The Crickets will celebrate the 65^th anniversary of their very first hit song this year, “That’ll Be The Day,” the iconic rock and roll classic written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison (produced by Norman Petty, who also received songwriting credit).  Released in 1957, the track quickly became a worldwide hit, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 and is ranked #39 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

From the first time I met Elyse Saunders almost 10 years ago I knew she had something special. She hadn't blossomed yet, but the raw talent was there and most importantly so was the passion and the drive.

Elyse knew even then that it was a marathon not a sprint and I knew from just talking to her that she was ready, willing and able to roll up her sleeves and put in the 10,000 hours plus of hard work and discipline needed to reach her goal.

And now, almost 10 years in, the fruits of her labours are shining through. Elyse has taken all areas of her career and fine-tuned them to a high level, her songwriting, her vocal performance and stage presence are where they need to be to get to that next level.

2021 (and 2020 for that matter) reads like the famous quote:
 

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

As I post this, another year has come to a close here at Cashbox Canada, Cashbox Radio and our newest venture – Record World International.

It has been a year of change, disappointments, reconfiguring, live shows booked then cancelled, festivals postponed.

But on a positive note, I saw so many professionals and artists moving ahead with resilience and perpetual optimism. I witnessed creative people recreating themselves, finding ways to continue to hone their craft, release music, connecting with others.

We received more music submissions than ever before and some of it was like a breath of fresh air in production and content. We had more time to listen.

When The Band pulled into the unfinished Bearsville Sounds Studios in Bearsville, New York in early 1971 to record Cahoots, their fourth studio album in as many years, they were still basking in the success of and acclaim for their first three history-making records. The Band’s landmark debut album, July 1968’s Music From Big Pink, drew inspiration from the American roots music melting pot of country, blues, R&B, gospel, soul, rockabilly, the honking tenor sax tradition, hymns, funeral dirges, brass band music, folk and good ol’ rock ’n’ roll to foment a timeless new style that forever changed the course of popular music. When they released their seminal eponymous second album, The Band, the following year in September 1969 – or “The Brown Album,” as it would lovingly be called – not much more was known about the reclusive group.

Throughout his career, Tommy James has never stopped creating music and never stopped loving his fans. He loves to perform and his music has stood the test of time, garnering new fans all the time and keeping his old fans tuned into what he is doing today. 

With more than just the 23 gold albums, 9 platinum albums, 100 million records sold worldwide, 32 Billboard 'Hot 100' hits and, most impressive of all, the long string of hits heard on the radio over 21 million times, Tommy James has more than earned all his accolades and praises for music that is inextricably woven into people's memories and pop-culture DNA.

Some cool facts about Tommy James:
CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION, CRIMSON & CLOVER, MONY MONY, I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW, DRAGGIN' THE LINE, HANKY PANKY, SWEET CHERRY WINE, THREE TIMES IN LOVE and MIRAGE are just a few of the many hits - 23 GOLD RECORDS, 9 PLATINUM ALBUMS and over 100 MILLION RECORDS SOLD WORLDWIDE......and 32 BILLBOARD HOT 100 CHART HITS!

THE ANDY KIM CHRISTMAS returns to a live format at Massey Hall Featuring Billy Talent, The Sheepdogs, Ron Sexsmith, Alex Lifeson, Jully Black, Tyler Shaw, Sloan, William Prince, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Jake Clemons, Men Without Hats, Pursuit of Happiness, Theo Tams, Beverly Mahood, Georgia Harmer and Choir! Choir! Choir!

In addition to the actual concert, Mayor John Tory Proclaims December 8, 2021 as Andy Kim Day in the City of Toronto

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2021
Concert in support of CAMH Gifts of Light
Tickets on sale NOW

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MasseyHall.com
Tickets (incl. HST) $37.50 - $97.50 (plus service charges)
All Ages / Reserved Seating

For the last 17 years, Andy Kim has been gathering friends and fans together for the Andy Kim Christmas Show to celebrate the spirit and generosity of the musical community with all proceeds going to CAMH Gifts of Light.

Available now, legendary 80s-electro new-wave Canadian outfit Spoons are back with two new epic releases: their coveted greatest hits album spanning 1980-2020 in Repeatable, and Echoes — a love letter of Spoons music recreated by artists the world over.

