Ron Sexsmith

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Ron Sexsmith

Ron Sexsmith in July 2004
Background information
Birth name Ronald Eldon Sexsmith
Born 8 January 1964 (1964-01-08) (age 48)
St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
Genres Pop, folk
Occupations Musician, Songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active 1978–present
Labels Warner Bros.
Associated acts The Uncool
The Kelele Brothers
Website www.ronsexsmith.com

Ronald Eldon "Ron" Sexsmith (born 8 January 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario, currently based in Toronto.[1] He started his own band when he was fourteen years old, and released the first recordings of his own material seven years later, in 1985. Some of the same artists who inspired Sexsmith—Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Ray Davies and John Hiatt—are now people whose praise he has won.[2]

Sexsmith is the subject of a 2010 documentary, Love Shines.[3]

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early career

Sexsmith was seventeen when he started playing at a bar, the Lion's Tavern, in his hometown. He would gain a reputation as "The One-Man Jukebox" for his aptitude for playing requests. However, four to five years of this led him to play original songs and more obscure music his audience did not favour.[1] He decided to start writing songs after the birth of his first child, Christopher,[4] in 1985. He moved to Toronto, formed a band called The Uncool, and released a cassette, Out of the Duff. A year later, he released There’s a Way.[5][1] Next came the birth of his second child, Evelyne, in 1989. Meanwhile, he worked as a courier, and befriended Bob Wiseman whom he met at an open stage. They became friends, Wiseman produced and arranged Grand Opera Lane which was released in 1991 utilizing Ron's band consisting of Don Kerr and Steve Charles along with Wiseman regulars Sarah McElcheran (horn arrangements) and Kim Ratcliffe on electric guitar . Every Canadian label who Wiseman took it to rejected it but one year later, Todd Sullivan at Geffen Records recommended Wiseman speak with Ronnie Vance in the publishing department. Eventually on the strength of this album, and the attention garnered by the song "Speaking with the Angels", Sexsmith earned a contract which led to his self-titled album in 1995. The album received wider attention when it was praised by Elvis Costello, for whom Sexsmith later opened.[6]

[edit] Increased success and recognition

Sexsmith in November 2010

Between 1997 and 2001, Sexsmith released three more albums before the acclaimed Cobblestone Runway in 2002.[5] Retriever, his next album, is a more pop-oriented album and is dedicated to Elliott Smith and Johnny Cash.[7] In 2004, he performed at the RuhrTriennale in the concert series Century of Song hosted by Grammy Award-winner Bill Frisell.[8]

On 1 May 2001, Sexsmith performed "Just My Heart Talkin'" on the BBC's Later... with Jools Holland musical showcase, alongside R.E.M., Orbital, India.Arie, and Clearlake. Holland backed him on piano. It was his second appearance on the show. He continued to grow in popularity, and began to have some radio success, particularly on Canadian adult oriented radio.[citation needed]

In 2002, Sexsmith recorded a cover version of "This Is Where I Belong", the title track for a tribute album called This Is Where I Belong - The Songs of Ray Davies and the Kinks, and including contributions from Damon Albarn, Bebel Gilberto and Queens of the Stone Age, among others. About this recording, Ray Davies later wrote, "he has a great voice". On 16 June 2011 Ron and his band performed the Kinks' song "Misfits" with Ray Davies at the Meltdown Festival in London, England.

The same year, he won a songwriter of the year Juno Award for "Whatever it Takes".[9]

Sexsmith's most recent album is Long Player Late Bloomer, released 1 March 2011.[3]

[edit] Collaborations and covers

Sexsmith has collaborated with many artists. A version of his song "Gold in Them Hills" from his 2002 album Cobblestone Runway features vocals from Coldplay's Chris Martin. Sexsmith sang on "An Elephant Insect" which appears on the 2003 Shonen Knife album Heavy Songs. In 2005, he released a collection of songs recorded with drummer Don Kerr during the production of Retriever, called Destination Unknown. Also in 2005, Sexsmith sang on the track "Song No. 6" by Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun, which featured on her album A Temporary Dive and again on her Duets album later the same year. In 2006 he performed a duet of "So Long Marianne" with Leonard Cohen in Yorkville, Toronto.

