Winner of 11 JUNO Awards, 31 nominations
Bruce Cockburn is one of the most modest men you can meet. Initially, he seems almost shy- he certainly doesn’t move into major “schmooze mode” at the drop of a free drink at a music industry gathering; in fact, he tries to avoid them.
Which is why he might seem slightly out of place as he accepts his induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and why his acceptance of the major honour will likely sound a little hesitant. “It’s a great honour,” he said, pausing to add: “But somehow it feels, well too soon.”
Off-stage, Cockburn has a warm sense of humour, and seems almost detached from the person who’s still vigorously pursuing a career that started will over 30 years ago. Along the way, he has released 25 albums (17 of them gold, three platinum), earned 10 Juno Awards, 15 citations from Canadian performing rights organizations, three honorary doctorates, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and a variety of honours from countries as disparate as Holland, Italy and Australia. And, most importantly, the Order of Canada.
His first solo album, self-titled, was released in 1970, and was also a debut for True north, the still-flourishing label founded by Cockburn’s long-time manager, Bernie Finkelstein. By then, however, Cockburn was already a seasoned performer, a promising songwriter and a skilled guitarist, as well as a member of the Ottawa band Three’s a Crowd.
The success of the 1970′s debut solo album- and the response to his title song for the classic Canadian film Goin’ Down the Road- earned him the first of three successive Junos as Canadian Folksinger of the Year, followed as the ’70s turned into the ’80s with Junos as Folk Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. And he hasn’t slowed down since. Each successive record has been followed by a major tour which always includes performances in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. A consistent draw, he rarely plays less than 70 concerts a year, and he recalls one tour that logged 140 shows before he came home for well-deserved rest. And despite the fact that his major radio “hit” quotient is relatively low (by current pop standards), songs like Mama Just Wants to Barrelhouse All Night Long, Coldest Night of the Year, Tokyo, All the Diamonds, Wondering Where the Lions Are, The Trouble with Normal, Lovers in a Dangerous Time, and dozens more resonate with audiences every time he plays. In addition, Cockburn’s songs have been “covered” by more than 150 different artists- group as diverse as the Barenaked Ladies, Jimmy Buffett, Anne Murray, Maria Muldaur, and Jerry Garcia.
Unlike most pop music stars, Bruce Cockburn is deeply committed to a host of humanitarian causes; he heads everybody’s list to headline benefits, and accepts a surprisingly large number of invitations. He is certainly not, however, an earnest “do-gooder”- he approaches his work for various “causes” with a clear eye and a practical sense of purpose.
A 1983 trip to refugee camps in Central America was an eye-opener for the singer- and it led to one of his best-known (and angriest) songs to date, If I Had a Rocket Launcher. On behalf of OXFAM, he made a visit to war-ravaged Mozambique- and returned in 1995 to discover the devastation caused by the war’s legacy: the landmines that killed men, women and children at random.
To mark Canada’s signing of the international treaty to ban landmines in December 1997, he organized and played- with Jackson Browne and Jann Arden- a major Ottawa benefit concert. Three years later, Ottawa was on the tour schedule for another series of benefit performances, this time-sharing the stage with Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Steve Earle.
On behalf of the Unitarian Service Committee, with which he has been involved for well over two decades, he’s traveled to Nepal and to Mli (where he filmed the TV special River of Sand). However, his involvement with Canadian issues goes back even further; he’s the honorary chairman of the Canadian arm of Friends of the Earth, and also serves on that organization’s international advisory board.
This year, however, Cockburn is taking a sabbatical. He’ll stay close to home in Toronto, he’ll write new songs, and he will maintain his impeccable guitar skills, and he’s also certain to travel. He will, however, take part in some more landmine benefit concerts- and he’ll participatein the 500th edition of Mountain Stage, the widely syndicated National Public Radio show.
And he will be on stage at the Juno Awards ceremonies to accept the accolades of his peers, and the applause of an audience for whom his music and his activism have always been special.
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