Ronald Eldon 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, and John Hiatt—are now people whose praise he has won. [2]
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RON SEXSMITH TICKETS
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Biography
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.
He decided to start writing songs after the birth of his first child, Christopher,
[3] 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
.
[4] Next came the birth of his second child, Evelyn, in 1989.
Meanwhile, he worked as a courier, and released
Grand Opera Lane
in 1991. On the strength of this album he 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.
[5] Between 1997 and 2001, Sexsmith released three more albums before the acclaimed
Cobblestone Runway
in 2002.
Retriever
, a more pop-oriented album than those before, is dedicated to
Elliott Smith and
Johnny Cash.
[6] In 2004, he performed at the
RuhrTriennale in the concert series
Century of Song hosted by
Grammy Award-winner
Bill Frisell.
[7]
On
May 1,
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.
In 2005, he released a collection of songs recorded with drummer
Don Kerr during the production of
Retriever
, called
Destination Unknown
. Director Liz Marshall made a whimsical music video for the song "Listen", it was shot in and around Toronto's harbour with Sexsmith & Kerr paddling in a canoe and basking in the spring sunshine. The same year, he won a songwriter of the year
Juno Award for "Whatever it Takes".
[8]
The song "Gold in Them Hills" written by Sexsmith features vocals from
Coldplay's
Chris Martin. In addition to 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.
[9] His song "Secret Heart" has been covered by
Rod Stewart,
Feist, and
Nick Lowe.
Personal life
Sexsmith has two children with his ex-wife Jocelyne
[10]: a son, Christopher (born in 1985); and a daughter, Evelyn (born in 1989).
[ [11]
]
In 2001, his fifteen-year marriage ended. [12]
His partner, Colleen Hixenbaugh, is also a musician. She is a member of By Divine Right and half of the duo Jack and Ginger. [13]
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. Retriever
is considered his most pop-influenced album.
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."
Philosophy
Life
In a June 8, 1999 interview, Rolling Stone contributor Kyle Bloom asked Sexsmith for the meaning of life. Sexsmith responded with the following:
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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,
Discography
Albums
- 1991: Grand Opera Lane
(independent, produced by Bob Wiseman, with The Uncool)
- 1995: Ron Sexsmith
(Interscope/Warner, produced by Mitchell Froom)
- 1997: Other Songs
(Interscope/Warner)
- 1999: Whereabouts
(Interscope/Warner)
- 2001: Blue Boy
(produced by Steve Earle)
- 2002: Cobblestone Runway
(produced by Martin Terefe)
- 2003: Rarities
- 2004: Retriever
(Warner)
- 2005: Destination Unknown
(V2, with Don Kerr, released as Sexsmith & Kerr)
- 2006: Time Being
(Warner, also released in 2007 by Coppertree Records UK on 180g vinyl)
- 2008: Exit Strategy of the Soul
(Yep Roc)
Other contributions
- 2002: This Is Where I Belong - The Songs of Ray Davies & The Kinks
- "This Is Where I Belong"
- 2002: WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 - On Air Performances
- "Just My Heart Talking"
- 2003: Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot
- "Drifters"
- 2008: Northern Songs: Canada's Best and Brightest
- "All in Good Time"
The Kelele Brothers
- Escape from Bover County
(Gas Station Recordings)
- Has-Beens & Wives
(Gas Station Recordings)
References
- Ron Sexsmith interview - Triste Magazine
- Ron Sexsmith Biography
- Metronews Music Reviews
- allmusic ((( Ron Sexsmith > Overview )))
- Ron Sexsmith Interview
- Amazon.co.uk: Retriever: Music: Ron Sexsmith
- http://www.billfrisell.com/index-bio.htm
- CBC.ca Arts - Billy Talent, Avril, k-os win big at Junos
- Ron Sexsmith in Concert : NPR Music
- A master of restraint
- Ron Sexsmith's Beautiful View: Ron Sexsmith : Rolling Stone
- Ron Sexsmith: Cobblestone Runway - PopMatters Music Review
- Ron Sexsmith : Ron Sexsmith Talks on 'Time Being' and Songwriting : Soul Shine Magazine