Tom Cochrane

Tom Cochrane

Tom Cochrane, O.C. (born May 14 1953) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, whose story-telling songs have earned him the nickname "The thinking man's rocker." His music has been critically referred to as the "soundtrack to a mid-life crisis". His best known song is the hit single "Life Is a Highway" which peaked at #6 on the US Billboard charts in 1992 and was a number one hit in his native Canada. The track also hit #1 in Australia where Cochrane has a very loyal following. He still remains a major act in his home country.

Biography

Cochrane was born in Lynn Lake, Manitoba to Violet and Tuck Cochrane, a bush pilot. The family relocated to Etobicoke, Ontario in the West Deane Park area when Tom was four years old. He purchased his first guitar at age 11 by selling a toy train set. He attended Martingrove Collegiate Institute in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, he was performing in coffee houses across Canada. He eventually made his way to Los Angeles where he found a job writing theme music for My Pleasure is My Business, a Xaviera Hollander movie. Unable to find steady income from music, Cochrane returned to Toronto where he drove a taxi cab and later took a job on a Caribbean cruise liner to help pay the bills. Cochrane went back to Los Angeles in 1976, trying to sell his songs to publishers but without success, and returned to Toronto in 1977. Cochrane walked into the El Mocambo club one night in Toronto and came across a band of locals calling themselves Red Rider. After an audition, they agreed to Cochrane joining the band as lead singer and songwriter, a decision that would change their musical careers.

After the Red Rider era, Cochrane set off on his soloist path again. In 1990, Cochrane took his family to West Africa where he helped to raise awareness and money for the World Vision famine relief organization. That experience shaped his next album Mad Mad World which contained the internationally acclaimed hit single "Life is a Highway".

In 1992, Tom sang the Canadian national anthem in the game 2 of the 1992 World Series of baseball. Unfortunately, he sang it improperly; the section of the song which is to be sung as "...from far and wide, oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee..." was instead sung as follows: "...oh Canada, we stand on guard, we stand on guard for thee..."

The three-CD box set Ashes to Diamonds, including material by both Red Rider and Cochrane as a solo artist, was released in 1993.

In 1995, he released Ragged Ass Road and followed that with a Canadian tour in 1996. The tour resulted in Songs of a Circling Spirit, a live CD and multi-media package of previously released material.

In June 1999, Cochrane was involved in a light plane crash in Montreal, after his plane's engine stalled just after take-off. No one was injured.

At the 2003 Juno Awards, Tom Cochrane was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The special award ceremony took place April 5 2003 at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec.

In December 2003 he was one of the musical guests on a CBC special called, Rick Mercer's Christmas in Kabul.

On July 2 2005, Cochrane took part in the Live 8 concert series.

Cochrane's new album "No Stranger" recorded in rural Ontario and was released October 31, 2006.

"Life Is A Highway" was covered in 2006 by the country band Rascal Flatts for the motion picture "Cars" and became a successful country single.

"Life Is A Highway" was also performed on "America's Got Talent" by a country singing performer in the Semi-Final round.

In 2007 he accepted the role of Honorary Colonel of the Air Force's 409 "Nighthawks" Tactical Fighter Squadron. As such, he acts as an intermediary between the unit, and the government and the public at large.

He currently lives with his family in Oakville, Ontario.

Discography

See Red Rider for material released by Cochrane in the 1980s.

Singles

Cochrane (1974)

Release date	Title	Chart peak			Album
		Canada RPM 100	US Hot 100	US Main- stream Rock
December 1973	"You're Driving Me Crazy (Faith Healers)"	71			Hang on to Your Resistance

Tom Cochrane (1990-present)

Release date	Title	Chart peak			Album
		Canada RPM 100	US Hot 100	US Main- stream Rock
August 1991	"Life Is A Highway"	1			Mad Mad World
December 1991	"No Regrets"	3
March 1992	"Sinking Like A Sunset"	2
July 1992	"Mad Mad World"	25
December 1992	"Bigger Man"	45
August 1995	"I Wish You Well"	2			Ragged Ass Road
December 1995	"Wildest Dreams"	5
March 1996	"Dreamer's Dream"	4
August 1996	"Crawl"	11
November 1997	"Good Man Feeling Bad"	46			Songs of a Circling Spirit
December 1997	"Lunatic Fringe"
January 1999	"Willie Dixon Said"	30			X-Ray Sierra

Cochrane's music has appeared in a number of television shows and movies:

• "Vacation (In My Mind)" - During a surfing scene in Baywatch.
• "Friendly Advice" - A bar scene in Melrose Place.
• "Ragged Ass Road" - Due South
• "Life is a Highway" - Disney/Pixar "Cars"

Awards

Tom Cochrane has been nominated for and received a number of awards in the music industry. In 2007, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. [1]

Juno Awards

Cochrane has received seven Juno Awards:

• 1997 - Best Album Cover (Songs of a Circling Spirit)
• 1992 - Songwriter of the Year
• 1992 - Male Vocalist of the Year
• 1992 - Single of the Year ("Life Is A Highway")
• 1992 - Album of the Year (Mad Mad World)
• 1987 - Composer of the Year
• 1987 - Group of the Year (Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)

Cochrane has also been nominated for the following Junos:

• 2000 - Best Male Artist
• 1996 - Male Vocalist of the Year
• 1996 - Album of the Year (Ragged Ass Road)
• 1993 - Songwriter of the Year
• 1993 - Best Selling Album [Foreign or Domestic] (Mad Mad World)
• 1993 - Canadian Entertainer of the Year
• 1992 - Producer of the Year ("All the King's Men")
• 1990 - Group of the Year (Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)
• 1990 - Album of the Year (Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Victory Day)
• 1990 - Canadian Entertainer of the Year (Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)
• 1989 - Group of the Year (Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)
• 1989 - Canadian Entertainer of the Year (Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)
• 1987 - Composer of the Year
• 1987 - Canadian Entertainer of the Year (Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)

SOCAN Awards

Tom Cochrane has also received the following awards from SOCAN:

• 2003 - National Achievement Award
• 2003 - Classic Award ("Life Is A Highway")
• 1997 - Pop Music Award ("Dreamer's Dream" and "Wildest Dreams")
• 1996 - Pop Music Award ("I Wish You Well")
• 1993 - Pop Music Award ("No Regrets")
• 1992 - Pop Music Award ("Life Is A Highway")

References

• Canadian Music Encyclopedia entry

See also

• Canadian rock
• Music of Canada
• List of bands from Canada
• Cochrane

External links

• Official Web Site
• A Fan Website
• Video Interview and No Stranger Album Launch Feature