Alexander McLean Mair passed away in Toronto on November 25, 2022 at the age of 82. There are few involved in any facet of the Canadian music industry that didn’t know of Al Mair. There are none in the Canadian music industry that didn’t benefit from Al Mair.
In 1974, Al co-founded Attic Records, Canada’s largest and most successful independent record company before it was sold to The SONG Corporation in 1999. Through those 25 years, Attic’s sales exceeded $100 million in Canada. Prior to Attic, Al managed the career of Gordon Lightfoot, helping navigate the singer’s career to massive international success.
I had the great pleasure of working with Al at Attic Records from 1992 until the company was sold, and then joining Al at the short-lived SONG Corp. before its demise in 2001. During that time, I observed a savvy businessperson who very successfully ran a record company while serving as one of the Canadian music industry’s most vocal supporters. Al had been an early advocate for pushing through Canadian content at the radio level, enforcing that Canadian artists, songwriters and studios would get the exposure that they needed to create a strong music industry in this country. He also helped launch the Canadian Independent Record Producers Association (CIRPA, now known as the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA)) and the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Association (CMRRA). Al had also served as president of CAPAC (the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada) and Music Publishers Canada, as well as offering his experience to FACTOR, SOCAN, AVLA and other organizations that support the Canadian music industry.
It would not be difficult to argue that Al Mair was one of the best friends that Canadian music has ever known. So, through friendship and loyalty, I took to Facebook to collect stories that illustrate the legacy of Al Mair. No one will be surprised to read of his impact, his generosity, his passion for music and his fierce support of its creation and exposure.
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BARRY RODEN – Photographer
I am feeling blessed that Al hired me to shoot a new headshot in late May 2022 to use for his Order of Canada award... it was truly effortless, and I got a few of the best headshots I have ever done... the energy was good but strange... I never thought they would be used for his passing.
BRIAN ALLEN – Attic Alumnus
For 15 years, Al was my boss, my mentor, my supporter. He was a rock. He gave me wisdom and experiences that are priceless. Highly respected, both in Canada and abroad, he was a gladiator for Canadian creative rights. He is missed today and will be praised forever.
LINDA NOELLE BUSH – Attic Alumnus
Al Mair gave me my first start in the music business and instantly became my mentor.
Attic was the perfect Petrie dish to teach me everything. His constant encouragement and critiques really gave me the confidence to turn a music obsession into a career. He always had so much pride in all of the Attic alumni that rose to great heights.
JIM CAMPBELL
Although we never officially worked ‘together,’ I had known Al since 1966 when he signed my band The Spasstiks, and promoted our first single on Apex Records, ‘Love’s Got A Hold On Me.’ He has been a mentor and friend ever since and I will miss him every day, as will so many.
ED PRESTON - RCA RECORDS (PRESIDENT, RETIRED
Al Mair used to call on me at CHML in the early 60's promoting Gordon Lightfoot's latest releases. Al was most helpful when I first joined RCA (1967) with tips on the 'pros and cons' if the business. Years laterm probably around 1975m he phoned the office to ask if I had read the morning Radio & Records report about WSB in Atlanta who reported, the "largest phones ever" for Roger Whittaker's "The Last Farewell." I had not seen it and that tip off led to us shipping ever album we had in stock that day to the RCA Outlet in Atlanta, releasing the single and albums in Canada, USA and the UK resulting in a #1 hit in many parts of the world. Just another example of a very caring Al Mair. Much to do about everything...musical.
JOEY CEE – long-time Canadian music supporter
This news really hit home and makes me realize once again how short and precious our life on this planet is. Al will be missed dearly and remembered fondly.
SHAUNA de CARTIER – CEO, Six Shooter Records
Alexander Mair was one of my first mentors in this business. He did not give away his vast knowledge easily. He would ask us questions that served as clues for what we needed to do next. This made it harder, and ultimately, we learned more. What impressed me the most about Al was his brilliant intellect and his strategic acumen. He put that to work not only to build his own company, but our entire industry: CIRPA (now CIMA), CANCON, FACTOR, SOCAN, Massey Hall…the list goes on. When he was inducted into the Canadian Music Week Hall of Fame, he asked me to do the induction speech. He observed that there were very few women entrepreneurs in our industry and this was something he wanted to help change.
Al kept in touch long after he retired. He loved the business and all the characters in it. Most of all, he loved his family.
DAVID FARRELL – Publisher, FYIMusicNews
(Al Mair was) often the outlier in the music industry -- quiet in person and yet voluble in public forums (such as CRTC hearings) when it came to advocating for Canadian artists.
