Obituaries: Toronto Battle Rap Star Bishop Brigante, Folk Music Luminary Don Bird

Bishop Brigante (born Nickolas Parra), a Toronto battle rapper who had a huge impact on the city’s hip-hop scene, died on March 30, of colorectal cancer, at age 46.

Since being diagnosed with cancer in Oct. 2023, Brigante became a strong advocate for the lowering of the minimum age for colonoscopy screening from 50 to 30. He organized a campaign urging the Ontario government to make the change, and a petition to that effect has received 40k signatures.

An extensive obituary in The Toronto Starnoted that "a longtime recording artist, Brigante had several hit songs — including a 2007 collaboration with Nate Dogg, 'Its Fo Twenty,' and the 2018 single 'Trust Nobody' — and is widely considered a cornerstone of Canadian battle rap."

Born and raised in Toronto, Brigante started battle rapping in the 1990s, soon establishing himself as a key figure in the city's rap scene. He caught the attention of a young Drake, and an appearance on BET’s 106 and Park boosted his profile. The Star notes that "he was the first Canadian to appear on the popular American freestyle segment, Friday Ricky Dred, a rapper, podcaster and long-time friend of Brigante, told us, 'For us over here, we were like, ‘Holy s—t’! He made it!’ Anytime you see somebody on American TV, that’s a big deal.'"

After signing a record deal in 2008 with Bodog Music, Brigante released the hit single "It's Fo Twenty," featuring legendary West Coast singer Nate Dogg. He later toured with major acts like Busta Rhymes and G-Unit. He had his biggest success in the battle rap scene, becoming vice-president of King of the Dot Entertainment (KOTD), an important rap battle league founded by rapper Travis “Organik” Fleetwood in 2008.

That league boomed in popularity, attracting appearances from such hip-hop superstars as Drake, Method Man, Raekwon, MC Hammer and others.

Brigante also moved into acting, and he’d appear in several other movies and TV shows after a role in Narc in 2002.

Toronto music journalist, author, publicist and a Canadian hip-hop authority Dalton Higgins, offered this tribute to Billboard Canada: "Bishop Brigante's name will go down in the Canadian hip-hop history annals as a freestyle battle rap pioneer who dared to dream bigger than most. While many Canadian rappers might be content with being a local rap hero, Bishop wanted to battle the best freestyle rappers that America offered, and he did just that, in-person, on prime-time American TV.

"That was on BET's hugely popular 106 and Park show, on their Freestyle Fridays segment, when he did the unprecedented and won that competition for a few consecutive weeks. That was a next to near impossible thing to do back in the '90s, as Americans largely ignored Canadian rap talents. And then here comes this cocky kid from Scarborough handily defeating America's finest!

"It's the reason I booked him as the first guest on my TV show Urban Groove on BPM TV in 2002. There's a reason the whole city of Toronto is mourning and that's because Bishop had a special kind of swagger, charisma and zest for life that you rarely find in local area performers even to this day.

"Bishop wasn't just in it to be a world famous freestyle battle rapper or to make good rap music, he was driven by something bigger, much larger, and that was to put his Scarborough neighborhood on the map. And he managed to do just that."

Brigante's peers offered glowing tributes to the rapper on social media. On Instagram, Organik termed him “The Godfather of Toronto Hip Hop" and said "I can brag about his musical accomplishments but truth be told, his life had way more substance to it than what he showed the world in his music. Bishop wore his heart on his sleeve shamelessly. He would ride or die for anyone he loved.”

On Facebook, fellow Toronto hip-hop star Michie Mee posted that "From listening to his freestyle days on Power Move (Saturdays, 1-4 pm) to the ciphers, to our club days, this guy was a f*&#ng beast on the mic. He would send me dubplates to play at the club and to this day I’m still trying to find those old CDs. My heart goes out to his family right now. He was also a part of 'our family' (those who know, know). Scarborough lost a real one today. Hip-Hop lost a real one today. Going to have a drink and listen to some Bishop Brigante tonight. Rest easy, my brother."

Also on Facebook, Toronto music industry veteran David 'Click' Cox (ADVANCE) noted that "we worked together on the TV show Ultimate MC. Bishop brought a lot to this show, from connecting industry to the community, hosting and more. Travelling across the country with him building rap battle was unforgettable. I learned a lot from him."

