Honouring the Day the Music Died w Videos by Jeff Giles, Bill Culp, Ritchie Valens

Click pic to learn about 'The Day The Music Died"

Links: Jeff Giles, More Buddy Holly Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of Manuela Rieck

Links: Bill Culp, More Bill Culp Stories, More Big Bopper Covers/Stories, Video above courtesy of SunRecordsStory

Links: Ritchie Valens, More Ritchie Valens Stories, Video above courtesy of Ritchie Valens - Topic

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Play Your Ukulele Day! Videos by Dan Medakovic, Walk Off the Earth, Gathering Sparks

Links: Dan Medakovic, More Dan Medakovic Stories, Video above courtesy of Dan Medakovic

Links: Walk Off The Earth, More WOTE Stories, Video above courtesy of Walk Off the Earth

Links: Gathering Sparks, More Gathering Sparks Stories, Video above courtesy of Ukulele Orchestra of Toronto

More Ukulele Day Videos

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Celebrating Black History Month! Videos by Harrison Kennedy, Garnetta Cromwell, Messenjah

Picture courtesy of Awareness Days

Links: Harrison Kennedy, More Harrison Kennedy Stories, Video above courtesy of Harrison Kennedy - Topic

Historical Bits

• Born in Hamilton
• Sang in Hamilton's Stewart Memorial Church Choir as a boy
• Relocated to Detroit and joined the Chairmen of the Board in 1970
• Released his first solo album, Hypnotic Music in 1972
• Left the Chairmen in 1974.
• Spent almost 30 years outside the music industry
• Retuned to music with 2003 album Sweet Taste
• In 2007, signed with Electro-Fi Records
• Earned a Juno in 2016 for the album, This is From Here

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Links: Garnetta and Dagroovmasters, More Garnetta and Dagroovmasters Stories, Video above courtesy of GARNETTA CROMWELL - Topic

Historical Bits

• Started her musical journey in Montreal
• Overcame a hearing impairment as a child
• Later moved to Ontario 
• Joined Toronto reggae band, Sweet Sensation in the 90's
• Has a Human Rights Case Study based on her years-long landmark racial discrimination trial: Cromwell vs Leon Furniture Inc.
• Garnetta got involved in Olympic Weightlifting and won a gold medal and set an Ontario record in 2018. She later won two medals in the Pan-Am Games and then set a Canadian record.
• Released her first album Time to Shine in 2023.

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Links: Messenjah, Video above courtesy of tionb01

Historical Bits

• Formed in 1980 in Kitchener
• First Canadian reggae band signed to a major label (Warner Music Canada)
• Release first album in 1982: Rock You High.
• In 1988, appeared in and were on the soundtrack for the movie Cocktail
• Won a Juno Award for Best Reggae Recording in 1989

More Black History Month Videos

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2024 Blues Music Award Nominees Including Local & Canadian Artists

The Blues Music Awards will be handed out at a ceremony in Memphis on May 9, 2024

Below is a complete list of nominees. Canadian Artists are bolded. 

* signed to Waterdown's Stony Plain Records

Instrumentalist - Pinetop Perkins Piano Player

• Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne (Burlington)*
  
  
  
  Links: Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, More Kenny "Blues Boss" Stories,  Video above courtesy of Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne - Topic
  
  
• Ben Levin
• Dave Keyes
• Jim Pugh
• Mitch Woods

Contemporary Blues Album

• Ridin', Eric Bibb (ft Hamilton's Harrison Kennedy)*
  
  
  
  Links: Eric Bibb, More Eric Bibb Stories, Harrison Kennedy, More Harrison Kennedy Stories, Video above courtesy of Eric Bibb Official
  
  
• Live In London, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
• Behind The Veil, Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind
• Healing Time, Ruthie Foster
• Exorcist, Selwyn Birchwood

Acoustic Artist

• Eric Bibb*
• Keb’ Mo’
• Catfish Keith
• Doug MacLeod
• Kevin Burt

Instrumentalist - Guitar

• Sue Foley (Ottawa)*
• Christoffer “Kid” Andersen
• Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
• Derek Trucks
• Laura Chavez

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist)

• Sue Foley (Ottawa)*
• Diunna Greenleaf
• Rhiannon Giddens
• Shaun Murphy
• Teeny Tucker

