advertisement
FYI

RIP: Music Champion Grant Hurley

Retail music industry veteran (Donald) Grant Hurley passed away peacefully on Friday, November 30 at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto after a prolonged fight with cancer. He was 67.

RIP: Music Champion Grant Hurley

By David Farrell

Retail music industry veteran (Donald) Grant Hurley passed away peacefully on Friday, November 30 at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto after a prolonged fight with cancer. He was 67.


Born and raised in Thunder Bay, he left home early to go to university and travel. On his return, he joined music retail chain Treble Clef in Ottawa and went on to hold various managerial positions with Record Runner, Zounds, Mister Sound, A&A Records, Circle Of Sound and, most recently, Anderson Merchandisers.  

According to friend and music biz sales and marketing vet Greg Pappas, Hurley was "forever a powerful advocate for great music. As any sales rep who attempted to sell him on a new project will testify, he would not tolerate a lack of music intelligence as he was usually more knowledgeable, down to an instant recall of album catalogue numbers that, sometimes, were decades old and expected nothing less in a meeting.” Pappas adds that “Grant could hear a Top 40 hit on first listen.”

advertisement

Beyond a love of music, books and art, he found great pleasure in travelling and visited many exotic spots in Europe, North Africa and the Americas.

Put in perspective, Grant Hurley was one of the unsung heroes of Canada’s vanishing music retail trade. A champion of many who was championed by few. These unsung heroes more than not worked in unenviable environments for well-heeled owners who who compensated their staff in a fashion that would have made Scrooge proud. He fought his battles to protect his team, and pushed hard on projects he felt deserving. To those who knew him well, he was the real deal in making sure that passion trumped policy whenever possible. He was also compassionate and generous when it was in his power to be so.

A celebration to honour Grant’s life will be held in Spring 2019.

advertisement

An obituary that appeared in The Globe and Mail can be viewed here.

advertisement
Phish
Rene Huemer

Phish

Rock

Phish Booked For 2024 Four-Show Sphere Run in Las Vegas

Each night will feature a unique set and visuals.

Phish are the next major act booked to play Las Vegas’ eye-popping Sphere venue. The band announced on Thursday (Nov. 30) that they will do a four-show run at the building from April 18-21, 2024, with each night set to feature a unique setlist and visuals.

“From the moment we first heard about Sphere and its potential, we’ve been dreaming up ways to bring our show to this breathtaking canvas,” Trey Anastasio, Phish guitarist and vocalist said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to present this completely unique experience to Phish fans.”

keep readingShow less
advertisement