Born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1942, Harrison Kennedy grew up in a home that was filled with music and famous visitors such as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Lonnie Johnson. In 1969 he took a hiatus from college to become a founding member of the Detroit Soul Super Group “the Chairmen of the Board” with them he toured the world, appearing on the Tonight Show and Soul Train. At this time Harrison became the first African-Canadian artist to score a million selling record. Harrison’s music has been recognized with several Blues Music award nominations by the Blues Foundation of Memphis, TN. In France where he tours regularly he has been awarded the prestigious “Academie Charles Cros” award.
Back home in Canada Harrison won the 2016 Juno for Blues Album at the 45th annual Juno Awards for “This Is From Here” an album inspired by his love of his home, Hamilton, Ontario. This year his hometown returned the love by recognizing Harrison with a City of Hamilton Lifetime Achievement arts award.
Thanks for Tomorrow, recorded at Six Nations of the Grand River, with co-producer Jesse O’Brien, and Grammy nominated special guests Ruthie Foster and Colin Linden is an uplifting celebration of the power of Classic Blues Music.
“Harrison Kennedy is rightfully viewed as the valued elder statesman of the Canadian Blues community” – Kerry Doole, MapleBlues