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Harvey Glatt
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Obituaries: Canadian Music Industry Remembers Ottawa Music Pioneer Harvey Glatt
This week, we also acknowledge the passing of Mastodon guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds and veteran American saxophonist Michael Antunes.
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Harvey (Morley) Glatt a pioneer of the Canadian music industry as an owner of record stores, music venues, record labels and radio stations, an artist manager, concert promoter and philanthropist, died on Aug. 20, at age 91.
The news was reported in a Facebook post by his son Richard Glatt. It reads: "It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the passing of my father, Harvey Glatt. Huge supporter of all music (especially Canadian) and the arts. Ottawa legend, music icon, and visionary. He made his mark, leaving us on #NationalRadioDay."
Over the course of his long and multi-faceted career, Glatt had an especially strong impact on the Ottawa music scene.
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In an Ottawa Citizen profile in 2017, Lynn Saxberg wrote that "Glatt’s interest in the business side of music can be traced to his early passion for radio. As a boy, he would pretend he was sick to stay home from school and listen to his favourite show, The Happy Gang. When pop radio caught his ear, Glatt started paying attention to the charts and reading trade magazines such as Billboard and Cashbox." He reportedly became a regular reader of Billboard at the age of 13.
"In his teens, Glatt was the piano player in a band that had a regular spot at the Union Hotel in Thurso. 'I was 16. I wasn’t legal,' Glatt recalls. 'I was consuming quarts of beer because I thought that made me play better. I was a very mediocre musician.'"
An extensive obituary in Celebrity Access noted that "Glatt had been expected to take over his family’s business, Baker Brothers’ junkyard — the largest in Ottawa in the early 1900s, founded by his maternal grandfather and great-uncle. Instead, after graduating with a business administration degree from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, in 1956, he entered the music industry. At Clarkson, he was a radio announcer, and upon returning home to Ottawa, he worked the overnight shift at CFRA-AM before briefly working at his family’s service station."
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"In 1957, Glatt and his former college roommate Arnold Gosewich [later Chairman of CBS Records of Canada] opened Treble Clef, Ottawa’s first standalone music store. The store evolved into a 15-location chain, alongside a host of Glatt’s other music and entertainment ventures that left a lasting mark on Canadian culture." He sold his Treble Clef record stores in 1979.
While at Clarkson College, Glatt co-produced his first concert, presenting Dave Brubeck in 1955. In Nov. 1958, he co-presented the then blacklisted American folk star Pete Seeger, who drew 400 people to Ottawa’s Fisher Park High School Auditorium.
Celebrity Access reports that "Glatt then became the dominant concert promoter in the Ottawa region beginning in the 1960s, bringing acts such as the Kingston Trio, Cream, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, the Beach Boys, Paul Simon, Graham Nash, Supertramp, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Anne Murray and the Rolling Stones.
"For decades, [Glatt's company] Bass Clef Productions partnered on concerts with Canada’s leading promoters, Donald K. Donald in Montreal and Michael Cohl’s Concert Productions International (CPI) in Toronto. Glatt also became a partner in Le Hibou, Ottawa’s legendary coffeehouse, booking the likes of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Muddy Waters, Oscar Brand, Ian and Sylvia, Gordon Lightfoot, Kris Kristofferson, Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, Leonard Cohen and Van Morrison."
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A memorable 1968 Ottawa concert produced by Glatt was headlined by Jimi Hendrix, who reportedly met Joni Michell then (she was playing at Le Hibou that same evening). Glatt sold his Bass Clef concert business in 1985.
Glatt also branched out into artist management and record label ownership in the '60s and '70s, primarily focusing on folk acts. His management clients included the then Ottawa-based Bruce Cockburn, as well as David Wiffen, Ian Tamblyn, and Colleen Peterson. He managed The Children, which featured poet-songwriter William Hawkins and, in later versions, Bruce Cockburn and David Wiffen. Songs by Hawkins, Cockburn and Wiffen were published by Bytown Music Publishing, another company Glatt headed.
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In the late '60s, Glatt also managed The Soul Searchers, an influential Toronto-based band featuring two members, William "Smitty" Smith and Steve Kennedy, who went on to form the group Motherlode in 1969.
Glatt also founded TCD, Treble Clef Distribution, initially to distribute imported records, but it soon expanded to also get Canadian artists into stores.
In 1977, Glatt founded Ottawa rock station CHEZ-FM, one that was a major part of the Ottawa scene. The Citizen stated that "perhaps his most ambitious endeavour was the founding of an FM radio station. Seeing the advent of progressive FM stations in Montreal and Toronto, Glatt applied for an FM licence in Ottawa. 'A lot of the good music we were selling at the store wasn’t on radio, except Brian Murphy’s late-night show on CKBY. That was the landscape,' he said."
