Bruce Cockburn: Difference between revisions
mNo edit summary |
Erik Kennedy (talk | contribs) Tags: Mobile edit Mobile app edit Android app edit App section source |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist}} |
|||
'''Bruce Cockburn''' (born [[1945]]) is a folk/rock singer/songwriter. |
|||
{{other uses}} |
|||
His last name is pronounced like "Coburn". |
|||
{{Use Canadian English|date=June 2018}} |
|||
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} |
|||
{{Infobox musical artist |
|||
| name = Bruce Cockburn |
|||
| image = Bruce Cockburn 2007.jpg |
|||
| image_size = |
|||
| alt = |
|||
| caption = Cockburn performing in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2007 |
|||
| birth_name = Bruce Douglas Cockburn |
|||
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|5|27|mf=y}} |
|||
| birth_place = [[Ottawa]], Ontario, Canada |
|||
| origin = |
|||
| death_date = |
|||
| death_place = |
|||
| instrument = {{hlist|Guitar|vocals}} |
|||
| genre = {{hlist|[[Folk music|Folk]]|[[Rock music|rock]]}} |
|||
| years_active = 1967–present |
|||
| website = {{URL|www.brucecockburn.com}} |
|||
}} |
|||
'''Bruce Douglas Cockburn''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|OC}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|b|ər|n}} {{respell|KOH|bərn}}; born May 27, 1945)<ref>Allen, 66</ref> is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from [[folk music|folk]] to folk- and jazz-influenced rock to soundscapes accompanying spoken stories. His lyrics reflect interests in spirituality, human rights, environmental issues, and relationships, and describe his experiences in Central America and Africa. |
|||
Cockburn was born in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], [[Canada]] and began his career in the late [[1960]]s in a band called "The Children". By [[1970]], Cockburn had begun his solo career with the release of his first self-titled solo album. |
|||
In addition to a highly successful solo career, Cockburn's songs have been covered by artists ranging from [[Barenaked Ladies]] ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time"), [[Jimmy Buffett]] ("Pacing the Cage"), to the [[Jerry Garcia]] Band ("Waiting for a Miracle"). |
|||
Cockburn has written more than 350 songs on 34 albums over a career spanning five decades,<ref>Allen, 79</ref> of which 22 have received a Canadian gold or platinum certification as of 2018,<ref>Allen, 65. ''Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws'', ''Stealing Fire'' and ''Waiting for a Miracle'' received a Canadian platinum certification.</ref> and he has sold more than one million albums in Canada alone. In 2014, Cockburn released his memoirs, ''[[Rumours of Glory (book)|Rumours of Glory]]''. |
|||
==Early life and education== |
|||
Cockburn's second radio hit came in [[1984]] with the release of his ''Stealing Fire'' album and the song "If I Had A Rocket Launcher", written a year earlier after Cockburn had witnessed Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico being attacked by Guatemalan military helicopters. |
|||
Cockburn was born in 1945 in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], and spent some time at his grandfather's farm outside of [[Chelsea, Quebec]], but he grew up in [[Westboro, Ottawa|Westboro]], which was a suburb of Ottawa when he was a teenager. His father, Doug Cockburn, was a [[radiologist]], eventually becoming head of diagnostic X-ray at the [[Ottawa Civic Hospital]].<ref>Cockburn, pp. 5,8 & 12</ref> He found his first guitar in his grandmother's attic around 1959, adorned it with gold stars, and used it to play along to radio hits.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://canada.aol.com/webcentres/community/chats/archive.adp?guest=Bruce_Cockburn |title=AOL.ca – Canada's Breaking News, Entertainment, Music, Life & Style and Email |website=canada.aol.com |date=September 29, 2009 |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-date=June 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606175609/http://canada.aol.com/webcentres/community/chats/archive.adp?guest=Bruce_Cockburn |url-status=dead }}</ref> When his first guitar teacher, Hank Sims, declared this instrument unplayable, his parents bought him a [[Kay Musical Instrument Company|Kay]] [[archtop guitar|archtop]] with flat wound strings and a [[DeArmond]] pickup.<ref>Cockburn, p. 24</ref> |
|||
Later he was taught piano and music theory by Peter Hall, the organist at Westboro United Church which Cockburn and his family attended. Cockburn had been listening to jazz and wanted to learn musical composition. Hall encouraged him and, along with his friend Bob Lamble, a lot of time was spent at Hall's house listening to and discussing jazz.<ref>Cockburn, p. 36</ref> |
|||
In the early [[1990]]s Cockburn teamed up with good friend [[T-Bone Burnett]] for two albums, ''Nothing But A Burning Light'' and ''Dart To The Heart''. The latter included a song "Closer to the Light" inspired by the death of songwriter [[Mark Heard]]. Cockburn frequently refers to Heard as his favorite songwriter and was one of many artists that paid tribute to Heard on a tribute album and video entitled ''Strong Hand of Love''. |
|||
Cockburn attended [[Nepean High School (Ottawa)|Nepean High School]], where his 1964 yearbook photo states his desire "to become a musician".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cockburnproject.net/bio.html |title=Bruce Cockburn – Bio |publisher=Cockburnproject.net |access-date=April 17, 2014}}</ref> After graduating, he took a boat to Europe and [[street performance|busked]] in Paris.<ref>Zwerin, Mike. "Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian Secret." ''International Herald Tribune'', September 1, 1999, p. 11. ''Gale Power Search''. Accessed June 5, 2018.</ref> |
|||
On [[March 5]], [[2001]] during the 30th Annual [[Juno Award]]s ceremony (Canada's version of the [[Grammy]]s), Cockburn was inducted into the [[Canadian Music Hall of Fame]]. The Cockburn tribute during the Awards telecast from [[Copps Coliseum]] in [[Hamilton]], included taped testimonials from [[U2 (band)|U2]]'s [[Bono]], [[Jackson Browne]], [[Cowboy Junkies]]' [[Margo Timmins]] and [[Midnight Oil]]'s [[Peter Garrett]]. The [[Barenaked Ladies]] also performed their version of Cockburn's "Lovers In A Dangerous Time". Best female artist nominees [[Jann Arden]] and [[Terri Clark]] also performed "Wondering Where The Lions Are" and double nominee [[Sarah Harmer]] performed "Waiting For A Miracle". |
|||
Cockburn attended [[Berklee College of Music|Berklee School of Music]] in Boston, where his studies included jazz composition, for three semesters between 1964 and 1966. That year he dropped out and joined an Ottawa band called The Children, which lasted for about a year. |
|||
In [[2002]], Cockburn released his first greatest hits collection, ''Anything, Anytime, Anywhere: Singles 1979-2002''. He also began recording his 30th album that year. |
|||
==Career== |
|||
