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Tom Wilson (musician)

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For other people with the same name, see Thomas Wilson (disambiguation).
Tom Wilson
Tehoh'ahake
CM
Tom Wilson performing at the Haven Social Club in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Background information
Birth nameThomas Cunningham Wilson
Also known asLee Harvey Osmond
Born1959 (age 64–65)
OriginHamilton, Ontario, Canada
GenresBlues, rock, psychedelic folk, folk, Americana
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, artist
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1980s–present
WebsiteTom Wilson

Thomas Lazare Wilson CM (born 1959) is a Canadian rock musician from Hamilton, Ontario. A veteran of the Canadian music scene, Wilson has been a writer and performer for many years. Wilson's eclectic musical style has ranged from the psychobilly/R&B sounds of the Florida Razors, to the western/roots style of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and the funk/blues-inspired rock of Junkhouse.

Early life

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Wilson grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, secretly adopted and raised by his great-aunt and uncle. Later in life Tom discovered his birth parents, Louis Beauvais and Jane Lazare, both Mohawk from Kahnawake.[1] Tom did not confirm his Mohawk identity until he was an adult.[2] Wilson discovered the truth about his adoption by chance: a speaking tour handler who had been an old friend of his great-aunt mentioned she had been there the day he was adopted.[3][4]

Career

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Tom Wilson's first performing band was The Florida Razors, formed in 1981 with guitarist Jason Avery, guitarist Bruce Cameron, bassist Steven Toth and drummer Greg Cannon. Steven Toth and Bruce Cameron left the band in 1982 and Carl Keesee joined on bass. They released one full-length album, Beat Music, in 1986 but dissolved in 1987.[5][6]

In the 1990s, Wilson fronted the band Junkhouse.[7] Junkhouse released three studio albums and a number of singles.

In 1996, he joined with Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing to form the roots rock trio Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.[8][9]

In 1999, Wilson performed solo as part of The White Ribbon Concert at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto.[10]

In 2001, Wilson released a solo album, Planet Love, which featured the hit "Dig It". In 2006 he released his second solo album, Dog Years. In between the release of both solo albums, he partnered up with Daniel Lanois's older brother, Bob Lanois, to record The Shack Recordings Volume 1, a collection of quieter acoustic songs with Bob Lanois recording and accompanying him on blues harp on some songs.

It was around this time Wilson and comedian Cathy Jones met and became engaged. They split their time between Hamilton and Nova Scotia, though they never married.

In 2011, he toured with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings in support of their album Kings and Queens. That year he performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.[11]

In 2015, Wilson was commissioned by the city of Hamilton to paint a mural depicting the history of music in the city.[12]

Wilson's most recent project is Lee Harvey Osmond, which is a collaborative effort with members of Cowboy Junkies and Skydiggers.[13]

His songs have been performed by Mavis Staples, Colin James, Stephen Fearing, Adam Gregory, Billy Ray Cyrus, Craig Northey, David Ricketts and Edwin. Numerous Wilson songs have been used in television, commercials and motion pictures.

In 2017, Wilson published a memoir of his life to date, titled Beautiful Scars.[14] The memoir addressed his discovery of his Mohawk heritage, which he also addressed musically for the first time on Lee Harvey Osmond's 2019 album Mohawk.[15] In 2022 he released Mother Love, a collaborative album with iskwē.[16]

He was the subject of Shane Belcourt's 2022 documentary film Beautiful Scars, which premiered at the 2022 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.[17]

Wilson was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Canada in June 2023,[18] with this citation: For his multifaceted contributions to the arts in Canada, notably as an iconic musician, as well as for his advocacy of Indigenous communities in Canada.