"CHEZ 106 went on the air on March 25, 1977. The first couple of years were difficult. The banks didn’t see music as a worthwhile investment and sent Treble Clef into receivership. 'For a few years, [his wife] Louise and I didn’t travel much,' Glatt recalled. 'Fortunately, as things evolved, CHEZ was doing well. After five or seven years, we were Number One in the market.'"
His radio holdings expanded in the 1980s with the acquisition of CKUE and CJET in Smiths Falls, Ontario, and a 75-percent stake in CKIK in Calgary, but by 1999 all were sold to Rogers Communications. Glatt became a director on Rogers’ board and served as Rogers’ director of Canadian Music Development until 2005.
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On the record label side, Glatt founded Posterity Records in 1976. It was active until 1981, releasing records by such major Canadian artists as Lenny Breau, the Downchild Blues Band (the So Far collection), Ian Tamblyn (a self-titled album), Figgy Duff, poet Irving Layton, David Essig, Willie P. Bennett, Joe Hall and The Continental Drift, Tony Quarrington and Heaven's Radio.
Throughout their lives Harvey and his late wife Louise Glatt were widely known for their philanthropy. Harvey's obituary notes that "Beginning in the 1990s, Harvey began experiencing severe hearing loss and, seeing the impact it had on their lives, they funded the installation of assistive listening technology at the National Arts Centre so people with similar issues could enjoy the concert-going experience.
"They both sponsored recordings of the NAC Orchestra, under the baton of Pinchas Zukerman, as well as concerts for the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. In recent years, when the NAC was looking for help to buy a new Steinway piano, the Glatts all agreed it would be a beautiful way to honour Louise’s memory."
Harvey Glatt made a notable return to the record label world as a major investor when Geoff Kulawick purchased prestigious Canadian roots-focused label True North Records from its founder, Bernie Finkelstein, in 2007. Kulawick tells Billboard Canada that "I had known Harvey since 2000 when I was searching for investors to start my own label after doing A&R & publishing for the major labels. Although Harvey didn't come in as an investor at that time, he was always open to my requests for advice and often brought promising new artists to my attention.
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"When looking for additional capital to buy True North Records, Harvey was an ideal candidate given his earlier association with Bruce Cockburn, whose catalog was the prized asset of the label. Harvey agreed to come in as a 1/3 partner with my company [Linus Entertainment] and a third investor, Michael Pilon, to buy True North in 2007.
"In the course of our partnership Harvey was the ideal partner, never demanding, always helpful with advice whenever asked. He checked in regularly, though mostly about the music. Harvey remained my partner for a decade, until my company bought his shares and he exited with a healthy return, as he was an astute businessman as proven by his many successful business ventures. He was also a generous philanthropist for many independent artists. He was modest, full of energy, and he touched so many people's lives in the music and media community in a positive way."
Kulawick's sentiments were widely shared across social media as news of Harvey Glatt's passing spread. This confirmed that he was not just a hugely important figure in the Canadian music industry but also one of its most popular figures. Here are some of those tributes.
Veteran Toronto publicist, radio promoter and film producer Joanne Smale shared this tribute with Billboard Canada: "Harvey Glatt was a supporter of the arts and those he believed in. He was so enthusiastic and called people anytime of day and night. When he had a thought in his head, he acted on it, anytime of the week. He just had to spread the word. He went out on a limb whether it was financially or rallying around people’s projects — there was truly no stopping him. So many memories.
"Between John Smale, Bernie Finkelstein and Harvey, I was introduced to the entertainment industry and music of Canada. We worked together whether it was music, theatre or even purchasing radio stations with his long time friend, Bernie. We hooked up on so many projects starting in the '70s and remained with our relationship up to and including 2025.
"Harvey and the Glatt family were a part of my extended family, they opened their home & hearts to me. Rest well Harvey — a patron, pioneer and visionary of the arts."
Bernie Finkelstein of True North Records (to Billboard Canada): "Harvey was one of the great pioneers of the Canadian music business. I met him way back in the sixties at Le Hibou in Ottawa where the Paupers and Kensington Market used to play. We became friends and remained that way right till his end. I was a minor partner in CHEZ-FM, another Harvey success. He was a kind and gentle man who was generous with his time and knowledge. He will be missed."
In a tribute shared by Ottawa radio legend Ken Rockburn on Facebook, Bruce Cockburn stated that "Harvey was hugely helpful to me in the '60s — more than I was able to appreciate at the time. He was my introduction to the music business. Even outside of Ottawa. It was through his connections that the virtually invisible band I was in, based in Toronto, got to open for Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett — great gigs, and almost the only ones we had. Harvey gave so many of us opportunities we might not have had without him. I wish him smooth sailing. May he live in the hearts of his family!”