Others paying homage included Royce da 5′9 and The Alchemist and fellow Canadian rap pioneers Maestro Fresh Wes, and Choclair. Drake offered his condolences with the "😢🪽" emojis, on an Instagram post.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to assist Brigante's son Lito. At press time, it has raised $10.3K.

Don (Donald John) Bird, an acclaimed record producer, festival artistic director and notable member of the North American folk music community, died on March 31, at age 82.

An official obituary in The Owen Sound Sun-Times stated that Bird "spent his formative years in Owen Sound, raised his family in Kitchener and Guelph, and eventually settled in Toronto.

"Don's life was devoted to his family and his love for music. He will be especially missed in the folk music scene of Canada and the U.S. His ability to recognize musical talent — whether amateur or professional — was a catalyst for his inspirations."

Bird was also very prominent in the Toronto jingles and advertising community for many years. His son, Travis Bird, tells Billboard Canada that "he was involved in advertising projects that won Clio awards, though I don't have specifics on those. He was mainly a jingle producer, with a few voice-over credits. He worked for Trudel Productions with Tommy Ambrose and Doug Riley, and then Tambre Productions with Marvin Dolgay and Kevan Staples." Don Bird's LinkedIn page show he worked as general manager at Trudel Productions from 1983 to 1991.

During this period, Bird also worked as a record producer. His major credit came in co-producing (with Danny Greenspoon) , Oyster Tracks, the 1986 debut album from Ontario country group Prairie Oyster, one of Canada's most successful country bands ever. That album also featured backing vocals from Bird, and it was crucial to them winning the Juno award for Country Group of the Year in 1986 and 1987.

Travis Bird informs that "before and after these careers, Dad was a festival producer. The Carlisle Bluegrass Festival in the early '70s was one of the biggest bluegrass festivals in Canada. He brought in Bill Monroe and Jimmy Martin and many other big names. My daughter actually did a school project on it, and got into the local newspaper."

Don Bird had long periods of involvement with many major folk and roots music festivals, as an MC, seminar producer, mentor and artistic director. From 1995 to 2005, he was artistic director of the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival in Owen Sound, earning kudos for his work. In a Facebook post, Summerfolk noted "We are sad that former Artistic Director Don Bird has passed on. He was a force on the music scene and presided over some of Summerfolk’s most successful years."

Travis Bird tells Billboard Canada that "Being artistic director for Summerfolk was very special for Dad because it was in his hometown, Owen Sound. There would be so many artists who were unknowns at the time of performance that went on to huge careers. Chris Thile and Nickel Creek were a standout in August 2000."

To Billboard Canada, veteran folk/roots music promoter, publicist and journalist Richard Flohil (a former Artistic Director of Mariposa) describes Bird's work at Summerfolk as "consistently brilliant. This year, under the leadership of singer-songwriter James Keelaghan, the festival celebrates its 50th year — I hope they remember to honour Don Bird’s memory."

Contacted by Billboard Canada, Keelaghan says "I’m sure he will be remembered at the festival. Don was a force on the music scene and in the 10 years he was Artistic Director the festival grew significantly. Several of the festival's most successful years were under his directorship."

Bird worked as a mentor and volunteer at Folk Music Ontario (formerly the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals) from 1996 until recently, and as a mentor for the Kingsville Folk Music Festival, from 2014. He was a seminar director for the Canadian Country Music Association from 1986 until recently, and a long stint as a seminar creator for Folk Alliance International (FAI) began in 1999. As a producer for the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals (OCFF) in 2007 and 2008, he scheduled and programmed their 20th anniversary conference. He headed his own company, Bird's Word Productions, from 1990.

In recent years, he worked, primarily as an extra, in the movie and TV industry, with Richard Flohil reporting that Bird "played everyone from Moses to being Sean Connery’s body double."

Don Bird's family have also made a mark in the Canadian music industry. Formerly a general manager with NXNE in Toronto, Travis Bird is currently the data manager for Official Community, working with a roster of artists including James Taylor, Sarah McLachlan, Santana, Lyle Lovett and many others.

