Bulletins

Pete Otis has succumbed following New Year’s Eve collapse -R.I.P.

Pete Otis just after completing his New Year's Eve set before collapsing. -GEORGE WILLIS on Facebook

I have been dreading the possibility of having to make this post since discovering early in the week that my longtime friend, supporter and all-round enabler of the Toronto live music scene, Pete Otis, had collapsed following his set during his SongTown New Year’s Eve show at Black Swan Tavern. Last night, on Sat. January…

Hugh’s Room could still be saved, owner says

Landing page image for Hugh's Room website

—But advance ticket holders not likely to be refunded for cancelled shows \ 170109/16:30 | Monday January 09, 2017, 16:30 \ Although it remains closed and sold-out concerts scheduled for this week have been cancelled without likely prospect of refunds, the owner of iconic TO venue Hugh’s Room has told CBC News that the room…

BULLETIN: Hugh’s Room bankrupt, says publicist/booker Flohill

Richard Flohill tweet from January 8, 2017.

Veteran publicist and talent booker Richard Flohill, who has worked closely with west-end music venue Hugh’s Room since its opening in April of 2001, tweeted this morning that the owners have “apparently declared bankruptcy.” The club’s website calendar indicates that two shows scheduled for last week and another that was planned for Tuesday have been…

R.I.P. John Mays, singer for Fathead

John Mays looking and sounding vigorous in October 2015 -GARY 17

After a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer, multiple award-winning Blues singer John Mays of Fathead has succumbed to the disease at 76 years of age. A short statement on the band’s website on December 10 said: “It is with sadness that we announce the passing of John Mays, 76, who succumbed to cancer after a…

Blues innovator Brian Cober says he has incurable cancer

Brian Cober -GARY 17

Double-slide Blues guitarist and songwriter Brian Cober, who has struggled with medical issues for the past two years, now reports that he has been diagnosed with “incurable” cancer after radiation and chemotherapy failed to stem a growth that has spread to his windpipe. In a post on Facebook yesterday Cober, who had just returned to…

STOLEN GUITAR (1978 Les Paul) ALERT

Stolen Les Paul 140804

STOLEN GUITAR ALERT - EAST TORONTO \ A Moon subscriber reports that on July 31st, 2014 a 1978 Les Paul Custom, Burgundy with Beige trim was stolen from the back porch of a house in the Broadview / Wolfrey area of Riverdale in TO. It was in a hard shell case. The neck is worn…

The Vault is now Open! / for subscribers only

The Vault is open

We’re unlocking the archives vault -for subscribers only! Another new feature for our loyal subscribers: access to memories via scanned copies of pages of Toronto Moon when it was in hard-copy as well as pages from the Moon’s precursor publications by Gary 17, to-nite and The Open Season. Plus access to never-before-published photos shot by…

RIP - Bouncer Poet Reg Bovaird is now watching over another doorway

The soulful side of Reg Bovaird -17

St. Peter might have some new competition for his job deciding who is and who isn’t worthy of entrance through the Pearly Gates. Reggie “The Bouncer Poet” Bovaird, has just passed away, his close friends on Facebook have posted early in the morning on Sunday, September 29. The throat cancer that, with such cruel irony,…

Toronto songwriter/guitarist Joe Mavety has passed away

Joe Mavety from April 14, 2022 at Honouring Our Own concert, Black Swan Toronto -facebook

Toronto guitarist and songwriter Joe Mavety has died in hospital in Toronto, where he as having an assessment done of his medical condition, two of his friends have reported on Facebook. According to the post he developed a lung hemorrhage while at Princess Margaret Hospital and died at approximately noon yesterday, Wednesday, September 25. Best…

Stolen Drum Kit Alert

IMG_3378

The equipment described below and pictured in the accompanying photo, was stolen from David Love, of the David Love Band, within the past 24 hours. Please be on the lookout for it and contact me via the magazine or David through the link to his website immediately if you think you’ve spotted some or all…

Al Reilly recovering in hospital after apparent stroke

Al Reilly -Gary 17

Al Reilly’s Catalyst won’t be performing tonight at Karla’s Roadhouse in Scarborough after all, as the eponymous singer is in North York General Hospital today recovering after suffering an apparent stroke last night. According to a posting on Facebook by Catalyst guitarist Earl Johnson earlier today, Reilly had performed a couple of tunes with a band Johnson was part of at a…

Mena Hardy abruptly cancels her Sat. open stage series

Songwriter Mena Hardy earlier today announced that she was cancelling her Saturday afternoon open mic series at the new du Cafe venue on O’Connor Drive in TO’s East York area. Although she did not specify why she was doing so, a source close to her said it was because she had discovered that the club…