Spanning four decades of their beloved classics remastered, Repeatable cross-examines Spoons’ earliest successes and tracklists them alongside later works to create the ultimate testament to one of the country’s most beloved synth-pop groups.

In an initial run of CDs — also set to be accompanied by a double vinyl release — Spoons have carefully curated an incomparable walk down memory lane: From their big-haired licks like “Nova Heart,” “Romantic Traffic,” and “Old Emotions,” to their 2000s offerings in “You Light Up,” and “Escape With You,” Repeatable is a history lesson in the power and prowess of a few kids from a small city hamlet turned into remarkable staples of an entire generation of music fans.

I first met D.O. Gibson over 10 years ago in Cannes, France during MIDEM, where he was hosting CIMA’S Canadian Blast Showcase. His love of music and people, along with his extreme professionalism made him the perfect choice year after year to introduce Canadian talent to the global community.

His enthusiasm and a big smile makes him a magnet for positivity in a business that can so easily crush your dreams. But not D.O. Gibson, he is the true persona of tenacity and passion for music is what makes him indefatigable.

In 2001, D.O. Gibson, was asked to speak to a class of students about how he could be a rapper and also earn a University degree. In a few short months, Gibson was fielding similar requests to speak and perform at dozens of schools, leading him to create the Stay Driven program that addresses subjects including anti-bullying, peer pressure and literacy, based on his own life experiences. Gibson has since spoken and performed at over 1,000 schools to hundreds of thousands of students.

Following last year’s 50th anniversaries of the era-defining albums ‘Tea for the Tillerman’ and ‘Mona Bone Jakon’,  Yusuf / Cat Stevens is releasing a new extended version of the 1971 multi-platinum selling follow-up ‘Teaser and the Firecat’, due on November 12th 2021 via UMC / Island Records. You can listen to a previously unheard recording of his classic ‘Moonshadow’ below. Recorded at Olympic before the release of the two 1970 albums, this version provides a new insight into the origins of one of the most enduring songs of the 1970s.

Cat Stevens broke on to the radio airwaves with Tea for the Tillerman:

Dion is following up his critically acclaimed and commercially successful 2020 album release Blues With Friends with Stomping Ground, a new album that finds him collaborating yet again with music greats with whom he shares mutual admiration. Set for release November 5, Stomping Ground was produced by Wayne Hood with Dion and will be released through Joe Bonamassa and Roy Weisman’s KTBA Records. The album will be available digitally as well as on CD and as a two LP set.  

Check out the single release of “I’ve Got to Get To You’ ft. Boz Scaggs here:

Kindness! Sounds so simple and easy but is not as common as you would think, or as it should be, in today's world.

Award-winning Canadian artist Julian Taylor has released a new single that speaks right to that issue. The song "100 Proof," was written by Julian's good friend and occasional co-writer Tyler Ellis. Julian first met Tyler while performing at various open stages around Toronto. In 2016, both musicians took over the hosting duties at Dora Keogh Irish Pub’s “Riverboat Mondays” until Julian’s exodus a few years ago. During the pandemic, the open stage continued online.

Check out “100 Proof” by Julian Taylor on YouTube here:

Maria Muldaur is a name firmly rooted in the musical history from the the 1970’s. She broke out on the charts in 1973 with her #1 song “Midnight and the Oasis” and continued to record for all the years after that smash hit broke her name to radio.

And now six-time Grammy nominee Maria Muldaur, who’s been dubbed “The First Lady of Roots Music” for previous albums touching on her wide-ranging influences from blues, country, folk, jazz and even jug band music, released her new  single on October 8th, ‘I’m Vaccinated and Ready for Love!,” on Stony Plain Records.

Described as “one of the most innovative of their era,” iconic Canadian artists Martha and the Muffins have announced the release of their new album, Marthology: In and Outtakes set to release November 5^th, 2021.

Check out the New Single "Do You Ever Wonder" here:

We caught up with Martha and Mark at their home in Ontario, Canada to talk about the release of their first album in 11 years.   I asked them both how does it feel have the name Martha and the Muffins called iconic legends and the innovative artists from the 80's punk era.

