Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

He’s one of music’s most unlikely stars. An unassuming redhead from tiny Hebden Bridge in northern England, Ed Sheeran has a knack for crafting infectious pop songs in a variety of styles. The 26-year-old’s ambitious third album follows the mathematical titles of his previous bestselling releases, Plus and Multiply, but outdoes them both with better songs and more diverse sounds. Along with the chart-topping singles “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill,” the album has catchy ballads like “Perfect” and feelgood anthems of hope including “What Do I Know.” Strong rhythms drive sunny songs such as the Latin-tinged “Barcelona” and the West African-flavored “Bibia Be Ye Ye.” And Sheeran’s affini...

Her parents are scientists and at one time Charlotte planned to become a doctor. There were other influences. Growing up in Montreal, she took singing lessons. With her striking looks, Charlotte also fell into modeling and signed with Elite Model Management in Paris. But it was her second place showing on Quebec TV’s popular La Voix (a French version of The Voice) that sealed Charlotte’s future in music. She began performing in intimate clubs and recorded Big Boy, a six-song EP that showcased her seductive voice and minimalist, jazz-tinged style. Language is no barrier. “I write a lot more in English, even though French is my first language,” she says. Now touring widely and finishing up her...

It’s been a long, wonderful and sometimes challenging ride for Nelly Furtado since the multiple Grammy-winning singer arrived on the wings of her first hit, “I’m Like a Bird.” Her career has seen her top the charts numerous times with subsequent hits like “Promiscuous” and “Maneater,” while selling over 16 million records worldwide. Along the way, the native of Victoria, B.C. formed her own company, had a daughter, Nevis, recorded a Grammy-winning Spanish language album and devoted herself to her favorite charity, Free the People. But after her 2012 album, The Spirit Indestructible, Nelly wanted off the rollercoaster and took a five-year break. Now she’s back with a new album, The Ride, and ...

Drake’s Views sold more than any recording last year. Like much of his music, the album—right down to its cover photo of him sitting atop the CN Tower—was an homage to his hometown of Toronto. The “Hotline Bling” singer’s latest recording (which he calls a “playlist”) is full of references and guests from his beloved “6.” But the collection of 22 songs, with a recorded voicemail from his mother, Sandi Graham, and a retro cover photo of his dad, Dennis Graham, casts its musical net further afield, drawing from across the African diaspora. The playlist’s title is a Jamaican expression of encouragement and there’s a strong Caribbean vibe. Two tracks feature Atlanta rapper Young Thug, while the ...

His father is hockey legend Patrick Roy, the Stanley Cup winning the goalie for the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche. And Jonathan seemed destined to follow in his father’s skates—until he caught the music bug. First he appeared as one of the leads in a theatrical production of Don Juan and then fell under the spell of artists like John Mayer. But everything changed for Jonathan when his dad introduced him in 2013 to music icon Corey Hart, who he says inspired him to become a “deeper, more versatile musician.” The “Sunglasses at Night” singer signed him to his Siena Records label and began collaborating with him in the studio. Last year, Jonathan saw two of his songs, the breezy...

Her roots are in P.E.I., but Whitney Rose is blooming in Texas. Growing up, Whitney hung around her grandparents’ Charlottetown bar, listening to Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline on the jukebox. In 2011, she moved to Toronto, anxious to begin singing her own country songs. Everything changed when Whitney teamed up with Mavericks’ frontman Raul Malo, who produced her acclaimed Heartbreaker of the Year album and sang with her on a sweet cover of the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” Restless to dig deeper into classic country, Whitney packed her cowgirl hat and boots and relocated to Austin in 2015. “As soon as I moved there,” she says, “I fell in love with watching people dance.” She added: “Austin’s such ...

For more than 25 years, Leon Redbone has been conjuring up the past with his Roaring Twenties show tunes and turn-of-the-century minstrel ditties. Wearing his trademark fedora and Groucho Marx moustache, he became a fixture on TV’s Saturday Night Live  and The Tonight Show  with Johnny Carson during the 1970s and ‘80s, when he attracted legions of fans and supporters, from Bonnie Raitt and Maria Muldaur to Tom Waits and Dr. John.  Another admirer, Bob Dylan, once told  Rolling Stone  magazine that if he ever formed his own record label, Leon Redbone would be his first signing. Now Dylan has complimented him again: several songs on Dylan’s latest album, the fine, back...

A selection of 2016's finest recordings, in no particular order: Radiohead  A Moon Shaped Pool - How can something so harrowing sound so sweet? Rich in symphonic and folky lushness, it’s big, beautiful and a little nightmarish.Beyoncé  Lemonade - With profound and touching songs about family ties, racial pride and female strength, Beyoncé makes a powerful personal statement and her career-defining album.David Bowie Blackstar - Bowie’s swan song, a trippy, jazz-infused art rock album that includes the shape-shifting, apocalyptic title track.Solange  A Seat at the Table - A stunning accomplishment for Beyoncé’s once-overshadowed sister: a gorgeous album that is both political an...

When I first met her, she spoke in a whisper, protecting the gold-plated vocal cords that had made Eurythmics one of the top musical acts on the planet. Annie Lennox was staying in a quiet residential neighborhood near West Hollywood, while she and Eurythmic Dave Stewart rehearsed for the band’s Revenge tour. It was the summer of ’86 and Lennox looked every bit the striking pop icon, one whose theatrical, gender-bending and diva-vamping appearances had transformed the pop landscape. Dressed in a pink satin blouse and a brightly colored plaid suit, a variation on her native Scottish tartan, she spoke at length about music, image and Eurythmics’ battle for artistic control. Fast forward more t...

It’s a muggy day and John Legend is trying his best to stay cool. The gifted American soul singer is in a Toronto Baptist church for a photo shoot and it’s proving to be one serious sweat-fest. Between costume changes and impromptu performances on an electric piano, Legend towels off and stations himself next to an industrial-sized electric fan. He doesn’t mind being a clothes horse, especially when the wardrobe’s supplied by Hugo Boss, but the wool trousers and vest are almost unbearably hot. Still, it’s all in a day’s work for the award-winning artist, who’s busy promoting his upcoming sophomore album. Sitting shirtless, looking handsome and buff, the 27-year-old Legend spoke about his chi...