BERNIE FINKELSTEIN – former owner, True North Records
I had great admiration for Al both as a record man and as a person. He was one of the greats in the Canadian music business. We served on many of the same boards. Al’s name and reputation were synonymous with the Canadian music business. I will greatly miss him and want to thank him for all that he did for Canadian music.
RICHARD FLOHIL – Richard Flohil & Associates
The co-founder of Attic Records, one of the largest and most successful independent record labels in Canadian history, Al was deeply involved with many other music organizations, including CAPAC, SOCAN, CMRRA and CIRPA. More importantly, he was a kind and generous man who will be missed — and always remembered — by his family and the organizations and individuals whom he helped and mentored. Al was always one of the good ones.
ARCHIE GAMBLE, Buffalo Brothers – Attic recording artists
Al Mair approved the signing of our band, Buffalo Brothers. It fell to me to do most of the dealings with the label as we had no management. While we were shopping for a manager, Al was very kind, instructive and generous with his time. He would always take my calls, helped us finance a lawyer, gave me names and numbers of managers to call and encouraged said managers to come see us play and then meet with us. He also explained the intricacies of contracts, dealings and what to expect from the industry, going so far as to invite me into the Attic offices to use their many resources to set up a tour. He’d point to an empty office and say, “There’s the phone, fax machine and computer. Give me a shout if you need anything.” With Al’s help, I was able to advance tour dates, print tour itineraries, fax signed contracts to agents and promoters, etc. In fact, his pioneer spirit infected his whole staff, all of whom were welcoming and open to questions and comments from a kid from Brantford with his first record deal. Whenever any of us with the band visited the Attic offices, we were treated like royalty.
MITCH JOEL
Back in the early nineties, I was a young punk who wanted to start a rock magazine, and while I knew many people in the industry, few of them would put their money where their mouth is and support the idea with paid advertising. Al and the team at Attic were not only the first in line but they were a constant source of getting artists and music to write about and share with the world. Al was, in a word, awesome. The best of the best.
BRUCE JOHNSTON, The Beach Boys – Attic recording artists
The Beach Boys were delighted to be with a record company that had such an independent heart and soul at the creative level.
JOHN JONES – radio programmer
I loved Al and the fierce independence of Attic. Forever associated with Teenage Head for me, I always found Al to be just as brilliant at licensing international hits as he was at developing Attic’s Canadian roster. An immense loss for Canadian music.
HAYWARD PARROTT – producer, recording engineer
Al always had time for anyone and everyone in the music industry, including many calls from me.
JEFF ROGERS – Owner, Handsome Boy Records
Al Mair was an absolutely wonderful human. He was always kind to me and helped me many times over. His way of helping was unique as it was his way of interacting. He’d introduce me to the players at the Marquee Bar in MIDEM or say, “You’re going to be in Tokyo. Call up this person at the consulate. They will show you the theatre. It's beautiful.” Sometimes, it was just encouraging words. He was like a coach. He believed in his friends.
ROSE SLANIC – Attic alumnus
I was hired to do rock/alternative press and promotion at Attic Records when I was in my 20's. This was just my second job in the music industry, and it was a fun and crazy one at that. I met lifelong friends at that company, within the company and in the industry in general. It was a fun time to work at Attic Records. We were a small but amazing family. There are so many memories. Al gave me a great education and contributed much to my career.
WILLIAM SPORTELLO – music retailer
When I was in the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for 17 days, Al would text me to see if I was okay. Al was a good person; a good friend.
KEN TOBIAS – Attic recording artist
I was signed to Attic Records and was always in admiration of Al for his business acumen but also his generosity and friendship.
KEVIN UNGER – dance music re-mixer
Many years ago, after I left Sony Music, I started a promotion company with Jason DiPaolo. As part of our business, we were placing releases from around the world with other labels in territories not yet licensed. We had to be at MIDEM but were having trouble scraping up the money to go. Al got wind of this and called Jason and me for a lunch meeting. He was interested in what we were doing and how he could, perhaps, be of assistance. After hearing our concerns about being at MIDEM that year, he politely offered to pay our way there to France, no strings attached. We didn’t have to pay him back. This was the kind heart that Al Mair had. He was always there to lend a hand, offer advice or to help in any way he could. I’m proud to say Al Mair was my peer and my friend. Oh yeah – did we take Al up on his offer to pay our way to MIDEM? No, we scraped up the money on our own and went.