His wife, Cat Bird, is a noted arts grant writer and publicist, running Cat Bird Music and working with the Borealis Music imprint. "Our daughter has been accepted to Western University in the music department as a percussionist," Travis reports. "My Dad was immensely proud of this fact, since he too was a drummer."

Musicians and industry colleagues paid tribute to Bird on social media in large numbers, and some provided Billboard Canada with comments.

Richard Flohil forwarded this tribute to Billboard Canada: "Sometimes I think that the music community never quite grasped Don Bird’s contribution — and I’m as guilty as as anyone in that regard. His stewardship of the still-missed Carlisle Bluegrass Festival, his production work with so many bands (including Prairie Oyster’s debut album), and the jingle factory he worked in for years with such luminaries as Tommy Ambrose were all part of his extensive list of achievements. Don was kind, funny, occasionally bawdy, and always good company. Damnit, I’m missing him already."

Russell DeCarle, frontman of Prairie Oyster, reminisced to Billboard Canada that "I met Don Bird at the Carlisle Bluegrass Festival in 1972. I was playing with a band called The King City Slickers and he was performing hosting duties on the main stage. Skipping forward to 1982 I was in the reformed version of Prairie Oyster and we were looking to record our first single which we ended up hiring Don to produce.

"He introduced us to the world of professional studios and engineers. The double-sided single that came out of that first session, 'Juke Joint Johnnie/Give it a Little More Time,' had some success at radio and garnered us our first Juno nomination. Later that year we put out another single which led to a deal with Holger Petersen’s Stony Plain label. Our first LP was co-produced by Don and Danny Greenspoon and won us our first Juno Award. Don remained a dear friend and great supporter."

Brian Iler, Chair of Toronto roots music hub Hugh's Room Live, posted on Facebook that "We lost a valued member of our community recently. Don Bird, a two-time Juno winner, has died. We knew him mostly through his years as the brilliant Artistic Director at the fabled Summerfolk in Owen Sound. He was a longtime supporter of Hugh’s Room and donated to help us buy our home at 296 Broadview."

Hugh’s Room founder (and chair emeritus) Richard Carson added that "Don was a big supporter of Hugh's Room from the very beginning. He was part of the family. Our condolences to his family and many friends."

On Facebook, Erin Benjamin, head of the Canadian Live Music Association, recalled that "I'll never forget the first time I met Don, at the OCFF (now Folk Music Ontario) conference in 1996 when I was a baby artist, with no clue about anything. He was kind and generous with his knowledge and support. My sincere condolences."

Toronto record producer Danny Greenspoon offered this tribute to Billboard Canada: "I am gutted at the news of Don’s passing. I had the honour of co-producing Prairie Oyster’s first album, Oyster Tracks, with Don. He brought the perspective of a real music lover and fan, and a great musicality to the project.

"We subsequently made a habit, for quite a few years, of sharing a birthday lunch right between our respective birthdays, which were just a couple of weeks apart. He was a gentleman, a mensch and a sweet soul. We’ve lost one of the good ones."

James Keelaghan, to Billboard Canada: " I also knew Don in my life as a performer. I came to the festival [Summerfolk] a number of times. Don was a brilliant programmer and inspired in his construction of festival workshops."

Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Julian Taylor (on Facebook): "A gentleman and a lover of authentic sounds and stories. He was one of the first festival programmers to give me a chance to perform way back in the day. Every time we ran into each other it was all hugs and mutual respect and admiration. He was a pioneer in the Canadian folk scene and an advocate for equal opportunity. Sending prayers to his family. Rest in peace Donald. See you on the other side."

Canadian folk/roots star Stephen Fearing (Blackie and The Rodeo Kings) on Facebook: "Don Bird was one of those stalwarts who spent his time, energy and heart amplifying and enriching the Canadian folk music world. Always there with a hug and a warm, genuine smile. My sincere condolences to his family. Sail on Don and thanks for all your love and care. "

Dave Hiltz (on Facebook): "I'm sorry to hear the sad news. A man of many talents. I met Don in the early 90s when Keith James brought him in as a creative consultant to speak to the creative copywriters at 820 CHAM radio. I co-wrote a 30-second commercial with Don at that time, which won an ACE (Advertising Creative Excellence) Award! He never forgot that, even after decades."

