Johnnie Lovesin

Johnnie Lovesin
Born May 22, 1949 (age 68)
Val-d'Or, Quebec
Origin Toronto, Ontario
Genres rock
Occupation(s) Singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1960s-present

Johnnie Lovesin (born May 22, 1949 in Val-d'Or, Quebec)[1] is a Canadian rock singer, most noted as a two-time Juno Award nominee for Most Promising Male Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1984[2] and the Juno Awards of 1985.[3]

First active on the Yorkville scene in Toronto in the 1960s,[4] his first band was Black Ballet in 1969.[4] Over the next number of years he performed with the bands Johnnie Lovesin and the Invisible Band, Johnnie Lovesin and the Sidewalk Commandos and The Next, and as a solo artist under the stage name Crazy John Lovesin, the Ace from Space.[5] When the Invisible Band opened for The Ramones at a show in Toronto, one Toronto Sun music critic asserted in his review that Lovesin had blown the Ramones off the stage.[5] He released several singles during his early career.[5]

He released his debut album Set the Night on Fire in 1980,[6] and followed up with Rough Side of Town in 1983.[7] In addition to his Juno Award nominations for Most Promising Male Vocalist, he was nominated for a U-Know Award for Best Male Vocalist in 1985.[5] He then signed to A&M Records, which rereleased Rough Side of Town and his follow-up album Tough Breaks.[8] Soon after releasing Tough Breaks, however, Lovesin suffered a brain aneurysm shortly after performing at the city's annual New Year's Eve show at Nathan Phillips Square,[4] and withdrew from the music business for a time to recover.[4]

Upon his return to music, he became leader of the house band at Toronto's Matador Club,[9] and released the new album Ready to Rumble independently in 1996.[10] He now lives in Jordan, Ontario,[4] although he still performs occasional shows in Toronto including birthday shows in 2010[4] and 2016.[11]

Discography

  • Set the Night on Fire (1980)
  • Rough Side of Town (1983)
  • Tough Breaks (1986)
  • Ready to Rumble (1996)

References

  1. "Local Heroes: Johnny Lovesin". Toronto Star, April 18, 1986.
  2. "Final Juno nominees announced". The Globe and Mail, October 22, 1984.
  3. "Bryan Adams leads the Juno pack: Singer notches four nominations; new acts dominate". Billboard, September 14, 1985.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Canadian Rocker Johnnie Lovesin Celebrates his 61st Birthday". Cashbox, June 10, 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Johnnie Lovesin" at canoe.ca's Pop Music Encyclopedia.
  6. "Pop: Set the Night on Fire". The Globe and Mail, February 4, 1981.
  7. "Pop: Rough Side Of Town, Johnny Lovesin". The Globe and Mail, January 12, 1984.
  8. "Tough Breaks, Johnnie Lovesin". Toronto Star, August 1, 1986.
  9. "Tales from the Matador: If you can't remember where you've been, but you remember having a good time..." Toronto Star, June 16, 1994.
  10. "In search of gradual gratification". Toronto Star, June 6, 1996.
  11. "Johnnie Lovesin in TO to rock out his birthday today". Toronto Moon, May 23, 2016.
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