Toronto music historian and author Nicholas Jennings (on Facebook): "Sad news that Ottawa-based music trailblazer Harvey Glatt has passed away. Without Harvey, who managed the Children (with William Hawkins, Bruce Cockburn and David Wiffen) and the Soul Searchers (with William 'Smitty' Smith, Steve Kennedy, Eric Mercury and Dianne Brooks), there might not have been the Treble Clef music stores, Le Hibou coffeehouse in which he invested, nor CHEZ-FM, which he founded.
"His label, Posterity Records, released some of my favourite Canadian albums. You might call them eccentric or esoteric but, to me, they were all exceptional. And they featured some pretty fine songwriters too. A passionate music man, Harvey will be missed by many."
Canadian music industry veteran Ralph Alfonso (on Facebook): "Harvey Glatt was one of the pioneers of the Canadian music industry. Concert promoter, label owner, artist manager, record store chain owner, club owner, radio station (CHEZ-FM) owner, and much much more.
"He was the spirit and guiding light of the Ottawa music scene and I always had great interactions with him over the years. When my label was a bit more active, we had a great meeting about maybe releasing some of the spoken word recordings he had of people that had performed at Le Hibou. He had donated all of them to the National Archives but he did gift me a CDR of Leonard Cohen reading poetry at the Le Hibou in the 60s. Harvey had an amazing quiet calm, a Buddha-like quality that put you instantly at ease. Condolences to family and friends. God bless on your journey."
Artist manager Todd Littlefield (Downchild), on Facebook: "Harvey Glatt was such an inspiration to me in the music business and in life. The first record store my Dad ever brought me to in Ottawa was Treble Clef, which Harvey started in 1957, as the first dedicated music store in the city.
"His iconic Ottawa rock radio station CHEZ 106 was a constant source of musical discovery for me in my formative years. If music was involved in Ottawa, Harvey had a hand in it. Throughout my career, I received so many phone calls and the first sentence was.....'Harvey suggested I give you a call.' Whether it was up and coming local musicians or those in the business, Harvey was always looking to help and open doors.
"So many of us have Harvey to thank for where we are today. His passion for music and culture ran deep. He was constantly going out to catch live shows well into his late 70s, sometime 2-3 in the same night! I was amazed at some of the small shows of mine he came out to support. That was Harvey. Always there, always lending a helping hand.
"Ottawa and the Canadian music scene has lost one of the greats but his spirit and many accomplishments will definitely be remembered and part of our cultural history."
Ottawa club owner and music booker Eugene Haslam (Zaphod Beeblebrox, Barrymores Music Hall) on Facebook: "R.I.P. Harvey Glatt. An Ottawa icon. Always on my guest list at any of my clubs and events. He never asked. Ever. It was a well-earned respect for him."
Downchild leader Donnie Walsh (on Facebook): "Sad to hear of the passing of my friend Harvey Glatt. Harvey was THE guy for music in Ottawa. If it had something to do with music, Harvey was involved. He founded local records stores Treble Clef, concert production company, Bass Clef and local radio station, CHEZ 106, that used to play a lot of blues back in the day, including Downchild.
"Our album So Far — A Collection Of Our Best was also released on Harvey's record label, Posterity Records, so we have a long history with him, one of the iconic business guys in Canadian music. Harvey use to have these rockin' parties at his house sometimes when we happened to be in town. You never knew who might show up. Our friend Dan Aykroyd might be there or whatever big stars where in town for a show he was promoting. Harvey was just a GREAT GUY and I will miss him a lot."
Ottawa music scene veteran Greg Torrington, on Facebook: "No other person has had a greater impact on my life than Harvey Glatt. Not only was he my boss for over 15 years at his record store chain and radio station, he became a colleague, mentor and friend for over 50 years, as did his late wife, Louise and daughters Margo and Nancy. His imprint on the Ottawa and Canadian music and broadcast industries is immeasurable. The term ‘legend’ is often issued prematurely, but not for Harvey. He was truly one."
Veteran Toronto musician and broadcaster Danny Marks, on Facebook: "Harvey Glatt is the man who made so much music happen in Ottawa. Great guy and typical of the kind who were the backbone of the music business all over. If Harvey believed in you, he gave you a chance and he helped many talented folks carve out their niche in our nation's capital. Harvey, thanks for all you did, we remember you."
Award-winning blues/root singer-songwriter Suzie Vinnick, on Facebook: "So sad to hear of Harvey Glatt’s passing. He was a true champion of Canadian music, creating opportunities and spaces for artists to grow. He gave me a boost early in my music career, and I’ll always be grateful for his support. Sending condolences to his family and all who knew and loved him.""