[[The Canadian Association of Broadcasters]] (CAB) honoured Cockburn by inducting him into the [[Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame]]. The induction ceremony was held on [[October 22]], [[2002]] in [[Vancouver]], as part of the [[Gold Ribbon Awards Gala]] at the 76th annual Broadcasting 2002: Leadership Through Public Service convention. |
|||
===Early career=== |
|||
In early 1967 he joined the final lineup of [[The Esquires (Canadian band)|the Esquires]]. He moved to [[Toronto]] that summer to form [[The Flying Circus (Canada)|The Flying Circus]] with Marty Fisher and Gordon MacBain, former [[Bobby Kris & The Imperials]] members, and Neil Lillie, ex-[[The Tripp|Tripp]] member. The group recorded some material in late 1967 (which remains unreleased) before changing its name to Olivus in the spring of 1968, by which time Lillie (who changed his name to [[Neil Merryweather]]) had been replaced by Dennis Pendrith from Livingstone's Journey. Olivus opened for [[The Jimi Hendrix Experience]] and [[Cream (band)|Cream]] in April 1968.<ref>Cockburn, pp. 89, 93 & 94</ref> That summer Cockburn broke up the band with the intention of going solo, but ended up in the band [[3's a Crowd (band)|3's a Crowd]] with [[David Wiffen]], [[Colleen Peterson]], and Richard Patterson, who had been a co-member of The Children. Cockburn left [[3's a Crowd (band)|3's a Crowd]] in the spring of 1969 to pursue a solo career. |
|||
Cockburn's first solo appearance was at the [[Mariposa Folk Festival]] in 1967, and in 1969 he was a headliner.<ref>Cockburn, pp. 100–101</ref> In 1970 he released his self-titled, solo album. A single, "Going to the Country", appeared on the RPM Top 50 Canadian Chart.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=2507 |title=Top 50 Canadian Chart |publisher=RPM Magazine |volume=13 |issue=23 |date=July 25, 1970}}</ref> |
|||
On [[November 27]], [[2002]], the [[CBC]]'s ''Life and Times'' aired a special feature on Cockburn, entitled "The Life and Times of Bruce Cockburn". |
|||
Cockburn's guitar work and songwriting won him an enthusiastic following. His early work featured rural and nautical imagery and Biblical metaphors. Raised as an [[agnostic]], early in his career he became a [[Christians|Christian]].<ref>"I was brought up as an agnostic … and when I first became a Christian in the Seventies I didn't really know what it was I'd adopted." [http://cockburnproject.net/issues/personal/christianity.html Faith in Practice: Holding on to the Mystery of Love], by Bruce Cockburn as told to Cole Morton, Third Way, September 1994, page 15.</ref> Many of his albums from the 1970s refer to Christian themes, which in turn inform his concerns for [[human rights]] and [[environmentalism]]. His references to Christianity include the Grail imagery of 20th-century Christian poet [[Charles Williams (British writer)|Charles Williams]] and the ideas of theologian [[Harvey Cox]].<ref>Adria, Marco, "Making Contact with Bruce Cockburn", ''Music of Our Times: Eight Canadian Singer-Songwriters'' (Toronto: Lorimer, 1990), p. 97.</ref> |
|||
==External Link== |
|||
*[http://www.BruceCockburn.com Official Site] |
|||
In 1970 Cockburn became partners with Bernie Finkelstein in the music publishing firm Golden Mountain Music.<ref>{{cite journal| last= McPherson| first= David| title= Bernie Finkelstein's Golden Mountain| journal= Words and Music| date=Fall 2012}}</ref> He won the Juno for Canadian Folksinger of the Year, three years in a row, 1971–73.<ref>Cockburn, p. 121</ref> He was nominated for Canadian Folksinger of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at the 1974 Juno Awards.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Juno Award Nominations Listed|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vAcEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA54|date=March 9, 1974|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|page=54}}</ref> |
|||
*[http://cockburnproject.net/flash.html Cockburn lyric project] |
|||
While Cockburn had been popular in Canada for years, he did not have a big impact in the United States until 1979, with the release of the album ''[[Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws]]''. The album's first single, "[[Wondering Where the Lions Are]]", reached No. 21 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in the US in June 1980, earning Cockburn an appearance on [[NBC]]'s TV show ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''. Cockburn's label, True North Records, also signed a distribution deal with Recordi Records in Italy.<ref name= "Inc.1979">{{cite magazine|title=Cockburn Push|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8yMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT89|date=June 2, 1979|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.| pages= 89– |issn= 0006-2510}}</ref> |
|||
===1980s and 1990s=== |
|||
Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became increasingly urban, global and political as he became more involved with progressive causes. His political concerns were first hinted at on the albums: ''Humans'', ''Inner City Front'' and ''The Trouble with Normal''. They became more evident in 1984, with his second US radio hit, "[[If I Had a Rocket Launcher]]" (No. 88 in the US<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1985-02-16|title=Billboard Hot 100: February 16, 1985|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=February 13, 2021}}</ref>) from the ''[[Stealing Fire (Bruce Cockburn album)|Stealing Fire]]'' album. He had written the song a year earlier, after visiting Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico that were attacked by Guatemalan military helicopters. His political activism continues to the present. His internationalist bent is reflected in the many [[world music]] influences in his music, including [[reggae]] and [[Latin American music|Latin music]]. |
|||
In 1991 Intrepid Records released ''[[Kick at the Darkness]]'', a tribute album to Cockburn whose title comes from a phrase in his song "[[Lovers in a Dangerous Time]]". It features the [[Barenaked Ladies]]' cover of that song, which became their first Top 40 hit and an element in their early success. This lyric was also referenced by [[U2]] in their song "[[God Part II]]" from their album ''[[Rattle and Hum]]''. Also in 1991, three of Cockburn's songs were listed in a Toronto Star survey among Toronto's top songs of all time.<ref>{{cite news|title=T.O.'s top songs of all time |newspaper=Toronto Star |author=Mackowycz, Bob |date=November 30, 1991 |page=K3}}</ref> |
|||
In the early 1990s, Cockburn teamed with [[T Bone Burnett]] for two albums, ''Nothing but a Burning Light'' and ''[[Dart to the Heart]]''. The latter included a song, "Closer to the Light", inspired by the death of songwriter [[Mark Heard]], a close friend of Cockburn and Burnett. Cockburn frequently refers to Heard as his favourite songwriter and he was one of many artists who paid tribute to Heard on an album and video titled ''[[Strong Hand of Love]]''. |
|||
[[File:Bruce Cockburn at Markham Jazz Festival 2014.jpg|thumb|Bruce Cockburn at Markham Jazz Festival 2014]] |
|||
=== 2000s=== |
|||
