Vinny Cinquemani doesn't just book tours. He helped architect the very infrastructure of the Canadian star system. After arriving from New York in the 1970s, Cinquemani spent more than four decades turning homegrown storytellers into global icons through a mix of relentless 15-hour days and fierce artist advocacy. His legendary, cross-generational roster speaks for itself, spanning from foundational early clients like Burton Cummings, The Guess Who and Rush, to modern blockbuster touring forces like Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, The Offspring and Simple Plan.
Today, as co-president of Paquin Artists Agency — Canada’s market-leading booking agency — he remains arguably the most connected agent in the country, a status backed by heavy-hitting box office metrics. Over the past 14 months alone, Cinquemani spearheaded 17 successful cross-Canada tours that grossed over $26 million, anchored by massive slates like Bryan Adams’ 20-date fall arena run, a $4 million winter stretch for Johnny Reid, and a million-dollar summer tour for Simple Plan. Even as he keeps an eye toward inspiring the next generation of music executives, he remains tireless in his work driven by passion and love for his artists, demonstrating how to drive massive commercial profits while ensuring musicians and staff feel valued.
For a lifetime spent proving that Canadian artists deserve to be treated like international superstars, Cinquemani transcends the Billboard Canada Power Players list this year to become an inaugural inductee into the Billboard Canada Hall of Fame. It’s a crowning achievement for an industry titan who, despite 40 years of success, still gets the exact same teenage goosebumps watching a Canadian act command a crowd. “It's going to a show and watching the audience sing along, and something affects us to the point where tears are coming from my eyes,” Cinquemani says. “This is something I dreamed of as a boy growing up in New York.”
Read a full interview with Vinny Cinquemani on his Billboard Canada Hall of Fame honour here.