Traditional Blues Album

• Savoy, Taj Mahal*
• TEARDROPS FOR MAGIC SLIM: John Primer
• Nothing But Time, Monster Mike Welch
• Get Your Back Into It!, Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling
• Oscar's Motel, The Cash Box Kings

Album of the Year

• SoulFunkn'BLUES, Blackburn Brothers (Toronto)
• TEARDROPS FROM MAGIC SLIM, John Primer
• Live In London, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
• Soul Side of Sipp, Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
• Get Your Back Into It!, Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling

Song of the Year

• “Bobby's Blues” performed by the Blackburn Brothers (Toronto), written by Brooke Blackburn
• “Horns Below Her Halo” performed by Selwyn Birchwood, written by Selwyn Birchwood
• “Midnight Heat” performed by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, written by Tom Hambridge & Richard Fleming
• “The Bait In the Snare” performed by Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling, written by Nick Moss
• “What Kind Of Fool” performed by Ruthie Foster, written by Ruthie Foster, Hadden Sayers & Scottie Miller

Soul Blues Album

• SoulFunkn'BLUES, Blackburn Brothers (Toronto)
• Stuff I've Been Through, Alabama Mike
• All My Love For You, Bobby Rush
• Walking Heart Attack, Johnny Rawls
• Soul Side of Sipp, Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)

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Acoustic Album

• Wild Ox Moan, Catfish Keith
• Raw Blues 1, Doug MacLeod
• Sticks & Strings, EG Kight
• Ridin' the Blinds, Hudspeth & Taylor
• Ghost Hymns, William Lee Ellis

B.B. King Entertainer

• Beth Hart
• Bobby Rush
• Lil’ Ed Williams
• Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
• Vanessa Collier

Band of the Year

• Larkin Poe
• Nick Moss Band
• Selwyn Birchwood Band
• Southern Avenue
• Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Emerging Artist Album

• When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie, Candice Ivory
• The Right Man, D.K. Harrell
• Up Next, Mathias Lattin
• Everybody's Buddy, Nic Clark
• Tony Holiday, Tony Holiday

Blues Rock Album

• POWER, Ana Popovic
• Writing On The Wall, Coco Montoya
• Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, Joe Bonamassa
• Blood Brothers, Mike Zito/ Albert Castiglia
• What Key Is Trouble In?, Nick Schnebelen

Blues Rock Artist

• Anna Popovic
• Joe Bonamassa
• Kenny Wayne Shepard
• Mike Zito
• Warren Haynes

Contemporary Blues Female Artist

• Carolyn Wonderland
• Danielle Nicole
• Janiva Magness
• Teresa James
• Vanessa Collier

Contemporary Blues Male Artist

• Chris Cain
• Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
• Marquise Knox
• Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
• Selwyn Birchwood

Instrumentalist - Bass

• Bob Stroger
• Larry Fulcher
• Michael “Mudcat” Ward
• Rodrigo Mantovani
• Willie Weeks

Instrumentalist - Drums

• Derrick D’Mar Martin
• June Core
• Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
• Tom Hambridge
• Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist - Harmonica

• Billy Branch
• Bob Corritore
• Dennis Gruenling
• Jason Ricci
• Kim Wilson

Instrumentalist - Horn

• Deanna Bogart
• Jimmy Carpenter
• Mark Kaz Kazanoff
• Trombone Shorty
• Vanessa Collier

Instrumentalist - Vocals

• Billy Price
• Diunna Greenleaf
• John Nemeth
• Ruthie Foster
• Shemekia Copeland

Soul Blues Female Artist

• Annika Chambers
• Kat Riggins
• Terri Odabi
• Thornetta Davis
• Trudy Lynn

Soul Blues Male Artist

• Alabama Mike
• Billy Price
• John Nemeth
• Johnny Rawls
• William Bell

Traditional Blues Male Artist

• Billy Branch
• Cedric Burnside
• John Primer
• Jontavious Willis
• Nick Moss

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Click here for the winners

Links: Blues Music Awards, More Blues Music Awards Stories

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National Kazoo Day! Videos by Joel Parisien, Sheesham & Lotus, Pink Floyd

Links: Newworldson,  Joel Parisien, More Joel Parisien Stories, Video above courtesy of Wes Yarber

Links: Sheesham & Lotus, More Sheesham and Lotus Stories Video above courtesy of Saskia Tomkins

Links: Pink Floyd, More Pink Floyd Stories/Covers, Video above courtesy of Pink Floyd

More Kazoo Day Videos

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Robbie Robertson Nominated for an Oscar!