Irene Sweeney Willis (on Facebook): "I first met Don when I started in the advertising business as a Producer in 1977. Don was one of the first people I met in the jingle business, when he worked with Trudel Productions with Larry, Tommy Ambrose, Tom Szczesniak, the late Greg Adams and Doug Riley, among other greats. We became instant friends, shared many laughs and a few drinks at Jingles bar, among others over the years. I shall cherish the memories, the fun times, the music and the friendship."

As per Bird's wishes, there will be no funeral, but a celebration of life will be held at a later date. His family requests that "in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Unison Benevolent Fund, an organization that was instrumental in allowing Don to live out his life with dignity and comfort."

International

Dave (David Geoffrey) Allen, an English musician and record label founder best known as bassist for Gang of Four and Shriekback, died on April 5, at age 69. In a statement, former Gang of Four bandmate Hugo Burnham said that Allen had been living with early-onset dementia for the last several years of his life.

A Billboard obituary reported that "After joining Gang of Four with Burnham, Jon King and Andy Gill in Leeds in 1976, Allen made his mark as bassist on the band’s debut album, 1979’s Entertainment!, and their follow-up set, 1981’s Solid Gold. While neither were chart successes in the U.S., Gang of Four’s early work influenced the likes of Michael Stipe, Flea and Kurt Cobain, who included Entertainment! on his top 50 albums list (as published in the posthumous Journals)."

Upon leaving that band, Allen formed Shriekback with Barry Andrews (XTC, The League of Gentlemen), and went on to record a number of albums with the group. Their propulsive sound warned them recognition as an innovative and important post-punk group. After leaving Shriekback in 1988, Allen founded King Swamp with other former bandmates.

Allen rejoined Gang of Four for a reunion with the core lineup in the mid-’00s. He also founded World Domination Recordings and participated in two bands who recorded for the label, as the vocalist and primary songwriter for The Elastic Purejoy, and as bassist in Low Pop Suicide which was fronted by Rick Boston. He appeared on several LPs and EPs with each of these bands."

Billboard notes that Allen also made a mark in the music industry went beyond the recording studio and stage. "Most recently he co-founded and served as director of music relations at DinWorkshop, a consultancy, design studio and lab built to create alongside musicians.

"Previously he held positions in artist relations and artist advocacy at Apple Music and Beats Music, was business development director in consumer digital audio services at Intel, and in the late ’90s was general manager at eMusic. Allen was a speaker and panelist on digital strategy, music and technology at SXSW, CMJ, SF Music Tech and more throughout his career."

Michael Hurley, an American singer-songwriter and artist whose musical style is deemed outsider folk, died on April 1, at age 83. He died shortly after returning home from performing at Big Ears festival in Knoxville, Tennessee.

His family provided a statement to Rolling Stone that reads, in part, "The ‘Godfather of freak folk’ was for a prolific half-century the purveyor of an eccentric genius and compassionate wit. He alone was Snock. There is no other. Friends, family, and the music community deeply mourn his loss.”

Born in Pennsylvania, Hurley moved to Greenwich Village in New York City in his early 20s, and soon became a key figure on the burgeoning folk scene there. A debut 1963 album, First Songs, came out on Folkways Records, and Hurley's work was championed by his friend and fellow singer-songwriter Jesse Colin Young, who died last month.

As a member of the Youngbloods, Young would later help sign Hurley to their own label imprint, Racoon, where Hurley recorded two albums, 1971’s Armchair Boogie and 1972’s Hi Fi Snock Uptown.

Hurley's most acclaimed album was 1976's , Have Moicy!, a collaboration with members of the Holy Modal Rounders. He continued to release records prolifically over the next four decades, up to his final album The Time of the Foxgloves in 2021.

A nomadic type, Hurley lived all over the U.S. He self-published several magazines, includingThe Underground Monthly, The Outcry, and The Morning Tea, and usually drew the artwork for his own albums, often featuring the cartoon werewolf characters Jocko and Boone, who also starred in comic books that he created.

In its obituary, Rolling Stone wrote that "Michael Hurley was known for singing and writing songs that were delivered warmly and plainly, often in a lo-fi presentation, about unconventional subject material. Put more simply, he sang and wrote songs that sounded like they couldn’t have been written or sung by anyone other than Michael Hurley, songs about fishbones and biscuit rollers and werewolves and forsaken hogs."