Personal life

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In the mid-1980s, Wilson met Sandy Shaw while performing in a Kingston, Ontario bar. They began a relationship and, in 1989, moved to Hamilton.[19] The couple married in 1995 after having two children.[20] The couple divorced in the early 2000s, though remained close, with Wilson performing at a campaign fundraiser for Shaw when she ran for municipal office in Hamilton in 2014.[21]

In 2006, Wilson was engaged to comedian Cathy Jones.[22] However, they were never married.

Wilson's son, Thompson Wilson Shaw, is also a musician, formerly part of the folk-rock group Harlan Pepper. They would occasionally tour together, and Harlan Pepper opened for Blackie and the Rodeo Kings on some of their concerts.[23] Wilson's daughter, Madeline Wilson Shaw, worked as a music promoter and political staffer with the Ontario NDP.[19]

Since 2015, Wilson has been in a relationship with Margot Burnell.[24]

References

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  1. ^ Deborah Dundas, "Singer Tom Wilson faces his voice and his story in memoir". Toronto Star, November 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "‘I am a living breathing lie’: Tom Wilson on learning the truth of his birth". Maclean's, November 14, 2017.
  3. ^ Tom Wilson's surprising encounter with a stranger, retrieved 2019-02-14
  4. ^ "How musician Tom Wilson discovered his Indigenous identity | CBC Radio". CBC. November 13, 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  5. ^ "Florida Razors|Biography and History". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. ^ "About - Tom Wilson Online". Tom Wilson Online. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  7. ^ "A Steeltown secret: Tom Wilson's memoir goes deeper than your average rock 'n' roll book. Calgary Herald, Eric Volmers, December 2, 2017
  8. ^ "Blackie and the Rodeo Kings". The Canadian Encyclopedia, Bruce Farley Mowat, Anne-marie Pedersen, February 19, 2013
  9. ^ "Tom Wilson Dog Years". Exclaim!, By David McPherson, Mar 01, 2006
  10. ^ "Live Reviews: The White Ribbon Concert The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, Ontario"[usurped]. Chart Attack, June 8, 1999, by Mike McCann
  11. ^ "The Mountain Man comes to the Prairies". Uniter, Adam Petrash, November 2, 2011
  12. ^ "Tom Wilson Pays Homage to Hamilton's Musical History with New Mural. Exclaim!, By Kerry Doole, Mar 05, 2015
  13. ^ Deming, Mark. "Blackie & the Rodeo Kings". www.allmusic.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  14. ^ Kerry Doole, "In Beautiful Scars, Tom Wilson plumbs his Mohawk roots". Toronto Star, November 24, 2017.
  15. ^ "Lee Harvey Osmond Announces 'Mohawk' Album". Exclaim!, November 21, 2018.
  16. ^ Alisha Mughal, "iskwē and Tom Wilson's 'Mother Love' Is a Stunning Exercise in Contrasts". Exclaim!, July 21, 2022.
  17. ^ Justin Anderson, "Hot Docs ’22: “Beautiful Scars” tackles art, family trauma and identity". RealScreen, May 6, 2022.
  18. ^ "Order of Canada appointees – June 2023". The Governor General of Canada. June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  19. ^ a b "Young Professionals: Musician's daughter rocks gig as promoter". Hamilton Spectator. 9 March 2015.
  20. ^ "Junkhouse's Wilson ties the knot". Hamilton Spectator. 20 April 1995.
  21. ^ "Ward 1 Musicians in support of SANDY SHAW for Ward 1 Councillor HAMILTON featuring LORI YATES, TOMI SWICK and TOM WILSON". Facebook. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Variety show spices up married life: Comic Cathy Jones weds her husband's music with her stand-up on a tour that gets the couple a little more together". Press Reader. Vancouver Sun. 6 March 2006. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Tom Wilson and son Thompson perform as Lee Harvey Osmond at Peterborough's Market Hall on January 19". Kawartha Now. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  24. ^ Wilson, Tom (2017). Beautiful Scars: Steeltown Secrets, Mohawk Skywalkers and the Road Home. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. p. 186. ISBN 9780385685665.
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