GRAMMY Award winning and Canadian Music Hall of Fame artist David Clayton-Thomas is heralding the hard work essential workers face, especially now in the time of COVID-19, with the release of a new video for “Long Night” — available now.

“This is a song for the unsung heroes,” the Blood, Sweat & Tears frontman shares. “I wanted to say thank you to the paramedics, firefighters, police officers, doctors, nurses, essential workers…

“I wanted to say thank you to all of the folks that put their lives on the line every day in dangerous and uncertain times.”

“Long Night” originally appeared on Clayton-Thomas’ widely acclaimed 2018 release, MOBIUS — what was then the master songwriter’s first studio album featuring original songs in nearly a decade — and showcases the artist’s long-held respect and appreciation for those working tirelessly on the front lines.

Watch and listen to “Long Night” here:

There’s an adage in the music business, “you can’t buy experience” and that’s one thing the Vancouver prog-rock group has in spades. Garrett is a group of seasoned musicians with confidence and skill that comes with years of honing their skills. With Sean Garrett as the frontman, Brian Jones on guitar, drummer Mike Mallais, Garry Koenig on bass guitar, they form a power trio of funky and rock-solid rhythms and soaring guitar lines to give life to Sean’s well crafted songs.

Sean Garrett had this to say about how the release of “Hero” came about, "Hero was originally written about somebody I highly respected, whose advice changed my life. I wanted to dedicate this song to all our personal heroes and to all the front line and emergency workers in these difficult times.

The video is a montage of the many spontaneous tributes that people are doing in honour of the frontline workers who risk their own lives to save and protect ours.

Watch the Official video of “Hero” here:

Canada’s Homebody Music Festival Announces Artist Lineup for May Streams Hosted By & Featuring JUNO Awards Green Room Performer & CTV The Launch Finalist Ezra Jordan PLUS! 50+ Artists

Stir crazy music fans craving a festival experience for the ages are set to find one in the upcoming Homebody Music Festival — available online for six dates this May via YouTube Live.

May 22, 23 & 24 / May 29, 30 & 31, 2020
7:35 - 10:45 PM EST

Hosted and with a performance by Canadian R&B alt-pop artist, CTV’s The Launch finalist and 2019 JUNO Awards Green Room performer Ezra Jordan, headliners and features for Homebody include Francesco Yates, The Reklaws, Allan Rayman, Courage My Love, Sam DeRosa, Zero 9:36, Ashley Hess, and more. In all, the festival will feature more than 50+ artists and cover a sonic cross-section of pop, alternative, R&B/soul, country, hip hop, and everything in between.

Credited as the first Jamaican Artist to Break with a Top Ten Chart Hit (Little Millie Small) died Monday, May 5, 2020 in England, she was 73 years old.

Some musical history buffs like to say she had a reggae hit, but in actuality the sound of “My Boy Lollipop” reflected more of Ska and Rock Steady sounds.

The song was a huge hit on the charts in 1964 and peaked at #2 on the Cashbox Charts on July 4, 1964, with the #1 position being held by the Beach Boys with “I Get Around.” The song reputedly sold over six million copies. It also reached #2 in England, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Plus, it was #1 in Australia.

Listen in to My Boy Lollipop here:

The song was used a 1985 episode of “Miami Vice”; was heard in a British TV series “Heartbeat”; made the soundtrack of the 1997 Spice Girls’ movie “Spice World”; and was featured in the London 2012 Olympics’ opening ceremony.

Thirteen years ago I was out shopping at Canadian Tire on a Saturday – a tradition in our country. I bumped into an old colleague of mine from the nightclub days who was on his cell phone when he saw me and said to the person he was talking to that I was the one he needed to ask ‘the question’.

He handed me his cell phone and this very Southern drawl came across the line from Bruce Elrod in South Carolina, who had resurrected Cashbox Magazine in the USA and was looking for someone to run the same thing in Canada. I told Bruce I would only do it if I could own it, never thinking he would say yes.

Bruce Elrod said yes. It changed my life.

And so it began, Cashbox Canada was born.

Canadian singer/songwriter, composer, producer and screenwriter Anthony Aramouni has combined his ear for music and eye for film in this, his richly textural, hypnotically reverent tribute track, “L. Cohen” — available now.

“This is my attempt to pay homage to a man who has deeply touched my life through his music, words, and genuineness,” Aramouni offers of his long-time adoration for the late Leonard Cohen. “He is forever inspiring me to strive for personal growth and excellence while remaining grounded in, what I think, ultimately unites us all as human beings — love, sacrifice, kindness, curiosity, ambition, gratitude, and all we deem sacred.

Watch L. COHEN - Homage by ANTHONY ARAMOUNI // Official Music Video here:
https://youtu.be/9dTxMiyb76o

With that sentiment deeply ingrained, the Montreal-based artist’s long-time inspiration took ultimate hold one afternoon, seemingly out of the blue.

Orillia’s folk rock singer/songwriter Shane Cloutier takes a break from penning new material to saunter the memory lane of childhood simplicity in this, his new video for “Red Wagon” — available now.

The title track from his sophomore album of the same name, the single and album as a whole embodies Cloutier’s emotive voice and unique folk approach, complete with his own heavy metal influence and collaborations with multi-award winning blues drummer Tom Bona, and legendary guitarist Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush.

“The album Red Wagon is very much a prequel and sequel to In Light,” Cloutier shares, referring to his debut release. “When I wrote In Light, it was very much a cathartic response to some traumatic events in my life, facing the death of my wife and mother of my children. It is very much an album of perseverance and strength, as well as surrendering to vulnerability.

Watch and listen to ‘Red Wagon’ here:
https://youtu.be/BL08kUa1fqg

There‘s an old music business axiom that it takes ten years to become an overnight success and Dave Woods is a living example of the proof of that statement.

The year 2020 marks 11 years since Dave Woods had a vision that today is a fixture in the Canadian country music scene. Dave started in radio in Orillia, KICX 105, now called Pure Country, and was a real lover of country music.

“My Dad, Dave Sr., and I would watch country music videos together. He was a huge Hank Sr. fan but he really liked the songs that were coming out on CMT at the time. So we bonded watching them together and while watchingTNN (The Nashville Network). It was there that I would see Ralph Emery and listen to the way he interviewed people and thought it was so cool that I’d like to do something like that on radio or a podcast. So I started putting together an idea to do a show called ‘In The Country with Dave Woods’.”

The career of Bill Withers, who has died aged 81 of heart complications, followed an unusual trajectory. He did not try to enter the music industry until after he had spent nine years in the US Navy, leaving the service in 1965 and moving to Los Angeles two years later. By the time he released his debut album, Just As I Am, in 1971 he was 33, an age at which many pop careers have already been and gone.

But Withers made up for lost time. His album was packed with memorable songs, including Harlem and Grandma’s Hands, and entered the US Top 40. Ain’t No Sunshine, his first single, reached No 3 and became one of the landmark songs in his career, despite lasting a scant two minutes. Inspired by Blake Edwards’ gruelling 1962 film about alcoholism, Days of Wine and Roses, it has become an enduring anthem of loneliness and heartbreak.

“When I get to Heaven I'm gonna shake God's hand
Thank him for more blessings than one man can stand
Then I'm gonna get a guitar and start a Rock and Roll band
Check into a swell hotel
Ain't the 'Afterlife' grand!”

John Prine, Lyrics to When I Get To Heaven

And now John Prine has started his journey to Heaven and I am sure that he is doing exactly what he voiced in these lyrics, no doubt with his buddy and fellow Chicagoan Steve Goodman who passed away in 1984. Goodman and Prine will always be intertwined for it was when Steve was opening for Kris Kristofferson that the pieces began to fall into place. Kris was impressed with Goodman and offered to get him recording when Steve said, “You think I’m good? You need to see my friend John Prine!”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) gives the Academy Awards the best films and soundtracks each year. The Academy's members vote for top actors, actresses, movies, and songs. It awards the winners of each category with a copy of the Academy Award of Merit. AMPAS awards the Academy Award for Best Original Score to the best music body through dramatic underscoring. Here are four top Oscar winners for the original score.

1.    HildurGudnadottir

Hildur is the first woman to win the Best Original Score Oscar award. She received the award onstage for Joker in the 92nd awards at the Dolby Theatre on February 9, 2020. Hildur is among the seven women who have ever been nominated in a score composition category. Marilyn Berman won an award for Yentl together with Alan Bergman and Michel Legrand. Anne Dudley won for The Full Monty while Rachel Portman won an original score for Emma.

It was a tough week for country music, we lost Kenny Rogers, Jan Howard and Joe Diffie. Howard was 91, Rogers 81 and died of natural causes but  Joe Diffie only 61 years old and was taken by the Covid-19 Corona Virus.

Joe Logan Diffie was born on Dec. 28, 1958, in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Joe and Flora Diffie. His father held various jobs and later drove a tour bus for the country superstar Toby Keith; his mother was a schoolteacher and owned a flower shop. His family moved frequently before settling back in Oklahoma, where Mr. Diffie attended high school and college. As a child, he played with his aunt’s country band, and later as part of rock, gospel and bluegrass outfits.

(MIDEM In Cannes, France Returns (June 1-4 2021)

Reed MIDEM announces that MIDEM 2020, which was due to take place June 2-5, 2020 in Cannes, is cancelled due to concerns about the Corona Virus. The next edition of MIDEM will take place June 1-4, 2021, in Cannes.

The announcement includes the wording that it is “open to all” and the official word from the MIDEM office says this means it will be free for registrants.Details to be released shortly.

“The situation related to the COVID-19 is changing daily, as are government announcements and restrictions. These impact the way that we all lead our lives and conduct business. Given the uncertainty surrounding the virus and companies’ concerns for the safety of their people, it is not possible to hold MIDEM in June, 2020 in Cannes, France,” said Alexandre Deniot,  MIDEM Director. “The MIDEM team is working hard to support the industry during this challenging time, especially artists and companies that have been hardest hit and when global music unity is more important than ever,” added Alexandre Deniot.

#Here4U

The world is facing one of its greatest challenges. People from all walks of life are facing health risks and financial uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Musicians are unable to tour, leaving numerous entertainment professionals suddenly out of work, venue owners have closed their doors, and laid off staff and the trickle-down effect is extraordinary.

Since the outbreak, Unison has received an overwhelming number of requests for assistance from the music community. Registrations have increased by 1,900% or nearly $200,000 per week.

Now more than ever, Unison’s emergency relief assistance is a critical safety-net for members of our Canadian music industry deeply affected by the COVID-19 virus itself and the precautions and protocols surrounding it.  As a response, we are proud to launch the Unison COVID-19 Relief Program. "We would like to thank the Slaight Family Foundation for their partnership and generous donation of $250,000, which will be matched by the Unison office", says Executive Director Amanda Power. "Funding will be allocated towards housing costs, medical expenses, and groceries."

The dealin’ is done, the gambler has left the table. Kenny Rogers, best known for his multi-genre, multi-media, the song was a radio hit and it was made into a movie, The Gambler, has passed away at age 81.

Rogers’ career spanned many decades, starting in 1966 with popular New Christie Minstrels who had a big hit with a song called “Green, Green”. In 1967 Rogers and three members of Minstrels, Mike Settle, Terry Williams and Thelma Camacho left the group to form The First Edition. The band had a string of hits, “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” a Mickey Newbury song that was rescued by this version. Jerry Lee Lewis had also cut a really bad version of it, but it suited the band and especially Rogers’s voice perfectly. The band knew how to pick songs including the Mike Settle composed “But You Know I Love You” Mel Tillis’ “Ruby (Don’t Take Your Love To Town)”, and Mac Davis’ “ Something’s Burning.”

Chris Birkett, the award-winning producer, arranger, and composer is officially a Canadian citizen.

His music collaborations with A-list artists like Sinead O’Connor, Alison Moyet, Talking Heads, The Pogues, Bob Geldof, Quincy Jones, Thomas Dolby, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Steve Earle have sold over 100 million records and earned a Grammy, four Junos, the Polaris Music Prize and three international AMPEX Golden Reel Awards for excellence in the music business.

He proudly says, “Now that I’m officially Canadian, I can fulfil my mission to make Canadian music heard and appreciated throughout the world as a Canadian artist and record producer. Living in Toronto, the most important city for music in Canada, I can tour the musical world without leaving. It’s all here, and I am grateful and humbled by this country welcoming me.”

Thanks to Canada’s best-selling, chart-topping children’s music group MINI POP KIDS, fans nationwide can now dress just like the pop stars themselves with an exclusive clothing line launching with Walmart Canada this Spring! Set is shipping now online at Walmart.ca — and in 117 select stores across the country as of today — the MINI POP KIDS Spring 2020 apparel and accessories collection will feature sizing for boys and girls sizes 4 XS - 16 XL.

First up is the ‘Rock Star’ collection, featuring a light, bright pastel palette paired with iridescent sequins and light blue denim for girls, and vibrant pops of colourful graphics with black denim for boys. Just in time for summer, the ‘Pop Star’ collection will follow soon after, using a base of blue and black denim shorts to highlight an electric neon palette of pinks and lemon and for girls and lime and turquoise for boys. A ‘Back to School’ collection is set for Fall 2020.

As many of you know, I started my career in music, radio and retail, I was truly blessed to be one of the very first female Music Directors in Canadian history and I still thank the people in the business who had the foresight to see past the fact I was a woman, and was a person who was passionate about music.

That passion for music has never left me and heading into our 14^th year of Cashbox Canada, a magazine inspired by the legendary Cashbox Magazine, we have been working hard to bring back radio to where it used to be.

A little history of where the name Cashbox came from - the name of Cashbox Magazine (originally two words – Cash Box) was named after the actual ‘cash box’ inside the jukeboxes of America. When customers put their money in and played for A1, the money dropped down into a specific spot in the cash box and this is how the original Cash Box Charts were derived from collecting that information. 

The National Guitar Museum, based in Orlando, Florida and founded to promote and preserve the legacy of the guitar has awarded Liona Boyd their Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Every year The National Guitar Museum recognizes a guitarist who has made a significant contribution to the legacy of the guitar. For the tenth anniversary of our Lifetime Achievement Award, we are presenting it to Liona Boyd. Long known as “The First Lady Of The Guitar,” Liona was one of the first women to popularize the guitar internationally, and was certainly the very first in the world of classical guitar. Her career has been an inspiration to guitarists around the world, and her recording history is among the most extensive of any classical guitarist. Her ability to branch out into the other realms of music, and work with other notable guitarists, makes her unique among her peers. We are honoured to have Liona as the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Previous lifetime honorees include B.B. King, B.B. King, Glen Campbell and Bonnie Raitt,” said Harvey Newquist, director and founder of the National Guitar Museum.

It’s that time of year again when the spotlight shines of the incredible talent of Canada’s East Coast. The East Coast Music Awards have announced the 2020 nominees with the winners to be announced in St John’s Newfoundland  between May 29t and  May 3^rd, 2020.

Leading the nominee list for 2020  are Tim Baker and Wintersleep, who are both up for seven awards each and  the East Pointers, who are nominated for six awards.

Other East Coast artists up for multiple awards are Ria Mae, Neon Dreams, Rich Aucoin, Jenn Grant and Villages.