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Tom Cochrane | |
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![]() Tom Cochrane, Ottawa 2003 |
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Background information | |
Born | May 14, 1953 |
Origin | Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada |
Genres | Rock |
Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, harmonica |
Years active | 1973–present |
Labels | Capitol, Universal Music |
Associated acts | Red Rider |
Website | www.tomcochrane.com |
Tom Cochrane, OC (born May 14, 1953) Canadian musician and humanitarian, best known for his hit songs "Life Is a Highway", "Lunatic Fringe", "Human Race" and "I Wish You Well". Cochrane fronted the Canadian rock band Red Rider and has won seven Juno Awards. He is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, an Officer of the Order of Canada, has an Honorary Doctorate from Brandon University and is an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force. In September 2009, he was inducted onto the Canadian Walk of Fame.
Contents |
Cochrane was born in Lynn Lake, Manitoba, to Violet and Tuck Cochrane, a bush pilot. The family relocated to Acton, Ontario, when Tom was four years old and later to Etobicoke, Ontario. He purchased his first guitar at age 11 by selling a toy train set. Cochrane attended Martingrove Collegiate Institute in the late 1960s. In the early 1970s, he was performing in coffee houses across Canada. He eventually made his way to Los Angeles where he found a job writing theme music for the movie My Pleasure Is My Business, the Xaviera Hollander story. Unable to find steady income from music, Cochrane returned to Toronto, where he drove a taxi cab and later took a job on a Caribbean cruise liner.
After meeting at the famous El Mocambo Tavern in Toronto, Cochrane joined the Canadian Rock Band Red Rider in 1978 and served as their lead singer and main songwriter for more than ten years. Red Rider included Ken Greer, Jeff Jones, Peter Boynton and Rob Baker. Bruce Allen managed the band from their debut until 1985. Cochrane recorded six studio albums with Red Rider plus a live album, a best of album and a box set. By 1986, the band was billed as "Tom Cochrane & Red Rider".
In 2002, Cochrane reunited with his former Red Rider bandmates Greer and Jones and continues to perform with them today. A complete listing of Red Rider's recordings is included below.
Already a household name in Canada from his time with Red Rider, Cochrane launched his solo career in 1991 with the release of the song "Life is a Highway". The single became a global success and was followed by the release of his Mad Mad World album, which would reach the six million mark in worldwide sales. The albums Ragged Ass Road, Songs of a Circling Spirit, X-Ray Sierra and No Stranger followed. Cochrane's massive body of music and energetic live shows have established him as one of Canada's most-treasured artists.
An avid golfer, pilot and hockey buff, Cochrane lives in Oakville, Ontario and spends summers at his cottage/studio on the shores of Georgian Bay in Northern Ontario and winters part time at his home outside of Austin, Texas. Tom and his wife Kathleene have two daughters, Cody and Evanne. Cochrane continues to tour and perform in Canada where he remains one of the country's most popular live acts.
Canadian Music Hall of Fame Induction: Cochrane was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2003 for outstanding contribution to the greater recognition of Canadian music. The ceremony took place April 5, 2003 at Casino du Lac-Meamy in Gatineau, Quebec. The following night, Cochrane was honoured for his induction in a speech by Jeff Healey at the Juno Awards at the Corel Centre (now Scotiabank Place in Ottawa). Cochrane closed the show by performing a medley of his hits and was joined onstage by host Shania Twain for the final song, "Life Is A Highway".
Order of Canada: In April 2008, Cochrane received the highest honour for a Canadian Citizen when he was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Cochrane was honoured for a lifetime of charity work, his contribution to the arts and for being unabashedly Canadian.
Canada's Walk of Fame: In September 2009, Cochrane was inducted onto Canada's Walk of Fame. The induction was highlighted by a 2-hour nationally televised gala at Toronto's Four Season's Center for the Performing Arts. Anne Murray hosted the event which also included the inductions of Kim Cattrall, Raymond Burr, Blue Rodeo, Dsquared2, Howie Mandel, Robert Munsch and Chantal Petitclerc.
Honorary Colonel: In November 2007, Cochrane was formally invested as an Honorary Colonel (HCol) by the Canadian Air Force's 409 "Nighthawks" Tactical Fighter Squadron. As part of his investiture weekend, Cochrane experienced his second flight in a CF-18.
Honorary Doctorate: In May 2005, Cochrane received an Honorary Doctorate from Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba. In addition, musician James Ehnes, journalist Henry Champ and actress Shirley Douglas received Honorary Doctorates from the University at the Spring Convocation held May 28, 2005.
Canadian Music Industry Humanitarian Award: In March 2005, Cochrane received the Humanitarian Award at the Canadian Music Industry Association's (CMIA) gala dinner in Toronto during the annual Canadian Music Week Festival.
Cochrane has been a longtime supporter of World Vision and has traveled to Africa several times. He has also served as the Honorary Chairman of the SuperWalk for Parkinsons and has been a proud supporter of WSPA, War Child, Amnesty International, and the Make Poverty History campaign.
Canada For Asia: On January 13, 2005, Cochrane, his wife Kathleene and Alex Lifeson spearheaded a benefit concert in support of tsunami relief in Asia. 150 Canadian stars appeared including Anne Murray, Bryan Adams, Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, Oscar Peterson, Celine Dion, Rush and Barenaked Ladies. The concert, which was produced and televised by CBC TV, raised over $4 million in pledges.
Live 8 Concert: On July 2, 2005, Cochrane kicked off the Canadian edition of the Live 8 benefit concerts in Barrie, Ontario performing his hits "Life Is A Highway" and "No Regrets". The Live 8 concerts took place in the G8 states and in South Africa to pressure world leaders to drop the debt of the world's poorest nations, increase and improve aid, and negotiate fair trade rules in the interest of the poorest countries.
Release date | Title | Chart peak | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada RPM 100 |
US Hot 100 |
US Main- stream Rock |
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1973 | "You're Driving Me Crazy (Faith Healers)" | 71 | — | — | Hang on to Your Resistance |
1974 | "Charlie Was a Dancer" | — | — | — | |
1976 | "Sail On" | — | — | — | Non-album single |
1991 | "Life Is A Highway" | 1 | 6 | 6 | Mad Mad World |
"No Regrets" | 3 | — | 7 | ||
1992 | "Sinking Like a Sunset" | 2 | — | — | |
"Mad Mad World" | 25 | — | — | ||
"Washed Away" | 7 | 88 | — | ||
"Bigger Man" | 45 | — | — | ||
1995 | "I Wish You Well" | 1 | 101 | — | Ragged Ass Road |
"Wildest Dreams" | 5 | — | — | ||
1996 | "Dreamer's Dream" | 4 | — | — | |
"Crawl" | 11 | — | — | ||
1997 | "Lunatic Fringe" | 70 | — | — | Songs of a Circling Spirit |
"Good Man Feeling Bad" | 46 | — | — | ||
1999 | "I Wonder" | 86 | — | — | X-Ray Sierra |
"Willie Dixon Said" | 30 | — | — | ||
"Stonecutter's Arms" | — | — | — | ||
"Heartbreak Girl" | — | — | — | ||
2005 | "Christmas All The Time" | — | — | — | Non-album single |
2006 | "Didn't Mean" | — | — | — | No Stranger |
"The Party's Not Over" | — | — | — | ||
2007 | "Out Of My Head" | — | — | — | |
"Northern Star" | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes a single that didn't chart |
Release date | Title | Chart peak | Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canada RPM 100 |
US Hot 100 |
US Main- stream Rock |
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1980 | "White Hot" | 20 | 48 | — | Don't Fight It |
"Don't Fight It" | 75 | 103 | — | ||
1981 | "What Have You Got To Do" | 42 | — | — | As Far as Siam |
"Lunatic Fringe" | — | — | 11 | ||
1983 | "Human Race" | 29 | — | 11 | Neruda |
"Power (Strength in Numbers)" | — | — | 13 | ||
"Crack the Sky (Breakaway)" | — | — | 39 | ||
1984 | "Young Thing, Wild Dreams (Rock Me)" | 44 | 71 | 13 | Breaking Curfew |
"Breaking Curfew" | 93 | — | — | ||
1986 | "Boy Inside The Man" | 25 | — | 17 | Tom Cochrane & Red Rider |
"The Untouchable One" | 70 | — | 48 | ||
1987 | "One More Time (Some Old Habits)" | 85 | — | — | |
"Ocean Blues (Emotion Blue)" | 88 | — | — | ||
1988 | "Big League" | 4 | — | 9 | Victory Day |
1989 | "Good Times" | 2 | — | — | |
"Victory Day" | 32 | — | — | ||
"Different Drummer" | 67 | — | — | ||
"White Hot" (Live) | 50 | — | — | The Symphony Sessions | |
2002 | "Just Like Ali" | — | — | — | Trapeze: The Collection |
"Pictures From The Edge" | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes a single that didn't chart |
Year | Video | Director |
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1988 | "Big League"[1] | Victory Day |
1991 | "Life Is a Highway"[2] | David Storey |
1992 | "No Regrets" | Curtis Wehrfritz |
1995 | "Wildest Dreams" | George Dougherty |
Juno Award nominations:
Grammy nominations
ASCAP Awards
SOCAN Awards
Television and movies
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The Canadian Action Party fielded a number of candidates in the 2006 federal election, none of whom were elected. Information about these candidates may be found here.
Kohut was born in 1964 in Calgary, where he still resides. He has a business administration diploma from SAIT, where he also studied petroleum geology technology. He has worked in the oil patch since 1981, and was listed in 2006 as a junior pipeline surveyor.
Kohut is a perennial candidate for public office. He joined Mel Hurtig's National Party of Canada in 1993, and later campaigned for the Green Party of Canada and the Alberta Greens. He wrote in support of the Kyoto Accord and against government subsidies for oil companies, while also calling for lower gas prices for consumers (Calgary Herald, 23 December 2001).
He campaigned for election to the Calgary municipal council in 2004, arguing against corporate donations and calling for surplus funds to go to the city's food bank (Calgary Herald, 4 October 2004). He also supported non-smoking by-laws (Calgary Herald, 8 October 2004). Kohut once again a candidate for Calgary Alderman in the uncoming ( Oct 15, 2007) municipal election.
"Get Back Up" is a song by Christian musician tobyMac from his album, Tonight. It was released on January 26, 2010 on iTunes. TobyMac donated 100% of his artist royalties from first week sales of the single to relief efforts for Haiti after the 2010 Haiti earthquake that devastated the country. This song was played when Tobymac performed on Fox and Friends. The song Charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs.
This song was also played compilation album WOW Hits 2011.
The song was nominated for two Dove Awards: Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, at the 42nd GMA Dove Awards.
"Get Back Up" is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., released on October 29, 2010, as the fifth single from his seventh studio album No Mercy (2010). The song, produced by production team The Neptunes, features vocals from American R&B singer Chris Brown.
Andy Kellman of AllMusic highlighted it. Brad Wete wrote a more mixed review: "On Get Back Up, he arrogantly apologizes for being human rather than for his crimes. That crown must be getting heavy." The Guardian panned the song for its scandalous nature: "One of the less likable tracks on this consistently misfiring album, which was recorded while T.I. was under house arrest for weapons charges (he's currently back in the slammer for probation violation), is Get Back Up. It claims the Atlanta MC is sorry for his misdeeds – but not that sorry – and finishes by painting him as the real victim ("As soon as you fall down, all the haters pass judgment"). The icing on the cake is provided by the equally tarnished Chris Brown, who sings the chorus: "When they push you down, you gotta get back up." Nice."
Time to be what you
Want to be
And all the time in between
When loneliness calls
Do your thoughts turn back to me?
But you go on searching for that
Magic feeling and hope
That is soon comes through
But you believe what you
Want to believe
What your mind tells you is true
And you know it's
Not the way it is baby
Not the way it is
It's just the way it goes
And your heart is at the wheel baby
It knows when to steel
But never when to let go
And you know
It's just the way it goes
It gets harder
As the nights get longer
So you spend them with someone strange
For protection but you know
That it's never quite the same
It always happens this way
When your heart is at the wheel
And the harder you say stop
The harder she turns it on you
Not the way it is baby
Not the way it is
It's just the way it goes
Heart is at the wheel baby
It knows when to steal
But never when to let go
And you know
It's just the way it goes
Yes you know
It's just the way it goes
Don't you know
Get a little iron in the soul
Know when to let go
Don't you know
Get a little iron in the soul
Know when to let go
Yes it's not the way
Well it's just the way it goes
Not the way...
Well it's just the way it goes...