In 2001 Cockburn performed as part of the Music Without Borders concert, a benefit for the United Nations Donor Alert Appeal, which raised funds for refugees from Afghanistan, at the [[Air Canada Centre]] in Toronto.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20011121105024/http://chartattack.com/damn/2001/10/2203.cfm "LIVE: Music Without Borders"]}}. ''Chart Attack'', October 22, 2001. Review by Paul Gangadeen</ref> |
|||
In January 2003 Cockburn finished recording his 21st album, ''You've Never Seen Everything'', which features contributions from [[Emmylou Harris]], [[Jackson Browne]], [[Sam Phillips (singer)|Sam Phillips]], [[Sarah Harmer]], [[Hugh Marsh]], [[Jonell Mosser]], [[Larry Taylor]] and Steven Hodges. |
|||
Some of Cockburn's previously published material had been collected in several albums: ''Resume'', ''Mummy Dust'', and ''Waiting for a Miracle''. His first [[greatest hits]] collection was ''Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979–2002'', released in 2002. |
|||
Cockburn performed a set at the [[Live 8]] concert in [[Barrie, Ontario]], on July 2, 2005. ''Speechless'', an instrumental compilation of new and previously released material, was released on October 24, 2005. His 22nd album, ''Life Short Call Now'', was released on July 18, 2006. |
|||
Canadian senator and retired general [[Roméo Dallaire]], who is active in humanitarian fundraising and promoting awareness, appeared on stage at the [[University of Victoria]] with Cockburn. The October 4, 2008, concert was held to aid the plight of child soldiers.<ref>''[[Victoria Times Colonist]]'', April 17, 2008</ref> |
|||
In 2009 Cockburn travelled to Afghanistan to visit his brother, Medical Officer Capt. John Cockburn, and to play a concert for Canadian troops. He performed his 1984 song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and was temporarily awarded an actual [[rocket launcher]] by the military. Cockburn has stated that, while unsure of the original [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|Invasion of Afghanistan]], he supported [[Canada's role in the Afghanistan War|Canada's role there]].<ref>{{cite web|author=CBC |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/cockburn-visits-brother-in-afghanistan-1.852110 |title=Cockburn visits brother in Afghanistan |publisher=CBC.ca |access-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref> |
|||
Cockburn released the studio album ''[[Small Source of Comfort]]'' in 2011. |
|||
In 2018, Cockburn's album ''Bone on Bone'', was named Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the Juno Awards.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/news/junos-2018-the-complete-list-of-winners-1.4579405 "Junos 2018: the complete list of winners"]. ''CBC News'', · March 25, 2018</ref> |
|||
==Activism== |
|||
Cockburn's songwriting is often political, expressing concern for the environment and the welfare of indigenous peoples. ''[[Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians]]'' writes, "Cockburn always risked an outspoken stand in his work, taking on issues and morality to the detriment of his popular appeal. No artist since [[Phil Ochs]] has taken such strong political stands."<ref>Bordowitz, Hank (2001). "Cockburn, Bruce." In N. Slonimsky & L. Kuhn (eds.), ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'' (Vol. 1, p. 673). New York: Schirmer. ''Gale Virtual Reference Library'' (accessed June 5, 2018).</ref> He has worked with relief agency [[Oxfam]], travelling to Central America in 1983, and with the [[International Campaign to Ban Landmines]]. The song "Mines of Mozambique" (''The Charity of Night'') reflects his observations of that country during a visit in 1995. Cockburn is affiliated with the [[Unitarian Service Committee]] of Canada, twice visiting Nepal with the charity, in 1987 and 2007.<ref>Allen, p. 80</ref> |
|||
Songs on these themes include "[[If I Had a Rocket Launcher]]" (''Stealing Fire''), an angry response to the plight of refugees in Central America; "Stolen Land" (''Waiting for a Miracle''), about the [[aboriginal land claims|land claims]] of British Columbia's [[Haida people]]; and "If a Tree Falls" (''Big Circumstance'')—one of Cockburn's best-known songs—decrying the [[Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest|deforestation of the Amazon]].<ref>Allen, pp. 81–83</ref> |
|||
==Documentaries and soundtracks== |
|||
Cockburn wrote and performed the theme song for the children's television series ''[[Franklin (TV series)|Franklin]]''. He composed and performed, with [[Hugh Marsh]], the music for the [[National Film Board of Canada]] documentary feature ''[[Waterwalker]]'' (1984), directed by [[Bill Mason]]. He also composed two songs for the classic English-Canadian film ''[[Goin' Down the Road]]'' (1970), directed by [[Donald Shebib]]. |
|||
In 1998 Cockburn travelled with filmmaker Robert Lang to [[Mali]], [[West Africa]], where he jammed with [[Grammy Award]]-winning blues musician [[Ali Farka Toure]] and [[Kora (instrument)|kora]] master [[Toumani Diabate]]. The month-long journey was documented in the film ''River of Sand'', which won the ''Regard Canadien'' award for best documentary at the Vues d'Afrique Film Festival in [[Montreal]]. It was also invited for competition at the International Festival of Environmental Films in Paris.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://kensingtontv.com/go/riverofsand/indextop.html| website= kensingtontv.com| title= River of Sand| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130830185500/http://kensingtontv.com/go/riverofsand/indextop.html |archive-date= August 30, 2013}}</ref> |
|||
In 2007 Cockburn's music was featured in the [[Ecstasy (2007 film)|movie adaptation]] of [[Irvine Welsh]]'s best-selling novel ''[[Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance]]''. |
|||
A documentary film, ''Bruce Cockburn Pacing the Cage'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visiontv.ca/bruce-cockburn-pacing-the-cage/ |title=Bruce Cockburn Pacing the Cage |publisher= Vision TV Channel Canada |website= visiontv.ca |date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=January 13, 2014}}</ref> was released in 2013 on television and a brief theatrical showing; directed by Joel Goldberg, gave a rare look into Cockburn's music, life and politics. |
|||
In 2018, Cockburn contributed the song "3 Al Purdys" to the compilation album ''[[The Al Purdy Songbook]]''.<ref>[https://nowtoronto.com/music/features/al-purdy-songbook/ "Canadian poet Al Purdy inspires songs by Jason Collett, Sarah Harmer and more"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203084800/https://nowtoronto.com/music/features/al-purdy-songbook/ |date=February 3, 2019 }}. ''[[Now (newspaper)|Now]]'', January 22, 2019.</ref> |
|||
==Covers and tributes== |
|||
A number of artists have covered Cockburn's songs, including: |
|||
{{div col|colwidth=20em}} |
|||
* [[Barenaked Ladies]] ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time") |
|||
* [[Steve Bell (musician)|Steve Bell]] (''My Dinner with Bruce'', an album of Cockburn songs) |
|||