Colin James is truly a musical treasure and has been able to release album after album, each one with its own unique blend of retro and rock, and he never disappoints. I have personally been a fan for years and with the release of “Open Road”, this one is sure to be a playlist repeat in my library. If you are a true music fan you need to add it to your library as well.

And now from the rolling prairies of Saskatchewan to the Open Road of a storied career, multi-award-winning, chart-topping, and multi-Platinum selling guitarist Colin James releases his 20th studio album on November 5, 2021, via Stony Plain Records and available for pre-order HERE.

Following this summer’s track, “Down On The Bottom,” the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Famer has revealed the release’s video:

Eric Clapton, rock and blues guitarist, singer, songwriter is referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time.

Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and fourth in Gibson’s “Top 50 Guitarists of All Time. He was also named number 5 in Time magazine’s list of “The Best Electric Players” in 2009.

For my generation, Eric Clapton is part of our musical scrapbooks, from The Yardbirds hits to the iconic album and single release “Layla”. His solo career with so many blues covers and then, of course, his heart-wrenching tribute to his son, “Tears in Heaven”. The list goes on and on as do the memories of where we all were when we heard all his songs.

Catching up with Tom Jackson at his home in Western Canada, you can feel his heart, soul and commitment to telling the story of ‘215’ just by his voice.

“This story has to be not only told but told over and over again. We need to keep the momentum and movement going in order to find a way to heal and find reconciliation. This is a bittersweet and poignant time in history for the Indigenous First Nations people. This time has to be a lesson for all Canadians – and we need to forgive but not forget.’

Jackson is talking, of course, about the horrifying event in the Summer of 2021, the discovery of 215 unmarked graves near Kamloops, of Residential School children. The Nation was shocked but it is a story many of us knew about but it somehow has been buried in the past. Since then, thousands of more graves have been discovered.

Eric Alper, a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week, a 19-time JUNO Award winner overseeing PR campaigns including 3 in 2021, and over 50 Maple Blues Award winners, over 40 Canadian Folk Music Award winners – makes Eric one of the hardest working members of the music community.

If you work with Eric don't be surprised to get an email from him at 6:45am, all through the day and then at 10:45pm. He is a busy guy but somehow through his drive and dedication, he manages to keep all the balls in the air and all the plates spinning.

Donny Osmond has been a singer, actor, triple-threat television series host (talk show, game show, variety show), best-selling author (his autobiography entered the UK bestseller chart at #1), commercial spokesman, motivational speaker, and even a racecar driver.

Throughout his illustrious career, Donny has earned 33 gold records; selling over 100 million albums becoming a worldwide music legend. He  made history by celebrating almost 6 decades in show business with the release of his 61st album, One Night Only: a live album accompanied by a DVD of his sold out UK tour in January, 2017. The Flamingo Las Vegas show with Marie, began back in September 2008 and was originally scheduled to run for six weeks. The audience response was so overwhelming that the Flamingo renamed their showroom, “The Donny & Marie Showroom.” The Donny and Marie show has receiving many accolades during their run. They've been awarded “Best Show,” "Best Singer,” "Best Band," and "Best Dancers” throughout the years according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

I can distinctly remembered hearing ‘Your Song’ for the very first time, and now decades later, Elton John has once more released a hit single, keeping himself current with a duet offering with Dua Lipa of “Cold Heart”.

I recently watched the 2019 biopic ‘Rocketman’, the musical documentary of Elton John’s life. Although I will admit I fast-forwarded past the spontaneous song and dance numbers that seemed to erupt from nowhere in the script, I really did learn more about this talented and when he was younger troubled artist.

It is hard to fathom that a boy who grew up in Oklahoma City would have much knowledge of hockey, let alone be a passionate fan of the game, but that is the story of Vince Gill, country music superstar now residing in Nashville with his wife, Amy Grant.

Vince has a special affinity for Canada. “Canada accepted me long before the States did as an artist, no matter what I was doing,” he said. “I have always had a fondness for Canada.”

The personable star sat down during the pandemic that put a hiatus on his touring and talked about a myriad of things, including two of his passions: music and hockey.

Kevin: How does a little boy growing up in Oklahoma ever dream about the incredible musical success that you have enjoyed – 22 Grammy Awards, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame?