Ron Sexsmith

December 11

On Friday night, December 12, Ron will appear in a live taping of The Toronto Show, a variety show featuring music, comedy, stunts and everything in-between that’s shaking in Toronto. Those of you in and around Toronto are invited to attend the taping – free! Visit the website and click on Get Tickets or simply call 416 362 4705. Also on the show: R&B singer Jully Black and comedians Brian Lazanik and Jillian Thomas. When we get an air date, we’ll let you know.

December 2

Tomorrow night, Wednesday December 3, Ron's song "Maybe This Christmas" will be featured on Fox Television's new hit show, The OC. The characters Ryan and Marissa will be in a department store and the song will be playing. This show is known for featuring great music by more eclectic artists. Check your local listings for time and channel. Along with The OC, so far this season, Ron's songs have been in Ed, The Real World and Real World/Road Rules Challenge.

November 19

Some new snapshots have been added to the Photos page of this site, including a picture of Ron with Bono. Ron reports that Bono quipped that they should join a traveling circus together! A few other updates have been made to various pages of the site – the pop up for Rarities has now been incorporated into the Music page and the Tour Dates have been revised. Please note the St. Catharine’s show is with the whole band, not solo as previously listed.

November 13

On Friday November 14, Ron will perform at a celebration party for Paul Martin, the next prime minister of Canada. It is quite an honor for Ron to be asked to perform. This is an important event in the eyes of Canada and, in fact, the world. Sadly, this is not open to the public and invitations are scarce but there should be plenty of press coverage... As always, any news of Ron can be found right here.

October 29

Ron and band are participating in the Halifax Pop Explosion as a headlining act on Thursday October 30, at the Marquee Club. That same afternoon from 4-5PM, Ron will be doing an in-store meet and greet (signing only) at CD Plus, 1592 Barrington St. Call 902 422 1559 for more details.

October 28 - Message from Ron

It's been a tough year thinking back on all the great artists we've lost. But I think Elliott Smith's passing, in some way, is the saddest because I believe he had so much more great music in him. I had the pleasure of meeting him on a few occasions... once in LA in the lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel..and once in London at the Royal Albert Hall and both times I was struck by his shyness and kindness. It was encouraging for me as a semi-struggling songwriter to see him breakthrough and it always made me try that much harder. I was lucky enough to see him perform once in New York as well, which I remember as being a bit frustrating because he sat on a stool and I couldn't see him at all from the back of the room. Anyway, I wish he could have stuck around a bit longer but I guess the soul wants what the soul wants. The world will miss him very much.
Sincerely,
Ron

October 28

Once again this year, Ron Sexsmith was nominated as Best Local Songwriter in the Now Magazine annual Best of Toronto poll. That issue hits the streets on Thursday October 30. But you’re hearing it here now: Ron won!!

October 6

As is pretty well known, Ron Sexsmith is a great fan of Gordon Lightfoot. When Ron was asked to participate in a Lightfoot tribute album, he was more than happy to do so. This tribute is out now on Canada’s NorthernBlues Music along with Borealis Recording Co. “Beautiful: A Tribute To Gordon Lightfoot” includes 15 tracks with performances by Bruce Cockburn, Cowboy Junkies, Tragically Hip and others. Ron performs the song “Drifters”.

October 2

On Monday October 6, Ron and band will make an early morning appearance on CTV’s Canada AM. The show airs at 8:00AM Eastern time from Toronto. Tune in if you can.

September 23

Ron’s song “These Days” will be featured in the season premiere of the NBC television show Ed. This airs on Wednesday September 24 at 8:00 PM Eastern time. Some of you may recall two seasons ago “Foolproof” was featured very prominently on the show. Someone there must be a fan! Tune in... If you’re not already into this funny, quirky show, now is a good time to start.

September 19 - Message from Ron

I was saddened today by the news of Johnny Cash. His music meant so much to me. Whether he was singing an original or a cover, he always made it his own. Even on his most recent album, well known songs like "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" took on a new and more poignant depth. His voice and presence were awe-inspiring and never failed to provide comfort and encouragement to my ears and my heart. I hope he and June have found comfort as well.
Love,
Ron

September 19

On Tuesday, September 23, Ron will join together with Jerry Fish & The Mini-bug Club, Mundy, Steve Wall, Joe Wall, Katell Keineg, Nina Hynes and others, at Vicar Street in Dublin for a Tribute to Bob Dylan. Anyone who has seen Ron live knows that he is often likely to throw a Dylan song or two into his set list. It should be a fun night of music but more importantly, it is for a great cause. It's a joint venture benefit between Gorta/Scarlett which is working on a project in South Africa called "Grannies". In essence, they try to find Grannies to foster children whose parents are dead or dying of AIDS; there are literally thousands of homeless children as a result of AIDS in Africa. The money from this show will go to support the 'Grannies Project'.