* [[Jimmy Buffett]] ("Pacing the Cage", "Anything Anytime Anywhere", "All the Ways I Want You", "Life Short Call Now", "Wondering Where the Lions Are" (in the movie ''[[Hoot (film)|Hoot]]'') |
|||
* [[Judy Collins]] ("Pacing the Cage") |
|||
* [[Lori Cullen]] ("Fall") |
|||
* [[Dan Fogelberg]] ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time") |
|||
* [[Frazey Ford]] ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time") |
|||
* [[Donavon Frankenreiter]] ("Wondering Where the Lions Are") |
|||
* [[George Hamilton IV]] ("Together Alone") |
|||
* The [[Jerry Garcia Band]] ("Waiting for a Miracle") |
|||
* [[Dianne Heatherington]] and [[Ani DiFranco]] and [[Mary Coughlan (singer)|Mary Coughlan]] ("Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long") |
|||
* [[Michael Hedges]] ("Wondering Where the Lions Are") |
|||
* [[k.d. lang]] ("One Day I Walk") |
|||
* [[Anne Murray]] ("One Day I Walk", "Musical Friends") |
|||
* [[Holly Near]] ("To Raise the Morning Star") |
|||
* [[Michael Occhipinti]] and [[Edward Weir]] (''Creation Dream'', an album containing jazz arrangements of Cockburn's songs)<ref>{{cite web|title=''Creation Dream'' by Michael Occhipinti| quote= Cockburn plays on the track 'Pacing the Cage'| url= http://michaelocchipinti.com/disc.html| work= Michaelocchipinti.com |access-date= April 17, 2014}}</ref> |
|||
* [[The Rankin Family]] ("One Day I Walk") |
|||
* [[Tom Rush]] ("One Day I Walk') |
|||
* [[Vigilantes of Love]] ("Wondering Where the Lions Are") |
|||
* [[T. Thomason]] ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time") |
|||
* [[Hawksley Workman]] ("The Coldest Night of the Year", "Silver Wheels") |
|||
{{div col end}} |
|||
==Awards and honours== |
|||
===1980–2010=== |
|||
Cockburn was made a Member of the [[Order of Canada]] in 1982 and was promoted to Officer in 2002. In 1998, he received the [[Governor General's Performing Arts Award]] for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bruce Cockburn – biography|url=http://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients/1998/cockburn-bruce.aspx|publisher=Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation|access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref> |
|||
He has received thirteen [[Juno Awards]],<ref>Allen, 65</ref> and in 2001, during the 30th Annual Juno Awards ceremony, Cockburn was inducted into the [[Canadian Music Hall of Fame]]. The Cockburn tribute during the awards included taped testimonials from U2's [[Bono]], [[Jackson Browne]], [[Cowboy Junkies]]' [[Margo Timmins]], and [[Midnight Oil]]'s [[Peter Garrett]]. That year he was presented with a [[SOCAN]] Folk/Roots award.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20011223091608/http://chartattack.com/DAMN/2001/11/2010.cfm "The Guess Who, Murray McLauchlan Win Big At SOCAN"]}}. ''Chart Attack'', November 20, 2001</ref> |
|||
The [[Canadian Association of Broadcasters]] inducted Cockburn into the [[Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame]] on October 22, 2002, in [[Vancouver]]. On November 27, 2002, the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]'s ''[[Life and Times (TV series)|Life and Times]]'' series aired a special feature on Cockburn titled ''The Life and Times of Bruce Cockburn''. |
|||
In 2007 Cockburn received three [[honorary doctorates]], the fourth, fifth and sixth of his career. In early May he received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from [[Queen's University at Kingston|Queen's University]] in [[Kingston, Ontario]], and later in the month he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the convocation of [[Memorial University of Newfoundland]] for his lifelong contributions to Canadian music, culture and social activism. He was then awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the [[University of Victoria]] in Victoria, British Columbia. Cockburn previously received honorary doctorates from [[York University]] in Toronto, [[Berklee College of Music]], and [[St. Thomas University (New Brunswick)|St. Thomas University]] in [[New Brunswick]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mun.ca/marcomm/news/index.php?includefile=showitem.php&id=1517 |title=Marketing & Communications | index |publisher=Mun.ca |access-date=April 17, 2014}}</ref> He received an Honorary Doctorate awarded by [[McMaster University]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/articles/bruce-cockburn-addresses-graduates/ |title=Bruce Cockburn addresses graduates |publisher=mcmaster.ca |access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref> In June 2014, Cockburn received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Laurentian University in Sudbury,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://laurentian.ca/newstags/blaine-nicholls/ |title=Laurentian University Recognizes four eminent Canadians in 2014 |publisher=laurentian.ca |access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref> and Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, from Carleton University, in Ottawa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsroom.carleton.ca/archives/2014/06/12/bruce-cockburn-receives-honorary-degree-carleton-university// |title=Bruce Cockburn Receives Honorary Degree from Carleton University |date=June 12, 2014 |publisher=carleton.ca|access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref> |
|||
===2010s=== |
|||
Cockburn received [[Earth Day]] Canada's Outstanding Commitment to the Environment Award in 2010,<ref>"Song sung green: Earth Day Canada recognizes Bruce Cockburn for his outstanding commitment to the environment." ''Alternatives Journal'', vol. 36, no. 5, 2010, p. 44+. ''General OneFile''. Accessed June 5, 2018.</ref> and the [[Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/diamond-jubilee-gala-toasts-exceptional-canadians-1.1226414| title=Diamond Jubilee Gala toasts exceptional Canadians| date=June 18, 2012| publisher=CBC| access-date=June 19, 2012}}</ref> On November 19, 2012, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the [[Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada]], at the 2012 SOCAN Awards in Toronto.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2012-socan-awards|title=2012 SOCAN AWARDS|website=Socan.ca|access-date=October 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018015017/http://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2012-socan-awards|archive-date=October 18, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> On February 15, 2017, he received the People's Voice Award in Kansas City from [[Folk Alliance International]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2022 |title=The People's Voice Award |url=https://member.folk.org/page/peoplesvoice |access-date=March 31, 2022 |website=Folk Alliance International}}</ref> On September 23, 2017, Cockburn was inducted into the [[Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame]] at a ceremony held at [[Massey Hall]] in Toronto.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cshf.ca/canadian-songwriters-hall-fame-2017-inductees/|title=CSHF Announces 2017 Inductees|date=May 16, 2017|access-date=April 28, 2018}}</ref> |
