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Susan Crowe

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Susan Crowe
BornHalifax, Nova Scotia
GenresFolk
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Singing
guitar
Years active1970s–1980s, 1994–present
LabelsCorvus
Websitesusancrowe.com

Susan Crowe is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter.[1][2] She was the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards English songwriter of the year and has been nominated for two Juno Awards.[3][4]

Career

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Crowe's interest in music began when her father and mother enrolled her in piano lessons as a child.[1] While she did not enjoy the piano, she began playing her older brother's guitar.[2] Crowe was writing songs by the time she was 11 years old and performing in coffee houses at age 19.[5] She performed at coffee houses and folk clubs in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area through the late 1970s.[2]

In 1980, Crowe moved to Toronto, Ontario to further her musical career and help her partner through medical school by working as a waitress and at the Canada Post.[2][6] Eight years later she moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she worked multiple jobs, including stints as a waitress, art gallery assistant, mail carrier and beekeeper.[1][2]

Crowe returned to music in 1994 and released her first album, This Far From Home, that same year.[1][2][7] The production of This Far From Home was paid for using proceeds from a coffee shop located in the south side of Vancouver that Crowe had opened.[6] This Far From Home was nominated for the 1996 Juno award for Best Roots & Traditional Album: Solo.[3] In 1996 she also released her second album, The Door to the River.[7] Her third album, A Pilgrim's Mirror, was released in 2000.[7] A Pilgrim's Mirror was nominated for a West Coast Music Award.[1]

In the early 2000s Crowe toured the Czech Republic with artists including Katherine Wheatley and Lenka Slaba.[8] She joined Laura Smith and Cindy Church to form the trio brava in 2002 at the urging of music agent Chris Hopkins.[9] brava toured throughout Canada from 2003 to 2004.[10]

Crowe released Book of Days, her fourth album, in 2003. Book of Days was produced by Danny Greenspoon and was nominated for two awards: the 2004 Juno award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo, and the 2004 East Coast Music Association award for Roots / Traditional Solo Artist of the Year.[3][11] She also won Music Nova Scotia's 2004 Female Artist of the Year award for her work on Book of Days.[1] Five years later, in 2009, Crowe released Greytown, which was also produced by Greenspoon.[1] Her work on Greytown earned Crowe the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award for English Songwriter of the year.[12]

She served as executive producer for All the Diamonds, Raylene Rankin's final album.[13]

Associated acts

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From 2003–2004, Crowe toured throughout Canada with Laura Smith and Cindy Church as a member of the group brava.[6][10] In 2007, Crowe reunited with Church when she, Church and Raylene Rankin formed the group Rankin, Church & Crowe.[14][15] Rankin, Church & Crowe released a live album entitled Live at Alderney Landing in 2008.[15] Rankin, Church and Crowe toured together until fall 2011 when Rankin underwent treatment for a recurrence of cancer. Following Rankin's death in 2012, Crowe began performing less and concentrating on Corvus Records, her record label.[16]

Corvus Records

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Susan Crowe founded Corvus Records in 1996 to help independent artists complete recording projects.[17] Artists signed to Corvus include John Reischman, John Reischman and The Jaybirds, John Miller, Nick Hornbuckle, and Susan Crowe.[18][19] Raylene Rankin was also signed to Corvus Records prior to her death in 2012.

Albums

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  • 1994: This Far From Home
  • 1995: The Door to the River
  • 1998: A Pilgrim's Mirror
  • 2004: Book of Days
  • 2009: Greytown

Awards and nominations

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  • 1995: Juno Award Nominee in the Best Roots/Traditional Solo Recording category
  • 1997: West Coast Music Award nominee
  • 2004: Music Industry of Nova Scotia's Best Female Artist Award
  • 2004: Juno Award Nominee in the Best Roots/Traditional Solo Recording category
  • 2004: East Coast Music Award Nominee
  • 2005: East Coast Music Award Nominee
  • 2009: English Songwriter of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Canadian Guitarist Learns Music and Life Skills from Beekeeping". International Musician. November 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Sandy MacDonald. "Crowe has firmly established herself as one of the leading mature voices in the Canadian folk landscape". Halifax Daily News.
  3. ^ a b c "Artist Summary – The JUNO Awards". Juno Awards.
  4. ^ "Halifax's Joel Plaskett takes leading two trophies at Canadian Folk Music Awards". MSN Canada. 21 November 2009.
  5. ^ Rosaleen Gregory (1 September 2004). "A Special Folk Festival: Calgary's 25th Anniversary". Canadian Folk Music.
  6. ^ a b c Katherine Monk. "As this Crowe flies: Singer-songwriter Susan Crowe sold cappuccinos and lattes from a street-side espresso machine to finance a CD that would end her 13-year hiatus from performing: CROWE: Recording another CD". The Vancouver Sun.
  7. ^ a b c "Susan Crowe Discography". AllMusic.
  8. ^ Robert Reid (17 January 2002). "Answering the call of the Schoolhouse; Katherine Wheatley and Cate Friensen will reunite at Arkell for one special night". Kitchener-Waterloo Record.
  9. ^ "Solo mates reunite as Brava". The Vancouver Sun. 18 March 2004.
  10. ^ a b Robert Reid (30 January 2004). "Smith returns for unique On-stage show at Centre; East Coast singer revels in live shows and prepares for national tour with BRAVA trio". Kitchener-Waterloo Record.
  11. ^ "Book of Days – Susan Crowe". AllMusic.
  12. ^ "Plaskett double winner at Canadian Folk Music Awards". Canadian Broadcasting Company. 22 November 2009.
  13. ^ "Documentary: All the Diamonds". Canadian Broadcasting Company. 3 June 2012.
  14. ^ Meagan Baxter (11 October 2011). "Good things come in threes". Sherwood Park – Strathcona County News.
  15. ^ a b Tom Murray. "One-off collaboration 'clicked' as partnership". Edmonton Journal.
  16. ^ Jonathan Waddell (9 October 2012). "Humour, empathy came naturally to Rankin Family star". The Globe and Mail.
  17. ^ Larry LaBlanc (5 February 2005). "Jaybirds Fly Through Bluegrass On New CD". Billboard Magazine.
  18. ^ Donald Teplyske (15 June 2013). "The Story Behind...John Reischman & The Jaybirds". Country Standard Time.
  19. ^ "John Reischman and the Jaybirds". Australian Broadcasting Company. 13 August 2009.
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