Long before live touring became a multi-billion-dollar global juggernaut, Riley O’Connor was on the ground building Canada’s concert infrastructure from scratch. In an era when promoters had to invent their own rules to get rock shows treated with any dignity, he generated buzz by spray-painting sidewalk stencils in Vancouver and braving -25 degree winters to hide Billy Joel tickets under Edmonton bus shelters. Over a legendary career, he has steered national tours for global icons like Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and Iron Maiden, while fostering a deep cultural legacy with homegrown giants like Rush, Blue Rodeo and The Tragically Hip.

Today, O'Connor's footprint is imprinted in the country's thriving live music market. Over the past year, Live Nation Canada commanded a record 3,600 events nationwide, reaching 10 million fans, anchored by an in-demand RBC Amphitheatre and the rollout of the 50,000-seat Rogers Stadium. Yet, despite all of this big stadium business, O’Connor remains deeply invested in grassroots markets throughout Canada, where club dates still comprise a third of the company's business.

O’Connor is an inaugural inductee into the Billboard Canada Hall of Fame, and he hopes it will inspire the next generation to evolve the business the way he did. "This gives people something to strive for, to be not only the biggest in Canada, but to have a global platform," O’Connor says. "To show that Canadians really do punch above their weight, especially in the live music industry."

Read a full interview with Riley O'Connor on his Billboard Canada Hall of Fame honour here.