The late, legendary musician Robbie Robertson (from Six-Nations) was recently nominated for an Academy Award (aka Oscar) for his score on  Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.

Links: Robbie Robertson, More Robbie Robertson Stories, Video above courtesy of Release - Topic

Other Canadian nominees include:

• Past Lives by Toronto's Celine Song (Best Original Screenplay + Best Picture)
• London's Ryan Gosling (Barbie) (Best Supporting Actor)
• To Kill a Tiger, from Toronto's Nisha Pahuja (Best Documentary)
• The Last Repair Shop by Halifax's Ben Proudfoot (Best Documentary Short Film)
• Invincible by Montreal's Vincent René-Lortie (Best Live Action Short Film)

The 96th Academy Awards ceremony will be televised on March 10 at 7pm through ABC.

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Previous (Robbie Burns Day Videos) - - - Next (National Kazoo Day Videos)

Happy Robbie Burns Day! Videos by Rogues, Dougie MacLean, Don McGeoch

Update of 2018 Post

Click here for information on Robert Burns

Links: The Rogues, Video above courtesy of CHCHnewsfan, Part 2, Part 3



Links:  Dougie MacLean, Video above courtesy of John Cunningham

Links: Donald McGeoch, More Don McGeoch Stories, Robin Laing, Video above courtesy of Donald McGeoch - Topic

More Robbie Burns Day Videos

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Previous (International Blues Challenge Winners) - - - Next (Robbie Robertson Nominated for Oscar)

2024 International Blues Challenge Winners

Unfortunately, no Canadian artists won at the 2024 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. 

Glenn Marais and the Mojo Train  (who represented the Grand River Blues Society in the band category) were semi-finalists.

Here's a complete list of winners. 

• Best Self Produced CD: Tell the World, Sister Lucille (Missouri)
• Solo/Duo Harmonica: Drum & Dye (Missouri)
• Solo/Duo Guitar: Drum & Dye (Missouri)
• Solo/Duo 1st Place: Joe Waters (Ohio) / 2nd Place: Drum & Dye (Missouri)
  
  
  
  Video above courtesy of Joe Waters
  
  
• Most Promising Guitar: The Stephen Hull Experience (Wisconsin)
• Band 1st Place: Piper and The Hard Times (Tennessee)/ 2nd Place: The Stephen Hull Experience (Wisconsin) / 3rd Place: Mandalyn & The Hunters (Indiana)
  
  
  
  Video above courtesy of CYakopcic

CONGRATS EVERYONE!

Links: International Blues Challenge, More IBC Stories

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Slim Harpo's 100th Birthday including Local Covers (Jack de Keyzer, Tim Gibbons, Frankie & Jimmy)

Today (January 11, 2024) would have been American Blues Legend Slim Harpo's 100th birthday.

Biography highlights (from Wikipedia)

• January 11, 1924: Born James Isaac Moore in in Lobdell, Louisiana
• First performed under the name of Harmonica Slim but had to change it due to a similarly named musician. 
• Played with his brother-in-law Lightnin' Slim
• 1957: Started recording career with first single: I'm a King Bee / I Got Love if You Want It (Excello Records)
• Ran a trucking business while performing.
• January 31, 1970: Passed away

Here's a trio of local covers:

Links: Jack de Keyzer, More Jack de Keyzer Stories, Video above courtesy of Jack de Keyzer

Links: Tim Gibbons, More Tim Gibbons Stories, Video above courtesy of Tim Gibbons

Links: Frankie and Jimmy, More Frankie and Jimmy Stories, Video above courtesy of Frankie Jimmy

And a video from the man himself!

Links: Slim Harpo, More Slim Harpo Stories/Covers, Video above courtesy of Slim Harpo - Topic, More 100th birthdays

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Previous (National Bird Day Videos) - - - Next (International Blues Challenge Winners)

National Bird Day! Videos by The Acoustics, Jim Cuddy ft Colin Cripps, Tia McGraff

Links: Acoustics, More Acoustics Stories, Video above courtesy of THE ACOUSTICS - Topic

Links: Jim Cuddy, More Blue Rodeo Stories, Colin Cripps, More Colin Cripps Stories, Video above courtesy of Jim Cuddy

Links: Tia McGraff, More Tia McGraff Stories, Video above courtesy of Tia McGraff

More Bird Day Videos

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