|||
===2020s=== |
|||
On June 14, 2024, Cockburn received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from [[Wilfrid Laurier University]]. |
|||
==Personal life== |
|||
Cockburn was married from 1969 to 1980 to Kitty Macaulay and has a daughter Jenny, born in 1975, from that marriage.<ref>Cockburn, p. 154</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://brucecockburn.com/2016/good-times-interview/ |title=Good Times interview Bruce Cockburn |publisher=brucecockburn.com|last=Feniak |first=Peter |date=March 17, 2016 |access-date=June 12, 2022}}</ref> In his memoir, he describes the moment he became a Christian. While on vacation in Sweden with Kitty, he experienced a personal crisis, arising from conflict in their marriage. He prayed and asked Jesus for help. In that moment, he felt Jesus in the room, just as he had at their wedding.<ref>Cockburn, pp. 132–133</ref> |
|||
Cockburn married his longtime girlfriend M. J. Hannett in 2011, shortly after the birth of his second daughter, Iona.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2011/11/22/bruce_cockburn_66_and_girlfriend_welcome_new_baby.html |title=Bruce Cockburn, 66, and girlfriend welcome new baby |work= [[Toronto Star]] | via= thestar.com |date=November 22, 2011 |access-date=January 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| first= Nigel |last= Parry |url=http://cockburnproject.net/front.html |title=Bruce Cockburn online – Home |publisher=The Cockburn Project | website= cockburnproject.net|access-date=January 13, 2014}}</ref> |
|||
As of 2014, Cockburn and his family reside in the [[San Francisco]] area, where Cockburn wrote his memoirs.<ref>{{cite web |work= [[Ottawa Citizen]] |url= https://theprovince.com/Entertainment/Bruce+Cockburn+living+Frisco+raising+year+writing+memoirs/9815544/story.html |title= Bruce Cockburn is living in Frisco |via= theprovince.com |access-date= May 8, 2014 |archive-date= June 15, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140615120049/http://www.theprovince.com/Entertainment/Bruce+Cockburn+living+Frisco+raising+year+writing+memoirs/9815544/story.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> |
|||
== Discography == |
|||
{{Main|Bruce Cockburn discography}} |
|||
{{div col|colwidth=28em}} |
|||
* ''[[Bruce Cockburn (album)|Bruce Cockburn]]'' (1970) |
|||
* ''[[High Winds, White Sky]]'' (1971) |
|||
* ''[[Sunwheel Dance]]'' (1972) |
|||
* ''[[Night Vision (Bruce Cockburn album)|Night Vision]]'' (1973) |
|||
* ''[[Salt, Sun and Time]]'' (1974) |
|||
* ''[[Joy Will Find a Way]]'' (1975) |
|||
* ''[[In the Falling Dark]]'' (1976) |
|||
* ''Circles in the Stream'' (1977) |
|||
* ''[[Further Adventures Of]]'' (1978) |
|||
* ''[[Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws]]'' (1979) |
|||
* ''[[Humans (Bruce Cockburn album)|Humans]]'' (1980) |
|||
* ''[[Inner City Front]]'' (1981) |
|||
* ''[[The Trouble with Normal (album)|The Trouble with Normal]]'' (1983) |
|||
* ''[[Stealing Fire (Bruce Cockburn album)|Stealing Fire]]'' (1984) |
|||
* ''[[World of Wonders (album)|World of Wonders]]'' (1986) |
|||
* ''[[Big Circumstance]]'' (1989) |
|||
* ''[[Nothing but a Burning Light]]'' (1991) |
|||
* ''[[Christmas (Bruce Cockburn album)|Christmas]]'' (1993) (certified 6 times platinum in Canada for sales of over 600,000) |
|||
* ''[[Dart to the Heart]]'' (1994) |
|||
* ''[[The Charity of Night]]'' (1997) |
|||
* ''[[Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu]]'' (1999) |
|||
* ''[[You've Never Seen Everything]]'' (2003) |
|||
* ''Speechless'' (2005) |
|||
* ''[[Life Short Call Now]]'' (2006) |
|||
* ''[[Small Source of Comfort]]'' (2011) |
|||
* ''Bone on Bone'' (2017) |
|||
* ''Crowing Ignites'' (2019) |
|||
* ''O Sun O Moon'' (2023) |
|||
{{div col end}} |
|||
==Notes== |
|||
{{Reflist}} |
|||
==References== |
|||
* {{cite book|chapter=Bruce Cockburn: Canadian, Christian, Conservationist |last=Allen |first=Aaron S. |editor1-last=Weglarz |editor1-first=Kristine |editor2-first=Mark |editor2-last=Pedelty |title=Political Rock|year=2013|series=Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=9781409446224}} |
|||
* {{Cite book|title=Rumours of Glory |last=Cockburn |first=Bruce |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-44342-072-3}} |
|||
==External links== |
|||
{{wikiquote}} |
|||
{{Portal|Music|Canada}} |
|||
* {{official website|http://brucecockburn.com/}} |
|||
* {{allMusic|id=p3930}} |
|||
* {{discogs artist|Bruce Cockburn}} |
|||
* {{IMDb name|0168288}} |
|||
* [http://www.brucecockburn.org/index.htm Gavin's Woodpile – The Bruce Cockburn Newsletter] |
|||
* [http://cockburnproject.net/ The Cockburn Project, documenting the work of Cockburn] |
|||
{{Bruce Cockburn}} |
|||
{{Canadian Music Hall of Fame}} |
|||
{{Authority control}} |
|||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cockburn, Bruce}} |
|||
[[Category:1945 births]] |
|||
[[Category:Living people]] |
|||
[[Category:Berklee College of Music alumni]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian Protestants]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian folk guitarists]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian Folk Music Award winners]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian folk rock musicians]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian folk singer-songwriters]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian male guitarists]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian male singer-songwriters]] |
|||
[[Category:Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees]] |
|||
[[Category:Cockburn family|Bruce]] |
|||
[[Category:Converts to Protestantism from atheism or agnosticism]] |
|||
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music]] |
|||
[[Category:Juno Award for Artist of the Year winners]] |
|||
[[Category:Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year winners]] |
|||
[[Category:Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo winners]] |
|||
[[Category:Musicians from Ottawa]] |
|||
[[Category:Singers from Ontario]] |
|||
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Canada]] |
|||
[[Category:True North Records artists]] |
|||
[[Category:Governor General's Award winners]] |
|||
[[Category:20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters]] |
|||
[[Category:21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters]] |
Latest revision as of 23:47, 25 November 2024
Bruce Cockburn | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Bruce Douglas Cockburn |
Born | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | May 27, 1945
Genres | |
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1967–present |
Website | www |
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC (/ˈkoʊbərn/ KOH-bərn; born May 27, 1945)[1] is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to folk- and jazz-influenced rock to soundscapes accompanying spoken stories. His lyrics reflect interests in spirituality, human rights, environmental issues, and relationships, and describe his experiences in Central America and Africa.
