Johnnie Lovesin

Johnnie Lovesin
Born(1949-05-22)May 22, 1949
Val-d'Or, Quebec
OriginToronto, Ontario
DiedFebruary 23, 2019(2019-02-23) (aged 69)
Genresrock
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1960s-2019

Johnnie Lovesin (May 22, 1949 – February 23, 2019) was a Canadian musician, most noted as a two-time Juno Award nominee for Most Promising Male Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1984[1] and the Juno Awards of 1985.[2]

Originally from Val-d'Or, Quebec,[3] he was first active as a musician on the Yorkville scene in Toronto in the 1960s.[4] His first band was Black Ballet in 1969.[4] Over the next number of years he performed with the bands Johnnie Lovesin and the Invisible Band; Johnnie Lovesin and the Sidewalk Commandos; Johnnie Lovesin and The Next; Red Hot and Blue; and as a solo artist under the stage name Crazy John Lovesin, the Ace from Space.[5] When the Invisible Band opened for The Ramones at a show in Toronto, one Toronto Sun music critic asserted in his review that Lovesin had blown the Ramones off the stage.[5] He released several singles during his early career.[5]

He released his debut album Set the Night on Fire in 1980,[6] and followed up with Rough Side of Town in 1983.[7] In addition to his Juno Award nominations for Most Promising Male Vocalist, he was nominated for a U-Know Award for Best Male Vocalist in 1985.[5] He then signed to A&M Records, which rereleased Rough Side of Town and his follow-up album Tough Breaks.[8] Soon after releasing Tough Breaks, however, Lovesin suffered a brain aneurysm shortly after performing at the city's annual New Year's Eve show at Nathan Phillips Square,[4] and withdrew from the music business for a time to recover.[4]

Upon his return to music, he became leader of the house band at Toronto's Matador Club,[9] and released the new album Ready to Rumble independently in 1996.[10] After moving to Jordan, Ontario,[4] he still performed occasional shows in Toronto including birthday shows in 2010[4] and 2016.[11]

Lovesin died unexpectedly three months shy of his 70th birthday, on the evening of February 23, 2019.[12]

Discography

[edit]
  • Set the Night on Fire (1980)
  • Rough Side of Town (1983)
  • Tough Breaks (1986)
  • Ready to Rumble (1996)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Final Juno nominees announced". The Globe and Mail, October 22, 1984.
  2. ^ "Bryan Adams leads the Juno pack: Singer notches four nominations; new acts dominate". Billboard, September 14, 1985.
  3. ^ "Local Heroes: Johnny Lovesin". Toronto Star, April 18, 1986.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Canadian Rocker Johnnie Lovesin Celebrates his 61st Birthday". Cashbox, June 10, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d "Johnnie Lovesin" at canoe.ca's Pop Music Encyclopedia.
  6. ^ "Pop: Set the Night on Fire". The Globe and Mail, February 4, 1981.
  7. ^ "Pop: Rough Side Of Town, Johnny Lovesin". The Globe and Mail, January 12, 1984.
  8. ^ "Tough Breaks, Johnnie Lovesin". Toronto Star, August 1, 1986.
  9. ^ "Tales from the Matador: If you can't remember where you've been, but you remember having a good time..." Toronto Star, June 16, 1994.
  10. ^ "In search of gradual gratification". Toronto Star, June 6, 1996.
  11. ^ "Johnnie Lovesin in TO to rock out his birthday today". Toronto Moon, May 23, 2016.
  12. ^ "Rock ‘n’ Roll rebel Johnnie Lovesin will make the afterlife louder". Toronto Moon, February 25, 2019.
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