoli.
''My best wishes to his family, Andre and everyone who was touched by him. I loved knowing David. He was always a joy, honest, loyal, responsible, and unassuming when success could have gone to his head. Fake was never part of his makeup. Now, he can rest in peace.''
On Facebook, Cowboy Junkies acknowledged the impact of Stearn: ''The Queen Mother Cafe and The Rivoli on Queen St. West were cornerstones of the burgeoning Toronto music and arts scene of the late 70's and early 80's; with the 'Queen Mum' being an employee of, seemingly, half the artists struggling to start a career in downtown TO at that time (as well as supplying many free meals to those artists). The performance space at the back of The Rivoli was the launching pad for many careers (including ourselves, Blue Rodeo, Kids in the Hall, to name just a few).
''But most importantly, David was a kind and gentle soul who went out of his way to help those in his orbit. Rumour has it that he once packed up a young band and all their gear in his station wagon and smuggled them across the border to help them move to New York City and begin their journey. Thank you for everything, David, you had a quiet but enormous impact on many young lives. Our thoughts go out to all of his close friends and his family.''
Toronto musician and visual Artist Kurt Swinghammer posted a Facebook tribute that reads, in part: ''Sad news today hearing of the death of David Stearn, who helped to kick-start the Queen West scene by opening the Queen Mother Café in 78 and The Rivoli in 82 with his partners.
''The two spaces thrived, survived new owners and are still going strong. The Queen Mom became my go-to whenever I visited TO and was the first place where I showed my paintings after relocating here in 84. I did my first Toronto gig at the Riv shortly after it opened. I loved it. The club was the hippest place I’d ever seen, with the Mary Margaret O’Hara-designed calligraphy logo and a super cool abstract mural by Rebecca Baird. It had the perfect size, layout, location, vibe and Pad Thai. A world-class room.
''Respect to David Stearn for his vision and important contribution to Toronto culture. Condolences to his family and all who knew him.''
Toronto artist and community activist Erella Ganon, on Facebook: ''Sad to learn that David Stearn has died. I met him when Andre Rosenbaum, his sister Annique and David owned the Queen Mother Café. When they lived upstairs from the Queen Mum, we'd have visits there and share fabulously hilarious tales. 'When they were buying the Rivoli and talking about big plans in a space that hadn't ever really worked in its many incarnations. They made it an essential part of our communities.
''When he met and started dating his partner Carol Tait, he blossomed. He seemed happiest when she was close. He had been coping with Parkinson's disease for a very long time with determination and strength with Carol beside him always. I am sad for his family, many friends and of course the Queen Mother community.''
Musician/recording engineer Walter Sobczak, on Facebook: ''Very sad to share the news of David Stearn's passing. David was very supportive of my band Sturm Group in our early days and booked us many times. Even when he stopped booking the Rivoli, he would wave at me as he drove by on his bicycle on Queen Street West. Rest in Peace.''
Now based in Vancouver, singer-songwriter Carolyn V. Mill has fond memories of Stearn and The Rivoli from her Toronto days. She recalls to Billboard Canada that ''I have known David since I arrived in Toronto in my very early 20s, green as all get out. Along with co-owners Kelly St. John and Andre Rosenbaum, he was part of the amazing team at the Rivoli (and Queen Mother Café) that helped me find my way.
''They kind of adopted me and kept me in quality spring rolls and pad thai, offering a safe place to hang out and explore the creative scene of Queen St West. A rather functional fella, with a lawyer’s keen sense of order – David loved his routines - he would work hard at whatever needed doing from bookkeeping to fixing whatever was broken. 'And there was always something that needed doing at that multifaceted Toronto empire.''
''When they later gave me the opportunity to start a music series upstairs in the Rivoli pool hall in 2003, I was lucky to find myself supported in whatever I chose to do. My weekly, free, all-Canadian ‘Maple Lounge’ series featured myself (and guest DJs) spinning all Canadiana on either side of a one-hour solo set by a different indie artist each month – Tim Vesely (Rheostatics), Lori Cullen, Kyp Harness, Pete Elkas, John Southworth, various guests like Bob Wiseman and more. And of course, my (now) husband Reid Jamieson started off the series.