MARK WATTS – Attic alumnus
Back in 1990, I moved to Toronto from Prince Edward Island. Following a stint in music school and an internship at Virgin Records, I heard about a job at Attic Records. It was an entry level gig, but it would get me into the game. I met with Al and nearing the end of the interview, he asked what I needed in salary. I stumbled a bit, told him my number (which was low) and he countered slightly higher. Sold. Fast forward eight months. I was summoned to his office. It was explained to me that due to the economic downturn, the company had to pivot and four employees would be let go. I was one of the four. It was an emotional conversation for both me and Al. We had a thoughtful chat, I thanked him for the opportunity, and I asked him to keep me in mind if he heard of other openings. Two weeks later, my phone rang and it was Al. At that time, he was on the FACTOR board and asked me if I had heard of the organization. I hadn’t. Al told me about the job opening, briefed me on their mandate and gave me the specifics about the gig. I ended up getting that job and it changed my life. I was suddenly immersed in the Canadian independent music sector, working with labels (including Attic), music distributors, artists, managers, music industry associations, the Federal government, Canadian broadcasters and a very astute board of directors. It was a dream come true! I worked there for 15-years, and it set the stage for my future roles within the music industry. Al didn’t have to call me that day, but he did. That’s the kind of guy he was.
STEVE WAXMAN – Attic Alumnus
I think it is safe to say that Al is solely responsible for my success in the Canadian music industry. I moved from Toronto to New York to go to NYU (New York University) in 1979. After graduating, I landed a job as the office boy at Aucoin Management. A few months after the release of Billy Idol's ‘Rebel Yell’ album, I moved back to Toronto and found work as an editor of industrial films, but the job was so boring and I wanted to get back into the music industry. I headed to New York and spoke to Jeff Aldridge, the head of A&R at Chrysalis Records, and asked if he knew anyone in Canada I could speak to. He told me that he had been talking to Al Mair at Attic Records about Lee Aaron and he'd be happy to call Al and set up a meeting.
The next week, I was in the Attic offices and spoke with Al for about 45 minutes while he listened patiently as I told him my story. He then said that he didn't have anything to offer me but Ready Records (Spoons, Extras, Manteca) were just down the other end of King Street and they were looking for someone to do radio promotion and publicity. He had told them that he was meeting with me and if he felt it would be worth their time, he'd suggest I go see them. I did and they offered me the job.
About 11 months later, Ready had gone under and I had done a stint selling merchandise for Honeymoon Suite on their Maritimes tour. Ralph Alfonso, who was Attic's radio and publicity head at the time, called me to say that he was about to walk into Al's office to resign because he was going to take a job at Capitol Records. Ralph suggested I give him 30 minutes and then call Al. I did. I went back into the office a few days later and not long after our meeting started, Al wrote a number on a piece of paper which was the salary he was offering me. I ended up working at Attic for the next seven years before moving on to Warner.
Al let me do some crazy shit over the years (there was that helicopter on the side of a mountain for a Haywire video, and those Digital Underground "sex packets").
Earlier this year, I had the chance to buy Al lunch and I got to retell him this story and thank him for the opportunity he gave me. Yes, he did much more than most in support of the Canadian music industry, but what he did for me means the most to me.
‘WEIRD AL’ YANKOVIC – Attic recording artist
Al Mair was the president of Attic, my Canadian record label, and I’ve truly never known a record company president who was such a kind, sweet and generally wonderful human. He was loved by many, and he will be greatly missed.
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In October 2021, Al Mair posted this note on Facebook. “I'm an early riser, usually up by 4am, so Facebook is a place to go until the sun comes up. There are usually 30-40 messages waiting for me from friends around the world, including a few here in Toronto. During my career, I travelled a hell of a lot around the world – New York City hundreds of times, London perhaps 100 times, Australia, Singapore, Manila, almost every country in Europe repeatedly. I didn't wait for business to come to me but went out and created opportunities. Attic received 114 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and sold an enormous number of records. As publishers, we represented artists such as The Beatles, Genesis, Elton John, Abba, The Cars and so many others. Most important were the friendships I have and hear from still, 20 years after I retired. I have a wide variety of friends: music industry types, musicians famous and unknown, Jaguar enthusiasts, friends from as far back as public school and others. Facebook has allowed us to meet new people or learn more about the people we already know.”
A leader, a pioneer and a titan, Al Mair meant so much to so many.
In June of this year, it was announced that Al Mair was to be awarded the Order of Canada. His medal was awarded to him by Ontario Lieutenant-Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell mere days before his passing, recognizing his “visionary and enduring contributions to the Canadian music industry.”
Rest well, Al. And thank you! Your legacy is secured.
Editor’s Note: A special thank you to Barry Roden who generously allowed us to use the photo for our cover story on Al Mair.