Cockburn has written more than 350 songs on 34 albums over a career spanning five decades,[2] of which 22 have received a Canadian gold or platinum certification as of 2018,[3] and he has sold more than one million albums in Canada alone. In 2014, Cockburn released his memoirs, Rumours of Glory.
Early life and education
[edit]Cockburn was born in 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario, and spent some time at his grandfather's farm outside of Chelsea, Quebec, but he grew up in Westboro, which was a suburb of Ottawa when he was a teenager. His father, Doug Cockburn, was a radiologist, eventually becoming head of diagnostic X-ray at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.[4] He found his first guitar in his grandmother's attic around 1959, adorned it with gold stars, and used it to play along to radio hits.[5] When his first guitar teacher, Hank Sims, declared this instrument unplayable, his parents bought him a Kay archtop with flat wound strings and a DeArmond pickup.[6]
Later he was taught piano and music theory by Peter Hall, the organist at Westboro United Church which Cockburn and his family attended. Cockburn had been listening to jazz and wanted to learn musical composition. Hall encouraged him and, along with his friend Bob Lamble, a lot of time was spent at Hall's house listening to and discussing jazz.[7]
Cockburn attended Nepean High School, where his 1964 yearbook photo states his desire "to become a musician".[8] After graduating, he took a boat to Europe and busked in Paris.[9]
Cockburn attended Berklee School of Music in Boston, where his studies included jazz composition, for three semesters between 1964 and 1966. That year he dropped out and joined an Ottawa band called The Children, which lasted for about a year.
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]In early 1967 he joined the final lineup of the Esquires. He moved to Toronto that summer to form The Flying Circus with Marty Fisher and Gordon MacBain, former Bobby Kris & The Imperials members, and Neil Lillie, ex-Tripp member. The group recorded some material in late 1967 (which remains unreleased) before changing its name to Olivus in the spring of 1968, by which time Lillie (who changed his name to Neil Merryweather) had been replaced by Dennis Pendrith from Livingstone's Journey. Olivus opened for The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream in April 1968.[10] That summer Cockburn broke up the band with the intention of going solo, but ended up in the band 3's a Crowd with David Wiffen, Colleen Peterson, and Richard Patterson, who had been a co-member of The Children. Cockburn left 3's a Crowd in the spring of 1969 to pursue a solo career.
Cockburn's first solo appearance was at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1967, and in 1969 he was a headliner.[11] In 1970 he released his self-titled, solo album. A single, "Going to the Country", appeared on the RPM Top 50 Canadian Chart.[12]
Cockburn's guitar work and songwriting won him an enthusiastic following. His early work featured rural and nautical imagery and Biblical metaphors. Raised as an agnostic, early in his career he became a Christian.[13] Many of his albums from the 1970s refer to Christian themes, which in turn inform his concerns for human rights and environmentalism. His references to Christianity include the Grail imagery of 20th-century Christian poet Charles Williams and the ideas of theologian Harvey Cox.[14]
In 1970 Cockburn became partners with Bernie Finkelstein in the music publishing firm Golden Mountain Music.[15] He won the Juno for Canadian Folksinger of the Year, three years in a row, 1971–73.[16] He was nominated for Canadian Folksinger of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at the 1974 Juno Awards.[17]
While Cockburn had been popular in Canada for years, he did not have a big impact in the United States until 1979, with the release of the album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws. The album's first single, "Wondering Where the Lions Are", reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in June 1980, earning Cockburn an appearance on NBC's TV show Saturday Night Live. Cockburn's label, True North Records, also signed a distribution deal with Recordi Records in Italy.[18]
1980s and 1990s
[edit]Through the 1980s Cockburn's songwriting became increasingly urban, global and political as he became more involved with progressive causes. His political concerns were first hinted at on the albums: Humans, Inner City Front and The Trouble with Normal. They became more evident in 1984, with his second US radio hit, "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" (No. 88 in the US[19]) from the Stealing Fire album. He had written the song a year earlier, after visiting Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico that were attacked by Guatemalan military helicopters. His political activism continues to the present. His internationalist bent is reflected in the many world music influences in his music, including reggae and Latin music.
In 1991 Intrepid Records released Kick at the Darkness, a tribute album to Cockburn whose title comes from a phrase in his song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time". It features the Barenaked Ladies' cover of that song, which became their first Top 40 hit and an element in their early success. This lyric was also referenced by U2 in their song "God Part II" from their album Rattle and Hum. Also in 1991, three of Cockburn's songs were listed in a Toronto Star survey among Toronto's top songs of all time.[20]
In the early 1990s, Cockburn teamed with T Bone Burnett for two albums, Nothing but a Burning Light and Dart to the Heart. The latter included a song, "Closer to the Light", inspired by the death of songwriter Mark Heard, a close friend of Cockburn and Burnett. Cockburn frequently refers to Heard as his favourite songwriter and he was one of many artists who paid tribute to Heard on an album and video titled Strong Hand of Love.
2000s
[edit]In 2001 Cockburn performed as part of the Music Without Borders concert, a benefit for the United Nations Donor Alert Appeal, which raised funds for refugees from Afghanistan, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.[21]
In January 2003 Cockburn finished recording his 21st album, You've Never Seen Everything, which features contributions from Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Sam Phillips, Sarah Harmer, Hugh Marsh, Jonell Mosser, Larry Taylor and Steven Hodges.
Some of Cockburn's previously published material had been collected in several albums: Resume, Mummy Dust, and Waiting for a Miracle. His first greatest hits collection was Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979–2002, released in 2002.
Cockburn performed a set at the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ontario, on July 2, 2005. Speechless, an instrumental compilation of new and previously released material, was released on October 24, 2005. His 22nd album, Life Short Call Now, was released on July 18, 2006.
