Sarah McLachlan, Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, Tom Cochrane, Diane Tell inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

PHOTO GALLERY BELOW

Music fans rose to their feet in one standing ovation after another as Sarah McLachlan, Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor (of Blue Rodeo), Tom Cochrane, and Diane Tell were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, during a star-studded gala at Massey Hall in Toronto, on Saturday Sept. 28, 2024.

At the gala, hosted by Marie-Mai, each of the inductees was honoured by performances from some of Canada’s most treasured SOCAN members, and superb songwriters in their own right.

After videotaped acknowledgements of Sarah McLachlan from the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Sheryl Crow, Allison Russell, and Jann Arden, Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw of the band Metric played a heartfelt version of “I Will Remember You.” Lights sang “Building a Mystery,” and after Nelly Furtado inducted McLachlan, the two combined their voices in a touching rendition of “Angel.” Like all the performers, they were backed by an excellent house band, led by keyboardist Lou Pomanti.

McLachlan said, “Writing is often a lonely, isolating business, but for me, it’s also extremely cathartic… And then, after all the blood, sweat, and tears, to be able to sing those songs, to find the connection with an audience, that is like church for me… There is nothing like it. It is the best magic.”

McLachlan stayed onstage, joined by Whitehorse, to play a stripped-down, three-part harmony version of Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor’s “My Dark Angel.” Earlier in the evening, country singer-songwriters Tenille Townes and Tim Hicks paid tribute to Cuddy and Keelor (and their band, Blue Rodeo) with an energetic version of “Till I Am Myself Again.” Adam Baldwin, Terra Lightfoot, and Matt Mays played “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet,” and AHI channeled his inner Otis Redding on a shining version of “Try.” After hockey commentator Ron MacLean inducted the songwriting duo, all of those paying tribute to them joined the two for a moving take on “Lost Together.”

Cuddy said, “I want to thank all the people who listen. Greg and I had a long time where nobody listened, and we were okay with that. But it’s a lot better when people listen. They’ve been listening now for 40 years, and we just couldn’t thank them enough.” Keelor said, “A whole catalogue of songs was bestowed upon us, and they would be revealed to us as our lives and our careers unfolded. It’s funny that we get credit for these songs. We accept the credit, but the songs come through us.”

After a brief intermission, Diane Tell – who, early on in her career, made a point of writing, singing, recording, producing, and owning her own songs – was honoured by Rafaëlle Roy, who sang “On a beau,” and Ariane Roy, who sang “Souvent, Longtemps, Énormément.” After being inducted with grace and good humour by TV/radio host and comedian Pierre Brassard, Tell was joined by Dominique Fils-Aimé for a Brazilian-flavoured duet of Tell’s “Gilberto.”

Tell said, “‘As Time Goes By’… from the film Casablanca… was written in 1931 by Herman Hupfeld. And today, not many people know who he is, but ‘As Time Goes By’ is just unforgettable. Authors and composers fade away, but their songs remain nestled in people’s hearts forever… Now I’m fragile thing, and my songs are my anchor.”

After Aaron Paris and Fredz were briefly acknowledged as the CSHF Breakthrough Artists of the Year, Sam Roberts hit the stage with a version of “White Hot” that lived up to the song’s title. He was followed by Brett Emmons (of rock band Glorious Sons) who tore up the stage with an incendiary version of “Big League.” After being inducted by his lifelong friend Gil Moore (of rock trio Triumph), Cochrane joined Gary LeVox (of country group Rascal Flatts) for a version of “Life is a Highway” (which was covered and revived by that band). Performed by all of the night’s participants, the song inspired the full house at Massey Hall, to jump out of their seats, as they danced, clapped, cheered, and sang along.

Cochrane said, “First and foremost, I’m a songwriter. I started as a songwriter… Without the song, there’s nothing to play… I drove a cab as a young man to make ends meet, because I couldn’t make a living in music… I stopped one night outside this building [Massey Hall] and the doors were open… I got out of the cab, and I went over, and I listened at the door, and there was a symphony coming from inside. It was a symphony of one man and one guitar, and a beautiful voice. And the beauty was transcendent. It was Leonard Cohen, and he was singing ‘Bird on a Wire.’ It was an epiphany to me, and it touched me deeply, and I thought, ‘One day I’m going to play my songs on that stage.’ It took me a few years but I got there.”