In addition to Chris Martin, Sexsmith has a number of famous admirers, including Elvis Costello, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Steve Earle, and Sheryl Crow, many of whom have covered Sexsmith's songs.[10] His song "Secret Heart" has been covered by Rod Stewart, Feist, and Nick Lowe. Sexsmith co-wrote "Brandy Alexander" with Feist—versions appear on Sexsmith's Exit Strategy of the Soul, and on Feist's international hit album The Reminder. More recently, a version of Sexsmith's "Whatever It Takes" appeared on Michael Bublé's 2009 album Crazy Love[citation needed]

In 2004, fellow Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. lang covered Sexsmith's song "Fallen" on her album Hymns of the 49th Parallel. He also wrote the title song of Emmylou Harris' 2011 album, Hard Bargain.[citation needed]

In 2010, Sexsmith appeared on "Liberace", a track off the album Vaudeville by Canadian rapper D-Sisive.

[edit] On film

Ron Sexsmith is the subject of the film Love Shines, directed by Douglas Arrowsmith and produced by Paperny Films. Love Shines premiered at the 2010 Vancouver International Film Festival on Friday, 8 October 2010.[citation needed]

[edit] Personal life

Sexsmith has two children with his ex-wife Jocelyne:[4] a son, Christopher (born in 1985); and a daughter, Evelyne (born in 1989).[4][6] Their fifteen-year marriage ended in 2001.[11]

His partner, Colleen Hixenbaugh, is also a musician. She is a member of By Divine Right, half of the duo Jack and Ginger,[12] and the duo Colleen and Paul with Paul Linklater.[12]

[edit] Style

His first five albums are generally melancholic pop folk with elegant melodies, accentuated use of guitars and economic application of other instruments. On his sixth album, Cobblestone Runway, producer Martin Terefe supplemented this style with, among other things, synthesizers, back-up singers, gospel choirs, and string sections.[11] Retriever is considered his most pop-influenced album.[citation needed]

He has said, "...my main objective is to try and stay out of the way of the song. I want to write songs that are good whether I'm singing them or not."[12]

[edit] Success

In a July 1999 interview, a Triste Magazine contributor said the following: "Every record seems to get great reviews, but then your sales don't ever really match." Sexsmith responded,

“ It does get frustrating. Every record you make you think there's another chance to bat and you're always striking out. So it is frustrating. I don't want to be like Nick Drake and Tim Hardin. They never really had much success in their [lives]. ... All my heroes had big hits and success. I see progress in the way it's building, but it is not in the way the general public can detect. ... It's out of my hands. I'm a 35-year-old guy from Canada and I don't write groove oriented-music. So, I can't expect too much.[1] ”


[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Other contributions

[edit] The Kelele Brothers

  • Escape from Bover County (Gas Station Recordings)
  • Has-Beens & Wives (Gas Station Recordings)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Steven Wilcock. "Ron Sexsmith interview - Triste Magazine". Triste.co.uk. http://www.triste.co.uk/sexsmith.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  2. ^ "Ron Sexsmith Biography". Yahoo Music. http://music.yahoo.com/ar-263550-bio--Ron-Sexsmith. Retrieved 2008-05-22. 
  3. ^ a b Perusse, Bernard (2 March 2011). "Montreal Gazette". Montreal Gazette. http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Sexsmith+finds+redemption+Long+Player+Late+Bloomer/4361446/story.html?id=4361446. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  4. ^ a b c "Metronews Music Reviews". Randy Krbechek. http://www.psnw.com/~randyk/072695.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-22. 
  5. ^ a b allmusic ((( Ron Sexsmith > Overview )))
  6. ^ a b "Ron Sexsmith's Beautiful View". Rolling Stone. 9 June 1999. http://replay.waybackmachine.org/20071114123940/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ronsexsmith/articles/story/5927073/ron_sexsmiths_beautiful_view. Retrieved 6 April 2011. 
  7. ^ "Retriever: Music: Ron Sexsmith". Amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Retriever-Ron-Sexsmith/dp/B0001XLVYA. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  8. ^ "biography". BillFrisell.com. http://www.billfrisell.com/index-bio.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  9. ^ "Billy Talent, Avril, k-os win big at Junos". CBC News. 4 April 2005. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/04/03/junoearly050403.html. 
  10. ^ "Ron Sexsmith in Concert : NPR Music". Npr.org. 12 January 2007. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6787015. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  11. ^ a b "Ron Sexsmith: Cobblestone Runway - PopMatters Music Review". Popmatters.com. http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/sexsmithron-cobblestone.shtml. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
  12. ^ a b c "Ron Sexsmith : Ron Sexsmith Talks on 'Time Being' and Songwriting : Soul Shine Magazine". Soulshine.ca. 27 July 2006. http://www.soulshine.ca/features/featuresarticle.php?fid=220. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 

[edit] External links

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