Canadian senator and retired general Roméo Dallaire, who is active in humanitarian fundraising and promoting awareness, appeared on stage at the University of Victoria with Cockburn. The October 4, 2008, concert was held to aid the plight of child soldiers.[22]
In 2009 Cockburn travelled to Afghanistan to visit his brother, Medical Officer Capt. John Cockburn, and to play a concert for Canadian troops. He performed his 1984 song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and was temporarily awarded an actual rocket launcher by the military. Cockburn has stated that, while unsure of the original Invasion of Afghanistan, he supported Canada's role there.[23]
Cockburn released the studio album Small Source of Comfort in 2011.
In 2018, Cockburn's album Bone on Bone, was named Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the Juno Awards.[24]
Activism
[edit]Cockburn's songwriting is often political, expressing concern for the environment and the welfare of indigenous peoples. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians writes, "Cockburn always risked an outspoken stand in his work, taking on issues and morality to the detriment of his popular appeal. No artist since Phil Ochs has taken such strong political stands."[25] He has worked with relief agency Oxfam, travelling to Central America in 1983, and with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. The song "Mines of Mozambique" (The Charity of Night) reflects his observations of that country during a visit in 1995. Cockburn is affiliated with the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada, twice visiting Nepal with the charity, in 1987 and 2007.[26]
Songs on these themes include "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" (Stealing Fire), an angry response to the plight of refugees in Central America; "Stolen Land" (Waiting for a Miracle), about the land claims of British Columbia's Haida people; and "If a Tree Falls" (Big Circumstance)—one of Cockburn's best-known songs—decrying the deforestation of the Amazon.[27]
Documentaries and soundtracks
[edit]Cockburn wrote and performed the theme song for the children's television series Franklin. He composed and performed, with Hugh Marsh, the music for the National Film Board of Canada documentary feature Waterwalker (1984), directed by Bill Mason. He also composed two songs for the classic English-Canadian film Goin' Down the Road (1970), directed by Donald Shebib.
In 1998 Cockburn travelled with filmmaker Robert Lang to Mali, West Africa, where he jammed with Grammy Award-winning blues musician Ali Farka Toure and kora master Toumani Diabate. The month-long journey was documented in the film River of Sand, which won the Regard Canadien award for best documentary at the Vues d'Afrique Film Festival in Montreal. It was also invited for competition at the International Festival of Environmental Films in Paris.[28]
In 2007 Cockburn's music was featured in the movie adaptation of Irvine Welsh's best-selling novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.
A documentary film, Bruce Cockburn Pacing the Cage,[29] was released in 2013 on television and a brief theatrical showing; directed by Joel Goldberg, gave a rare look into Cockburn's music, life and politics.
In 2018, Cockburn contributed the song "3 Al Purdys" to the compilation album The Al Purdy Songbook.[30]
Covers and tributes
[edit]A number of artists have covered Cockburn's songs, including:
- Barenaked Ladies ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time")
- Steve Bell (My Dinner with Bruce, an album of Cockburn songs)
- Jimmy Buffett ("Pacing the Cage", "Anything Anytime Anywhere", "All the Ways I Want You", "Life Short Call Now", "Wondering Where the Lions Are" (in the movie Hoot)
- Judy Collins ("Pacing the Cage")
- Lori Cullen ("Fall")
- Dan Fogelberg ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time")
- Frazey Ford ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time")
- Donavon Frankenreiter ("Wondering Where the Lions Are")
- George Hamilton IV ("Together Alone")
- The Jerry Garcia Band ("Waiting for a Miracle")
- Dianne Heatherington and Ani DiFranco and Mary Coughlan ("Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long")
- Michael Hedges ("Wondering Where the Lions Are")
- k.d. lang ("One Day I Walk")
- Anne Murray ("One Day I Walk", "Musical Friends")
- Holly Near ("To Raise the Morning Star")
- Michael Occhipinti and Edward Weir (Creation Dream, an album containing jazz arrangements of Cockburn's songs)[31]
- The Rankin Family ("One Day I Walk")
- Tom Rush ("One Day I Walk')
- Vigilantes of Love ("Wondering Where the Lions Are")
- T. Thomason ("Lovers in a Dangerous Time")
- Hawksley Workman ("The Coldest Night of the Year", "Silver Wheels")
Awards and honours
[edit]1980–2010
[edit]Cockburn was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1982 and was promoted to Officer in 2002. In 1998, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.[32]
He has received thirteen Juno Awards,[33] and in 2001, during the 30th Annual Juno Awards ceremony, Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The Cockburn tribute during the awards included taped testimonials from U2's Bono, Jackson Browne, Cowboy Junkies' Margo Timmins, and Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett. That year he was presented with a SOCAN Folk/Roots award.[34]
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters inducted Cockburn into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame on October 22, 2002, in Vancouver. On November 27, 2002, the CBC's Life and Times series aired a special feature on Cockburn titled The Life and Times of Bruce Cockburn.
In 2007 Cockburn received three honorary doctorates, the fourth, fifth and sixth of his career. In early May he received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and later in the month he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the convocation of Memorial University of Newfoundland for his lifelong contributions to Canadian music, culture and social activism. He was then awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia. Cockburn previously received honorary doctorates from York University in Toronto, Berklee College of Music, and St. Thomas University in New Brunswick.[35] He received an Honorary Doctorate awarded by McMaster University in 2009.[36] In June 2014, Cockburn received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Laurentian University in Sudbury,[37] and Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, from Carleton University, in Ottawa.[38]
2010s
[edit]Cockburn received Earth Day Canada's Outstanding Commitment to the Environment Award in 2010,[39] and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.[40] On November 19, 2012, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, at the 2012 SOCAN Awards in Toronto.[41] On February 15, 2017, he received the People's Voice Award in Kansas City from Folk Alliance International.[42] On September 23, 2017, Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at Massey Hall in Toronto.[43]
2020s
[edit]On June 14, 2024, Cockburn received an Honorary Doctorate in Music from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Personal life
[edit]Cockburn was married from 1969 to 1980 to Kitty Macaulay and has a daughter Jenny, born in 1975, from that marriage.[44][45] In his memoir, he describes the moment he became a Christian. While on vacation in Sweden with Kitty, he experienced a personal crisis, arising from conflict in their marriage. He prayed and asked Jesus for help. In that moment, he felt Jesus in the room, just as he had at their wedding.[46]
Cockburn married his longtime girlfriend M. J. Hannett in 2011, shortly after the birth of his second daughter, Iona.[47][48]
As of 2014, Cockburn and his family reside in the San Francisco area, where Cockburn wrote his memoirs.[49]
Discography
[edit]- Bruce Cockburn (1970)
- High Winds, White Sky (1971)
- Sunwheel Dance (1972)
- Night Vision (1973)
- Salt, Sun and Time (1974)
- Joy Will Find a Way (1975)
- In the Falling Dark (1976)
- Circles in the Stream (1977)
- Further Adventures Of (1978)
- Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws (1979)
- Humans (1980)
- Inner City Front (1981)
- The Trouble with Normal (1983)
- Stealing Fire (1984)
- World of Wonders (1986)
- Big Circumstance (1989)
- Nothing but a Burning Light (1991)
- Christmas (1993) (certified 6 times platinum in Canada for sales of over 600,000)
- Dart to the Heart (1994)
- The Charity of Night (1997)
- Breakfast in New Orleans, Dinner in Timbuktu (1999)
- You've Never Seen Everything (2003)
- Speechless (2005)
- Life Short Call Now (2006)
- Small Source of Comfort (2011)
- Bone on Bone (2017)
- Crowing Ignites (2019)
- O Sun O Moon (2023)
Notes
[edit]- ^ Allen, 66
- ^ Allen, 79
- ^ Allen, 65. Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws, Stealing Fire and Waiting for a Miracle received a Canadian platinum certification.
