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Jim Cuddy

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Jim Cuddy
OC
Jim Cuddy with Blue Rodeo in 2005 at the Spencerville Fair
Jim Cuddy with Blue Rodeo in 2005 at the Spencerville Fair
Background information
Birth nameJames Gordon Cuddy
Born (1955-12-02) December 2, 1955 (age 68)
Toronto, Canada
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, piano, mandolin, vocals
Years active1978–present
LabelsWarner Music Canada
Websitejimcuddy.com

James Gordon Cuddy, OC (born December 2, 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter[1] primarily associated with the band Blue Rodeo.[2]

Early life and education

Cuddy was born in Toronto, Ontario. His Mother Jean Cuddy was an English teacher at Monarch Park Secondary School. He attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute, where he met and befriended Greg Keelor, his future bandmate.[3] He also went to Upper Canada College and Queen's University.

Musical career

The Hi-Fis

After graduating from university, Cuddy and Keelor formed a band called the Hi-Fis along with Jim Sublett on drums and Malcolm Schell playing bass. The band released a single in 1980 featuring "Look What You've Done" and on the B side "I Don't Know Why (You Love Me)". The record was not a commercial success, and when they couldn't get a record deal in Toronto, they headed off to New York City.[4] In New York they met keyboardist Bob Wiseman, but were still unable to arrange a recording contract. They later moved back to Toronto.

Blue Rodeo

Main article: Blue Rodeo

In 1984 Cuddy and Keelor formed a new band, Blue Rodeo, with Wiseman, and recruited Bazil Donovan on bass and Cleave Anderson on drums as backup. Since that time, Cuddy has continued to lead the band, which has toured extensively and released 16 studio albums.

Jim Cuddy Band

Cuddy has recorded five solo albums and performs live with the Jim Cuddy Band, featuring musicians such as Bazil Donovan, Colin Cripps, Joel Anderson, Steve O'Connor, Anne Lindsay and Gavin Brown. Guest performers on his solo albums have included Kathleen Edwards, former Weeping Tile member Sarah Harmer, and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy.[5]

Other endeavours

Jim Cuddy's song "Whistler" from the All in Time album was featured in the 2002 documentary Ski Bums by John Zaritsky. 

In 2016, Cuddy participated in a benefit concert in Edmonton, Alberta and another in Toronto, Ontario for the citizens of Fort McMurray, whose town was destroyed by fire.[6]

On March 19, 2020, he performed the first concert in the National Arts Centre's #CanadaPerforms series of livestreamed home concerts by Canadian musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]

He narrates the TVOntario documentary series Striking Balance.[8]

Awards

Cuddy won Best Male Vocalist at The 1999 JUNO Awards and Adult Alternative Album of the Year for The Light That Guides You Home at The 2007 JUNO Awards[9]

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.[10]

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".[11]

Personal life

Cuddy is married to Canadian actress Rena Polley.[12] They have three children, their daughter Emma, and their two sons, Devin and Sam, who are also musicians.[13] His brother Loftus Cuddy was a Conservative candidate for the riding of Toronto—Danforth in the 2004 Canadian federal election.[12]

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 2016, Cuddy collaborated with Tawse Winery in Niagara to launch a new wine brand, Cuddy by Tawse.[14]

In 2017, Cuddy narrated the documentary TV series Striking Balance.[15]

Discography

This section is about Cuddy's own album releases. For Cuddy's discography with Blue Rodeo, see Blue Rodeo.

Albums

Title Album details Peak positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
CAN
[16]
All in Time
  • Release date: September 8, 1998
  • Label: WEA
 38
The Light That Guides You Home
  • Release date: September 12, 2006
  • Label: WEA
 18
Skyscraper Soul
  • Release date: September 27, 2011
  • Label: WEA
 8
Constellation
  • Release date: January 26, 2018
  • Label: WEA
 3
Countrywide Soul
  • Release date: May 31, 2019
  • Label: WEA
 56

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"
2018 "You Be The Leaver" Tatjana Green/Matthew Barnett[19]
"Constellations" Christopher Mills
2019 "Back Here Again" Stephen Hughes
"Glorious Day" Peter Guzda

References

  1. ^ "Review: Blue Rodeo warms hearts on Valentine's Day". Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen February 15, 2016
  2. ^ "Stanfest gets dazzling start". Chronicle Herald, By STEPHEN COOKE July 1, 2012 -
  3. ^ "Jim Cuddy gives us the story behind the greatest love song in Canadian history ". Post City Toronto, By Judith Muster February 12, 2016
  4. ^ Panontin, Michael. "Review of Hi-Fi's I Don't Know Why (You Love Me)". canuckistanmusic.com/. Canuckistan Music. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  5. ^ "Concert Review: Jim Cuddy Band provides a monumental evening at Massey Hall". National Post, Jason Rehel | February 15, 2012
  6. ^ "Jim Cuddy talks about his love of Alberta, Blue Rodeo's next album and the 'magnificent' Gord Downie". Mike Bell, Calgary Herald July 8, 2016
  7. ^ Richard Trapunski, "Canada's National Arts Centre and Facebook will pay musicians for livestreams". Now, March 19, 2020.
  8. ^ Meaghan Brackenbury, "Watch: Sahtu’s biosphere reserve shines in national TV series". Cabin Radio, October 1, 2020.
  9. ^ "JUNO Awards". www.junoawards.ca.
  10. ^ "2000 SOCAN AWARDS – SOCAN". www.socan.ca. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2016.
  11. ^ "Governor General Announces 90 New Appointments to the Order of Canada". December 30, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Quill, Greg (February 2, 2008). "Jim Cuddy on the road again". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  13. ^ "Jim Cuddy finds Pain a 'clarifying thing'". Toronto Star. RICHARD OUZOUNIAN, February 14, 2009
  14. ^ "Rocker Jim Cuddy Debuts New Wine Brand". Everything Zoomer, Natalie MacLean | July 21, 2016
  15. ^ "Striking Balance Fundy Episode Set to Air". Fundy Biosphere Reserve. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  16. ^ "Jim Cuddy Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Certifications". Music Canada. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  18. ^ Bettsy Powell (January 16, 1999). "There's no place like home". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 50 and 58. ISSN 0006-2510.
  19. ^ "Press Release: JIM CUDDY RELEASES 4th SOLO ALBUM, CONSTELLATION". Warner Music Canada. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
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