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Peterborough mourning sudden passing of singer Charlene “Charlie” Earle | TorontoMoon.ca 190722Mo | Shows for Monday, July 22, 2021

Charlie Earle -LANCE ANDERSON

\ PETERBOROUGH \ Peterborough’s live music community is in shock today after learning over the weekend about the sudden death of 33-year-old singer and visual artist Charlene “Charlie” Earle. A Facebook post by Ryan Weber of The Weber Brothers local band exemplifies the pain and confusion that seems to surround her unexpected passing on Friday,…

R.I.P.: Bernie Sandor will be missed and hard to replace at big band shows | TorontoMoon.ca 190530Th | Shows for Thursday, May 30, 2022

Bernie on sound at outdoor show -COURTESY

Editor’s Note: Soundman extraordinaire Bernie Sandor, who in recent years had specialized in big band shows such as with the 10-member Steely Dan tribute Pretzel Logic appearing at Orbit Room tonight, passed away on Sunday May 26.  The following tribute was penned for TorontoMoon.ca by Pretzel Logic singer/saxist Peter Graham Mifsud.  Expect some moments of…

Death of Joe Hall leaves empty space on Canadian music scene

Joe Hall singing 'Brain Damage Blues' with Continental Drift in 1977 -DAVE BINGHAM YOU TUBE SCREEN CAPTURE

\ PETERBOROUGH \ There aren’t many of his kind left —but then, they never made many of his kind to begin with. Joe Hall, who passed away on Friday March 22 at 71 years of age after battling liver cancer for some time, was an highly original titan of a songwriter and performer whose cheeky,…

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…

UPDATED: Death of Joe Reynolds makes for tearful start to 2019

Joe Reynolds in flight -JIM CASSON, Facebook

\ ETOBICOKE/PORT CREDIT \ Just ten days shy of the 15th anniversary of The Meteors band he founded becoming the Saturday jam hosts at Timothy’s Pub in Etobicoke, singer and trumpet/flugelhorn/coronet player Joe Reynolds passed away suddenly overnight the morning of Monday January 1, 2019, bandmates and family report. No details of the cause of…

Scott “Professor Piano” Cushnie to be remembered in Great Hall Dec. 10

Scott Cushine memorial poster 181210

After a bizarre twist of fate led to acclaimed multi-genre piano legend Scott “Professor Piano” Cushnie being buried under another man’s name while for nearly two months police and friends continued to search for him. Scott Cushine, aka “Professor Piano” will be remembered at a concert running all afternoon and evening today. The iconic keyboard…

Rare chance top see songwriter Lenore Sat. Apr. 30

Lenore featured in Toronto Moon, 110429 - Fri. April 29, 2022

A somewhat reclusive soul who lives north of Toronto and rarely seems to gig anywhere these days, let alone in the Big Smoke, Lenore Elaine is a talented, personable songwriter whose sometimes quirky and always catchy, brain-tickling tunes are a delight to listen to anytime. I’m quite partial to spinning her recorded songs at my…

Ilse Themen finally succumbs to breast cancer, R.I.P.

Ilse Themen in 2012 -GARY 17

\ WHITBY \ She put up the most valiant of fights against a monster that seldom loses, as you’d expect from a singer whose claim to fame is Tamin’ Thunder, but in the end after a battle of nearly four years, Ilse Themen today succumbed to breast cancer. The announcement was made on Facebook by…

RIP Peter Mathieson – “The Human Fireball” has blazed its last

Peter Mathieson -Gary 17

Although it did not come as a surprise to anyone —except possibly Peter Mathieson himself— the passing of the veteran Folk singer and wit the morning of Monday June 18 nevertheless was a cause for profound sadness among his many friends, fans and fellow players. The irrepressible humourist, bon vivant and crafter of delightfully clever…

R.I.P.: Ted Rusk succumbs two weeks after coronary

Ted Rusk -GARY 17

In a shockingly tragic turn of events late on Thursday, June 7, songwriter, broadcaster and an intellectual giant with an encyclopaedic knowledge of history, mathematics and science, Ted Rusk passed away in hospital at 61 years of age two weeks after suffering a massive coronary. As we reported earlier, it had appeared that Ted —who…

RIP - Funeral Thursday for ubiquitous, genial pianoman Michael Keys

Michael keys performing not long before his passing -COURTESTY

He didn’t just play music —Michael “Keys” Dowson lived and breathed music and apparently dreamed about it too.  And so not surprisingly his last words, shortly before he passed away at 69 years of age from cancer the morning of Sunday, May 13, were about music too, we’re told by family. A funeral mass will…