- ^ Cockburn, pp. 5,8 & 12
- ^ "AOL.ca – Canada's Breaking News, Entertainment, Music, Life & Style and Email". canada.aol.com. September 29, 2009. Archived from the original on June 6, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
- ^ Cockburn, p. 24
- ^ Cockburn, p. 36
- ^ "Bruce Cockburn – Bio". Cockburnproject.net. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
- ^ Zwerin, Mike. "Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian Secret." International Herald Tribune, September 1, 1999, p. 11. Gale Power Search. Accessed June 5, 2018.
- ^ Cockburn, pp. 89, 93 & 94
- ^ Cockburn, pp. 100–101
- ^ "Top 50 Canadian Chart". RPM Magazine. July 25, 1970.
- ^ "I was brought up as an agnostic … and when I first became a Christian in the Seventies I didn't really know what it was I'd adopted." Faith in Practice: Holding on to the Mystery of Love, by Bruce Cockburn as told to Cole Morton, Third Way, September 1994, page 15.
- ^ Adria, Marco, "Making Contact with Bruce Cockburn", Music of Our Times: Eight Canadian Singer-Songwriters (Toronto: Lorimer, 1990), p. 97.
- ^ McPherson, David (Fall 2012). "Bernie Finkelstein's Golden Mountain". Words and Music.
- ^ Cockburn, p. 121
- ^ "Juno Award Nominations Listed". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 9, 1974. p. 54.
- ^ "Cockburn Push". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. June 2, 1979. pp. 89–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100: February 16, 1985". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ Mackowycz, Bob (November 30, 1991). "T.O.'s top songs of all time". Toronto Star. p. K3.
- ^ "LIVE: Music Without Borders"[usurped]. Chart Attack, October 22, 2001. Review by Paul Gangadeen
- ^ Victoria Times Colonist, April 17, 2008
- ^ CBC. "Cockburn visits brother in Afghanistan". CBC.ca. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
- ^ "Junos 2018: the complete list of winners". CBC News, · March 25, 2018
- ^ Bordowitz, Hank (2001). "Cockburn, Bruce." In N. Slonimsky & L. Kuhn (eds.), Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (Vol. 1, p. 673). New York: Schirmer. Gale Virtual Reference Library (accessed June 5, 2018).
- ^ Allen, p. 80
- ^ Allen, pp. 81–83
- ^ "River of Sand". kensingtontv.com. Archived from the original on August 30, 2013.
- ^ "Bruce Cockburn Pacing the Cage". visiontv.ca. Vision TV Channel Canada. June 23, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "Canadian poet Al Purdy inspires songs by Jason Collett, Sarah Harmer and more" Archived February 3, 2019, at the Wayback Machine. Now, January 22, 2019.
- ^ "Creation Dream by Michael Occhipinti". Michaelocchipinti.com. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
Cockburn plays on the track 'Pacing the Cage'
- ^ "Bruce Cockburn – biography". Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ^ Allen, 65
- ^ "The Guess Who, Murray McLauchlan Win Big At SOCAN"[usurped]. Chart Attack, November 20, 2001
- ^ "Marketing & Communications | index". Mun.ca. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
- ^ "Bruce Cockburn addresses graduates". mcmaster.ca. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Laurentian University Recognizes four eminent Canadians in 2014". laurentian.ca. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Bruce Cockburn Receives Honorary Degree from Carleton University". carleton.ca. June 12, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Song sung green: Earth Day Canada recognizes Bruce Cockburn for his outstanding commitment to the environment." Alternatives Journal, vol. 36, no. 5, 2010, p. 44+. General OneFile. Accessed June 5, 2018.
- ^ "Diamond Jubilee Gala toasts exceptional Canadians". CBC. June 18, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- ^ "2012 SOCAN AWARDS". Socan.ca. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
- ^ "The People's Voice Award". Folk Alliance International. March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
- ^ "CSHF Announces 2017 Inductees". May 16, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ Cockburn, p. 154
- ^ Feniak, Peter (March 17, 2016). "Good Times interview Bruce Cockburn". brucecockburn.com. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ Cockburn, pp. 132–133
- ^ "Bruce Cockburn, 66, and girlfriend welcome new baby". Toronto Star. November 22, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2014 – via thestar.com.
- ^ Parry, Nigel. "Bruce Cockburn online – Home". cockburnproject.net. The Cockburn Project. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "Bruce Cockburn is living in Frisco". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on June 15, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014 – via theprovince.com.
References
[edit]- Allen, Aaron S. (2013). "Bruce Cockburn: Canadian, Christian, Conservationist". In Weglarz, Kristine; Pedelty, Mark (eds.). Political Rock. Ashgate Popular and Folk Music Series. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 9781409446224.
- Cockburn, Bruce (2014). Rumours of Glory. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-1-44342-072-3.
External links
[edit]- 1945 births
- Living people
- Berklee College of Music alumni
- Canadian Protestants
- Canadian folk guitarists
- Canadian Folk Music Award winners
- Canadian folk rock musicians
- Canadian folk singer-songwriters
- Canadian male guitarists
- Canadian male singer-songwriters
- Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Cockburn family
- Converts to Protestantism from atheism or agnosticism
- Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music
- Juno Award for Artist of the Year winners
- Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year winners
- Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Solo winners
- Musicians from Ottawa
- Singers from Ontario
- Officers of the Order of Canada
- True North Records artists
- Governor General's Award winners
- 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters
- 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters