TORONTO –
As Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane and members of Blue Rodeo were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on Saturday, everyone took a moment to recognize that writing great music is usually an incredible struggle.
“Writing is often a lonely, isolating business,” McLachlan told the audience at Toronto’s Massey Hall in her speech.
“But for me, it’s also very cathartic.”
Her feelings were shared by Cochrane who admitted that writing songs takes precious years away from the people around their creators. He thanked his daughters for their patience with him.
But the writer of “Life is a Highway” often suggested that miracles will come from the process of creation.
“Songs have a beginning and an end – like lives,” he said. “And like the people we love, we never forget them.”
The inductees’ famous tunes punctuated the evening’s show which saw fans dance off their seats as Sam Roberts, Metric and Lights joined others in an emotional tribute.
The Whitehorse husband and wife duo gave an acoustic-electric take on McLachlan’s “Sweet Surrender” while Brett Emmons, barefoot from the Voice Sons, threw his voice into a wailing version of Cochrane’s “Big League.”
Nelly Furtado shared how McLachlan inspired her early in her career as they approached one of Lilith Fair’s tours. She also praised McLachlan’s tireless efforts to raise money for various charities.
The two ended up doing a harmonious Angel duet with Furtado standing next to McLachlan’s piano.
Apart from the deeper reflection on the struggle of creation, the night had its fair share of humor, especially when it came to the induction of Blue Rodeo singers Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor.
Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies, who appeared in a video message, compared the pair to being as inseparable as maple syrup and pancakes.
Keelor kept the jokes flowing as he stepped up to the podium with a thick notebook for his handwritten speech. He assured the crowd that it wasn’t as long as it was.
Shortly after, it showed McLachlan watching from the crowd next to her daughter Taja.
“I once said, a long time ago, when I die, I want Sarah McLachlan to sing at the grave,” he said.
“So I think I’m going to die in my seat tonight.”
Country artists Tim Hicks and Tenille Townes gave a colorful tribute to Blue Rodeo that was quite literal.
When they hit the stage to sing a hilarious version of “Til I Am Myself Again,” both were dressed in blue – Hicks in a blue jean jacket and Townes in blue leather pants.
Toronto singer Ahi toasted the country-rock band with a bluesy take on “Try” that earned Cuddy a standing ovation as he began his induction speech.
The Blue Rodeo frontman said the entire celebration was overwhelming in some ways. He thanked his wife, actress Rena Polley, for her unwavering support.
“Every time we go to a concert, or every time I play her a record, I’m amazed by all her enthusiasm, I think really after 40 years? That’s great,” he said.
Another highlight of the evening was the French-Canadian chanteuse La Zara, who represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. She was among the performers who toasted Quebec singer Diane Tell with a touching performance of her song 1981 “Si J’etais un Homme,” which translates as “If I were a man.”
Accepting her tribute, Tell recalled how she wrote about 50 songs when she was barely a teenager and would sing them “to anyone who cared to listen.”
She said that songwriting was extremely valuable to her life, and that the words she wrote were so important to her that even in her early days she wanted to own my music and protect it from the industry.”
“Those songs are my anchor,” she said.
Gary LeVox of the Nashville band Rascal Flatts closed the evening by joining Cochrane’s harmonica-strumming “Life is a Highway.” Part way through the song, all the performers of the night returned to the stage to rock together.
“You always hope and pray that one of your songs is timeless,” LeVox said as he showed up for Cochrane’s induction.
“And great songs like that just get rewarded.”
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on September 28, 2024.
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