Jim Cuddy
| Jim Cuddy OC | |
|---|---|
|
Jim Cuddy with Blue Rodeo in 2005 at the Spencerville Fair | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Gordon Cuddy |
| Born | December 2, 1955 |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Country, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, vocals |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Warner Music Canada |
| Associated acts | Blue Rodeo, The Jim Cuddy Band |
| Website |
jimcuddy |
James Gordon "Jim" Cuddy, OC (born December 2, 1955 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter primarily associated with the band Blue Rodeo.
Musical career
Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor have been friends since high school; both attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute. It was not until after university, though, that they decided to form a band. Their first band was called the Hi-Fi's, with Cuddy and Keelor along with Jim Sublett on drums and Malcolm Schell playing bass. The band released a single in 1980 featuring "I Don't Know Why (You Love Me)" and on the B side "Look What You've Done". The record was not a big commercial success, though, and when they couldn't get a record deal in Toronto, they headed off to New York.[1]
No breakthrough happened in New York, either. However, they did meet up with Bob Wiseman, who would later be their keyboardist in Blue Rodeo. They eventually moved back to Toronto, forming Blue Rodeo in 1984 including Basil Donovan on bass and Cleave Anderson on drums to back up Cuddy, Kealor and Wiseman.
While continuing to lead Blue Rodeo, Cuddy has recorded three solo albums with the Jim Cuddy Band, featuring musicians Bazil Donovan, Colin Cripps, Joel Anderson, Anne Lindsay and Gavin Brown. Guest performers include Kathleen Edwards, former Weeping Tile member Sarah Harmer, and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.
In 2000, Cuddy and Blue Rodeo bandmate Greg Keelor were the recipients of the National Achievement Award at the annual SOCAN Awards held in Toronto.[2]
Personal life
Cuddy is married to Canadian actress Rena Polley.[3] They have three children: Devin (born 1987), Emma (born 1988), and Sam (born 1992).
His brother Loftus Cuddy was a Conservative candidate for the riding of Toronto-Danforth in the 2004 Canadian federal election.[3]
His Mother was an English teacher at Monarch Park Secondary School.
Cuddy attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute for high school. He also went to Upper Canada College.
In the 2004 edition of Canada Reads, Cuddy advocated for Guy Vanderhaeghe's novel The Last Crossing, which won the competition. In the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, an "all-star" competition pitting the five winning advocates from previous years against each other, Cuddy returned to champion Timothy Taylor's novel Stanley Park. In 2013, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada along with Greg Keelor, "for their contributions to Canadian music and for their support of various charitable causes".[4]
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | |||
| All in Time |
|
38 | |
| The Light That Guides You Home |
|
18 |
|
| Skyscraper Soul |
|
8 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | |||
| 1998 | "Disappointment" | 53 | All in Time |
| "Too Many Hands"[A] | — | ||
| 1999 | "Trouble" | — | |
| "All in Time" | 73 | ||
| 2006 | "Pull Me Through" | — | The Light That Guides You Home |
| 2007 | "Married Again" (with Kathleen Edwards) | — | |
| "Maybe Sometime" | — | ||
| 2011 | "Everyone Watched the Wedding" | — | Skyscraper Soul |
| 2012 | "Regular Days" | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
- Notes
- A^ "Too Many Hands" peaked at number 13 on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and number 34 on the RPM Country Tracks chart.
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Somewhere Else" | Jim Bryson | The North Side Benches |
| 2008 | "Songbird" | Melanie Doane | A Thousand Nights |
| 2011 | "Hard Luck Girl" | The Cooper Brothers | In from the Cold |
| 2013 | "Pancho and Lefty" | George Canyon | Classics II |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Disappointment" | Ulf Buddensieck |
| "Too Many Hands" | ||
| 1999 | "Trouble" | |
| 2004 | "Somewhere Else" (with Jim Bryson) | |
| 2006 | "Pull Me Through" | |
| 2007 | "Married Again" (with Kathleen Edwards) | |
| 2008 | "Songbird" (with Melanie Doane) | |
| 2011 | "Everyone Watched the Wedding" | |
References
- ↑ Panontin, Michael. "Review of Hi-Fi's I Don't Know Why (You Love Me)". canuckistanmusic.com/. Canuckistan Music. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ↑ https://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2000-socan-awards
- 1 2 Quill, Greg (2008-02-23). "Jim Cuddy on the road again". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
- ↑ "Governor General Announces 90 New Appointments to the Order of Canada". December 30, 2013.
- 1 2 "Certifications". Music Canada. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
External links
- JimCuddy.com – The Official Website of Jim Cuddy
- BlueRodeo.com – The Official Website of Blue Rodeo
- GregKeelor.com – The Official Website of Greg Keelor