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FYI

Talking Up Bill King’s Talk 2 Featuring 92 CanCon Music Biz Denizens

Renaissance man Bill King’s latest book, Talk: Conversations in All Key, Vol.

Talking Up Bill King’s Talk 2 Featuring 92 CanCon Music Biz Denizens

By FYI Staff

Renaissance man Bill King’s latest book, Talk: Conversations in All Key, Vol. 2, is sweeping in its scope and an essential for anyone with even a remote interest in reading about a colourful tribe of past and present record moguls, journalists, broadcasters, photographers, producers, publicists and event promoters in Canada’s music business.


It is not a complete snapshot of Canada’s music business as the 92 interviews– compiled as an accompaniment to Vol. 1 that focussed on musicians–is populated by people that King has had relationships with since crossing the border from the U.S. as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War in 1969.

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It is a book waiting that was waiting to be written and complements the remarkable 365 interviews that broadcaster Jim JJ Johnston posted on his Facebook page in 2018.

There are the headliner names, names of people waiting to be discovered by a new generation, and throughout a history of accomplishments made by a cast as zany and committed as you will find anywhere.

As the book's author succinctly describes his weighty 580-page tome: “It’s my goal to make the Talk! Series available to every young aspiring musician, and those with passion and drive continually replenish and reinvigorate our hard-hit business. Your life stories are rich, complex and inspire. It does take a village.”

Hard copy editions can be purchased at 7 Arts Press, a Kindle edition through Amazon.ca, or $35 to billkingpiano@gmail.com gets you an autographed edition mailed the same day received.

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Clockwise from top left: Naomi Sharon, Loud Luxury, Gigi Perez, bbno$

Clockwise from top left: Naomi Sharon, Loud Luxury, Gigi Perez, bbno$

Media

Billboard Canada Backstage 2025: Interviews With Simple Plan, Gigi Perez, Loud Luxury, bbno$ & More

From breakthrough performers to established names, Billboard Canada's Billboard Backstage series got up close and personal with artists as they passed through Canadian stages, festivals and tour stops. Watch video interviews with Naomi Sharon, Quadeca, James Hype, Durand Bernarr and many more.

Not every interesting moment happens on stage. Some of the most revealing conversations take place just before or after the set — when artists are fresh off a performance, thinking ahead to what’s next, or reflecting on how they arrived there. Those moments unfolded across festivals and tour stops in Canada, offering snapshots of artists at different points in their journey, and Billboard Canada was there to capture it in Billboard Backstage.

Collected here, these interviews bring together a broad range of Canadian and international artists, spanning genres and stages of career. From Osheaga mainstage performers to rising artists and global touring acts, the series captures how artists engaged with Canadian audiences throughout 2025.

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