''A couple of years later, our lives changed again thanks to a random call from David, one afternoon on our way to a gig. He wanted my help advertising his condo in Victoria, where Kelly and Andre were opening the new Queen Mother Waterside. By the end of that phone call, Reid and I decided, in a most uncharacteristic fit of spontaneity, that we too would move to BC!
''We stayed in David’s condo above the restaurant before we found a place. Reid went to work at the new restaurant, I looked after the website and ads, and our new lives on the West Coast began (now in Vancouver). We owe so much to Kelly, Andre, and David for so many things. And we are not the only ones. We grieve with the many friends, staff and family, and share in the loss of a wonderfully unique, kind and handsome human.''
Cassandra Wilson ( born Cassandra Fowlkes), a Grammy-winning jazz singer and songwriter acknowledged as one of the best of the modern era, died on Sept. 2, at age 70.
''It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Cassandra Wilson, the Grammy Award-winning and legendary jazz artist. Cassandra Wilson transitioned peacefully at home, surrounded by family, close friends, and her manager,” said a statement from her manager to the jazz radio station WBGO.
An NPR obituary reported that ''She was born in Jackson, Miss., on Dec. 4, 1955. Both her parents, Herman B. Fowlkes and Dr. Mary Fowlkes, were educators; her father was also a working musician who mainly played bass and guitar. 'He had a huge jazz collection, and that's what I remember listening to when I was a little girl,' Wilson recalled in a 2022 interview with the National Endowment for the Arts.
In the same interview, Wilson described how she began playing the guitar herself, drawn to her father's archtop Gibson, whose dangling strings she would pull as a child.
In its obituary, The Guardian reported that ''Dubbed America’s best singer by Time magazine in 2001, Wilson was best known for her genre-bending voice, which expanded the boundaries of traditional blues-based jazz and worked effortlessly across folk, pop, R&B, country and beyond. At the heart of all her work was her idiosyncratic contralto, a soulful sound distinctly tied to her roots.
''Wilson showed an early love of music, listening to Motown, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. At six, she started piano lessons. She played clarinet in marching bands. She performed at coffeehouses and in cover bands while studying at Millsaps College and Jackson State University.
''In the early 80s, she mentored under jazz greats in New Orleans before moving to New York City and joining Steve Coleman’s M-Base Collective – eventually becoming its main vocalist.''
Wilson earned her four Grammy nominations and two wins in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. Those were in 1997 for New Moon Daughter and 2009 for Loverly.
Her association with famed jazz label Blue Note Records spawned such much-heralded albums as 1993's album Blue Light 'til Dawn, her tribute to Miles Davis, Traveling Miles, and Thunderbird.
In 2015, Wilson gave a special concert at the famed Apollo Theater to commemorate the 100th birthday of the blues singer Billie Holiday, the legendary American jazz vocalist. That same year, Wilson released her last album, Coming Forth by Day, a homage to Holiday.
In 2022, Wilson was named a National Endowment for the Arts jazz master, one of the highest honors awarded to jazz musicians in the United States.
“She had an unmistakable vocal tone, phrasing and her approach of weaving folkloric, R+B and diasporic music together with experimental and popular genres had a major impact on me,” musician Jon Batiste said in his tribute to Wilson on Instagram.
“Her Mississippi heritage was always present in everything no matter how expansive her artistry evolved,” he wrote in the caption of a clip showing them together on Brazilian TV in 2009. “She was one of the first people to take me on tour around the world, the great Cassandra Wilson.”
Wilson once termed Robert Johnson and Joni Mitchell her two biggest influences, while her performances in Canada had a strong impact on other artists.
Toronto concert promoter Serge Sloimovits tells Billboard Canada that ''I remember when I had her at the Top O' the Senator and it was for her the first time in Canada. We did one more show together at the Town Hall.''
In another Canadian connection, Cassandra Wilson was one of the few Black women included on the initial lineup of Sarah McLachlan’s groundbreaking Lilith Fair festival in the late 1990s. NPR critic Ann Powers has noted that Wilson felt slighted by the decision to place her on the second stage.
In a Facebook tribute, veteran Toronto music publicist Victoria Lord posted that ''I had the great pleasure of working with Cassandra much earlier in her career through my years at her label and then, so many years later, to work with her again this summer for her Toronto appearance at Koerner Hall.
''Cassandra was truly singular. That extraordinary voice, of course, but also the way she approached music entirely on her own terms. She could move between jazz, blues, folk, country and popular music and somehow make every song unmistakably hers. There was simply no one else quite like her. I feel incredibly fortunate to have crossed paths with her again this summer and to have witnessed that remarkable artistry one more time. Rest in peace, Cassandra. One of the greats.''
Frankie Miller, a Texan country music entertainer and recording artist, died of natural causes on Aug. 29 at the age of 95.
“Frankie had just completed work and released his biography, The Blackland Farmer: Life Among Country Music Legends, written by Greg Wilson,” said Tracy Pitcox, President of Heart of Texas Records, in a statement. “He remained active in the industry and continued to enjoy making music into his '90s. He even was a special guest and performed with his long-time friend Willie Nelson a few years ago at the Luck Reunion.”
An obituary supplied by Sexton Entertainment Group reported that Miller, a native of Victoria, Texas, ''organized his first band, The Drifting Texans, and began making regular visits to his local radio station, KNAL, in his teen years. He also did some guest spots at KLEE Houston, where he met Hank Locklin, who helped him get a contract with Gilt Edge Records, a subsidiary of Four Star.
''Miller released five singles from a session made in 1951, and then military service in Korea halted his musical career for two years. Back from the war, Miller renewed his career by signing with Columbia Records. Miller continued to appear on the Cowtown Hoedown on Fort Worth radio and played shows in Texas, recording one single each for the Cowtown Hoedown and Manco record labels.''
In 1959, Frankie Miller signed with Starday Records and released his first recording, 'Blackland Farmer,' backed by 'True Blue. 'The song became one of Starday’s biggest sellers, climbing into the Top 5 in 1959. 'Blackland Farmer' returned to the charts in 1961, reaching the Top 20 and also crossing over to the pop charts. The song went on to become Miller’s signature recording and was later recorded by Sleepy LaBeef, who took it into the country Top 70 in 1971, and Elizabeth Cook, who included it on her 2010 album Welder.
A second Starday single, "Family Man", also made the Top 10, and “Baby Rocked Her Dolly" and "A Little South of Memphis" were moderate hits. Over a period of seven years, Miller recorded nearly 50 songs released on Starday. For a time, he appeared as a regular on the Louisiana Hayride and guested on both the Grand Ole Opry and the Ozark Jubilee. Miller toured with such country music icons, including Johnny Cash, George Jones, Patsy Cline, Ernest Tubb, Buck Owens, Lefty Frizzell and Willie Nelson.
In 1968, Stop Records released his last major single with “Pain” and “I Put the Blue In Her Eyes.”As a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by Webb Pierce, Jessie Colter, Pat Boone, Faron Young, Dwight Yoakam, and Wink Martindale. Miller returned to the music business in the 1990s and started touring primarily throughout Texas but enjoyed great success overseas, including headlining the Rhythm Riot in England in November of 2003 and a very successful trip to Sweden in 2015, at the age of 85.
Miller signed with Heart of Texas Records in 2005, releasing albums such as 2006's The Family Man Back When Gas Was 60 Cents A Gallon, in 2012 and his final full-length album A Friend Remembered: My Tribute To George Jones in 2020.
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/cassand...y.
