Alan Cross

@alancross

Longtime radio broadcaster and musicologist famous for The Ongoing History of New Music and now The Secret History of Rock.

Hometown:
Stonewall, Manitoba

First job/odd jobs:
One lean summer shoveling sheep manure.

First concert:
KISS, Winnipeg Arena, July 1977.

First record bought:
Elton John’s Greatest Hits, Volume 1

In my leisure time, you’ll find me:
What is this “leisure time” of which you speak? How do you pronounce “leisure”?

One thing I can’t live without is:
My English bull terrier.

Words of wisdom:
Be curious. Curiosity leads to two questions: (1) Why are things the way they are? and (2) Why do things HAVE to be the way they are?

Bernie Finkelstein

@truenorthrecord

Founded True North Records and The True North Publishing Group, representing artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLauchlan, and Dan Hill. In 2003, Finkelstein was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He also received the Order of Canada in 2007. In 2012, he released his memoir True North: A Life Inside the Music Business.

Hometown:
Toronto and Prince Edward County

First job/odd jobs:
Working at Honest Ed’s.

First concert:
Buddy Holly in Nottingham, England 1958.

First record bought:
Elvis Presley, Heartbreak Hotel

In my leisure time, you’ll find me:
Reading

One thing I can’t live without is:
My country home in Prince Edward County

Words of wisdom:
A country that can’t remember its past has no future.

Eric Alper

@ThatEricAlper, @eOneMusicCanada

Director of Media Relations and Label Acquisitions for eOne Music Canada; CTV’s music correspondent; Named to Billboard Magazine (for the 2nd Year), Paste Magazine and the National Post’s best on Twitter. Also runs www.ThatEricAlper.com. Eric has handled PR for the likes of Ringo Starr, Ray Charles, Randy Bachman, Snoop Lion, and many more.

Hometown:
Toronto, ON

First job/odd jobs:
Leah Posluns Theatre front of house staff at age 15. It taught me my first batch of social skills, interacting and working with the public.

First concert:
ABBA at Maple Leaf Gardens, 1979. The group ended their first and last North American tour that night. The screams were deafening, and I thought it was so cool they wore Leafs jerseys during the encore, not realizing that every single band does this for the hometown crowd.

First record bought:
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire. I bought it when I was 8, the same day I sat in a movie theatre watching American Hot Wax, the story of the birth rock and roll and Alan Freed. Before the movie, I had no idea what I was going to be watching. When it ended, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life.

In my leisure time, you’ll find me:
Working with my daughter, Hannah, on her blog, CallMeHannah.ca and reading music bios and history books

One thing I can’t live without is:
A case of Coke. By an arm’s length. I don’t have a problem with caffeine. I have a problem without caffeine.

Words of wisdom:
Dance like the picture’s not being tagged. Love like you’ve never been unfriended. Tweet like no one’s following.

Jeffrey Remedios

@jeffreyremedios, @artsandcrafts

Toronto-based president and co-founder of Arts & Crafts, one of the top independent music companies representing artists including Broken Social Scene, Feist, Stars, Dan Mangan, Timber Timbre, and many more. Jeffrey oversees all aspects of the company’s business, establishing A&C as a global music brand. Rolling Stone Magazine recently cited Jeffrey as a key insider shaping the future of the music business.

Hometown:
Scarborough, Ontario

First job/odd jobs:
My first high-school summer job was helping digitize the inventory parts system for SLH Transport, Sears’ transportation division.

First concert:
Madonna, Blond Ambition. My older brother took me.

First record bought:
Michael Jackson, Thriller

In my leisure time, you’ll find me:
In the park with my dog.

One thing I can’t live without is:
Harmony

Words of wisdom:
I just finished reading Ronald White’s biography on Abraham Lincoln. It’s full of great, inspirational words of wisdom. My favourite: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Joel Carriere

@dinealonemusic

Founder and owner of Dine Alone Records/Bedlam Music Management/DA Foods. Represents artists including City and Colour, Alexisonfire, and the Sheepdogs.

Hometown:
St. Catharines, Ontario

First job/odd jobs:
During my teen years I used to work at my father’s friend’s produce store sorting out all of the rotten vegetables, and other odd jobs the employees refused to do. I got paid under the table and was able to grab free fruit when I wanted. Sometimes after hours I used to get a beer or two and listen to music with the older employees.

First concert:
I am not sure if this was my “game changer” moment, but it did have an impact on me. In Grade 10, I remember seeing 54-40 in a soccer field in St. Catharines. I remember how much I loved the social aspect of that evening – meeting new people, especially the girls. I remember staring at my friend’s girlfriend who I had a crush on, while I had this strange girl on my shoulders watching the concert. The music, the atmosphere, the hormones, everything combined made my mind race. It was beautifully overwhelming. I remember sneaking in beers by a fence and then picking them up when we got in. I remember loving the concert for what it was at the time and craving more once it had ended.

First record bought:
VINYL: Mötley Crüe, Shout at The Devil
CASSETTE: KISS, Destroyer
CD: Pearl Jam, Bootleg

In my leisure time, you’ll find me:
Somewhere near water. Somewhere near amazing food. Somewhere around a new experience, that has a “choose your own adventure” kind of allure to it. Always trying to make not-so-obvious choices to see where we all end up.

One thing I can’t live without is:
My heart

Words of wisdom:
Be yourself and do it better than anyone else.

Melanie Berry

Hired as President of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) in 2002, and immediately had a positive impact. In 2009, Melanie was appointed CEO of CARAS in addition to her duties as President and Executive Producer of the Broadcast, and she was honoured in the fall of 2009 as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women at the 7th Annual Top 100 Awards. In addition to the growing success of the JUNO Awards, Berry has significantly expanded CARAS, building the organization to meet its original mandate. She has also helped evolve MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with CARAS, which has donated close to $5 million dollars to date in support of music programs.

Hometown:
Galt, Ontario

First Job/Odd Job:
Clown at a party/event planning company

First concert:
Frank Zappa

First record bought:
Cheap Trick (self-titled)

In my leisure time, you’ll find me:
Skiing or in Vegas

One thing I can’t live without:
My girlfriends

Words of wisdom:
Do what is right, not what is easiest.

Randy Lennox

@RL_7117, @universalmusicC

President and CEO of Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company. In February 2002, MacLean’s Magazine featured Randy as one of the country’s “50 Most Influential Canadians”. Randy Lennox is a member of the Canadian Music Industry’s Hall of Fame and sits on board of directors for Music Canada, CARAS, Canada’s Walk of Fame, Maple Music and the Massey & Roy Thompson Hall’s Talent Committee. Mr. Lennox’s philanthropic time and efforts has helped raise the profile of numerous charities and causes both nationally and internationally.

Hometown:
Toronto

First job/odd jobs:
Record store attendant

First concert:
Genesis (w/ Peter Gabriel)

First record bought:
Led Zeppelin IV and T Rex The Slider.

In my leisure time, you’ll find me:
Listening to music, spending time with my family and reading.

One thing I can’t live without is:
My family.

Words of wisdom:
You get what you give.