In 2007, Harvey Glatt was inducted by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame. In 2014, Glatt was the recipient of the Estelle Klein Award, sponsored by Folk Music Ontario.
A funeral was held in Ottawa on Aug. 22, and a livestream of it can be accessed here.
The official obituary notes that "Donations in Harvey's memory to the children’s musical development program, OrKidstra, or the University of Ottawa Heart Institute would be greatly appreciated by his family."
International
Brent Hinds, heavy metal guitarist and vocalist and former founding member of Grammy-winning band Mastodon, died on Aug. 20 after a fatal motorcycle accident in Atlanta. He was 51.
Reps for Mastodon confirmed the news to Billboard. The band also released a statement on Instagram, writing, “We are in a state of unfathomable sadness and grief … last night Brent Hinds passed away as a result of a tragic accident.”
“We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss of this creative force with whom we’ve shared so many triumphs, milestones, and the creation of music that has touched the hearts of so many,” it continued. “Our hearts are with Brent’s family, friends and fans. At this time, we please ask that you respect everyone’s privacy during this difficult time.”
A Billboard obituary notes that "Hinds cofounded Mastodon in Atlanta in 2000 with bassist Troy Sanders, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer Brann Dailor. After a quarter-decade of making music and performing together — during which time the group scored nine entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart — the band announced in March that Hinds would be leaving the lineup.
"In mid August, Hinds commented on one of the band’s Instagram posts of video from one of their performances, saying that his departure was not a mutual decision. 'Embarrassing and they kicked me out of the band for embarrassing them for being who I am,' his comment criticizing the performance read in part.'"
Despite this friction, the members of Mastodon honoured the memory of their late bandmate on Aug. 22 by paying tribute to Hinds during a performance at the Alaska State Fair, in Palmer, Alaska.
Among the band’s nine Billboard 200-charting albums, 2011’s The Hunter, 2014’s One More ‘Round the Sun and 2017’s Emperor of Sand reached the top 10, while the latter two both peaked at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart. The group earned six Grammy Award nominations, winning one in 2017 for best metal performance for “Sultan’s Curse” from the album Emperor of Sand.
Hinds was due to tour Europe later this year with Fiend Without a Face, a band that was once a side project during his years with Mastodon.
Amongst those paying tribute to Hinds was Grammy-winning Canadian rock record producer/engineer David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Tool). He worked with Mastodon, producing and mixing 2021 double album, Hushed and Grim, their eighth studio album and last one with Hinds.
Bottrill posted this on Facebook: "I can’t let this sad news pass without comment. Brent arrived at the studio soon after we began working together on a beauty of a chopper. It was something out of my teenage dreams, pure Easy Rider.
"Brent was an exceptional musician - his talent was unmistakable during the time we worked together. I am a better person and producer for having known him. He passed doing something I am sure he loved, and while we weren’t lifelong friends, I deeply share in the grief felt by his family, bandmates and close friends."
Michael “Tunes” Antunes, a veteran U.S. saxophonist best known for his long tenure with John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, died on August 19, at the age of 85.
Jon Mitchell, Mayor of Antunes' hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, called him "a prominent contributor to our region’s rich Cape Verdean musical tradition, which greatly influenced his own work. "His legacy will be felt most by the countless musicians he influenced across the U.S. and beyond."
As a teenager, Antunes played Cape Verde music with his guitarist brother David and a cousin in a band called Second Generation. Throughout the 1960s, Antunes performed in New England and upstate New York as a saxophone player in the Blazers, Bernie and the Cavaliers, the New Spices, Mike n’ Jenna, andTriumph.
While with the Blazers, he recorded the songs "Grasshopper," "A-Time" and a remake of the Li’l Ray Armstrong song, "Boom Boom."
In the 1970s Antunes joined John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, a rock band from Rhode Island. The band's soundtrack album for the movie, Eddie and the Cruisers reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and produced a No. 7 hit single, "On the Dark Side" on the Billboard Hot 100. "On the Dark Side" held number-one on the Album Rock Tracks chart for five weeks. The album was eventually certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.
Antunes performed in the movie as the band's saxophone player and also in the movie's sequel, 1989's Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!, one for which the band recorded the soundtrack.
In addition to playing with John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, from 2004 to 2011, Antunes played with Ernie and the Automatics, a blues band that included former members of Boston, The J. Geils Band and Peter Wolf's band.
Of note: Antunes had 11 children with his wife Jennifer, two of whom are involved in the music industry: sons Kevin (the musical director for Madonna) and Matthew (the musical director for Tavares).
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