September 9

For the week starting today, Ron Sexsmith’s video for Gold In Them Hills can be found at the #1 spot on the MuchMoreMusic Video Top 20. Also in the Top 20: Beyonce with Jay Z, Coldplay, John Mayer, Sting and Dido. Well done, MuchMoreMusic!

September 2

New Tour Dates have been added for the second leg of the Canadian Tour. For the solo shows in Western Canada, Mad Violet will support. Kyp Harness will support Ron and the band for the remaining dates with Erin McKeown also on the bill for Toronto and Montreal.

August 27

Talk has been going around about a "new" Ron Sexsmith cd. To set the record straight: true and false! Linus Entertainment, the Canadian label, asked Ron to put together some B-Sides which had been released in territories other than Canada. We also added some demos, a live song and a few unreleased tracks. So as you can see, it's a "new" release of archived music. For the next little while, you'll see the pop-up feature for Ron Sexsmith - Rarities. It has the track listing and how to get the cd... most retail locations in Canada, on the road with Ron and ordering through online retailers. The release date is September 15. If you have trouble finding the cd, pop us an email.

August 26

Ron has been honored with an invitation to participate in the upcoming Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon on Labor Day weekend which benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Now in its 38th year, airing for 21 1/2 hours, the show begins at 9:00 PM Eastern / 6:00 PM Pacific, Sunday, August 31 and wraps up on Monday early evening. Ron will perform on the Sunday night - tune in and should you feel inclined to show your support to the cause, during Ron's segment would be a good time to do so. Other musical guests include Cher, Celine Dion, Clay Aiken, Shirley Caesar, Joan Jett, Phil Vassar and more. And good news for those of you around the world: the entire show is webcast!

A site update: many, many new Photos have been added. Thanks to everyone who submitted the snaps.

August 17

There will shortly be a flurry of activity so keep an eye on this page for lots of news coming your way shortly. Ron has just returned to Toronto from London where he spent some time in the recording studio with producer Martin Terefe. Ed Harcourt stopped in and spent a little time with Ron. The next record will be done a bit differently than Cobblestone Runway – instead of Ron doing basic tracks and leaving them with the producer, he will be on site a bit more. Other guests will be contributing... More on that as it happens.

On the home front, the video for Gold In Them Hills is #5 on Canada’s Muchmoremusic’s Top 20. Also, check out the Tour Dates page for Ron’s Canadian gigs, just confirmed.

July 17

Lots of new photos have been added... check them out. And believe it or not, we have documented evidence of Ron smiling.

June 20

While Ron is in Australia and New Zealand, he will be making quite a few TV, Radio and In Store appearances. Rather than post them all on this front page, there will be a day by day posting on the Message Board , starting this weekend. The first of the promo appearances is Monday in Sydney – that’s Sunday in the US and Canada. So keep an eye out for this posting – there are lots of webcasts, even a webcast of one of the shows.

June 17 - Message from Ron

Hi everybody... I just wanted to say thanks to all the folks who came out to the Coldplay shows and cheered us on. We've had such a great time and are very much looking forward to the big finish at Madison Square Garden. I'm excited also about the upcoming trips to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland. I hope they will be good shows for all those planning to attend. See you soon
Love,
Ron

June 17

The dates with Coldplay in the US are over, Ron is now in Japan and will shortly hit Australia. Supporting Ron in Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne is Chris Chapple who has an excellent new cd out, Whisky Bay. In Perth, support is Spencer Tracy in an acoustic configuration. If any of you fans who attend the show have some photos, send ‘em in and they will be posted on the Photos page of this site.

Also, take a look at the Tour Dates to see some new shows which have been added, and a couple which have been rearranged. As always, dates are subject to change. Check with the venues before making any long road trips!

May 28 - Message from Ron

Hi all.... I've been pretty busy what with the Aimee Mann dates in Europe and The Wallflowers tour of the US, so I hope this is a better late than never situation. The shows have been going quite well, and The Wallflowers tour especially was one of the best times I've had on the road. They're a great band and Jakob writes truly wonderful songs. Thanks to all the people who came out to cheer me on as well as The Wallflowers fans who were very kind. In a few weeks I head out on what is probably the longest string of dates so far - a few weeks with Coldplay in the USA followed by Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, UK and (I think) Belgium. The fall is looking quite busy too, with possible Canadian and USA tours and another trip to Europe with any luck. So to close, I want to thank you all for your interest and your thoughts on the bulletin board. It's very much appreciated. Hope to see you all somewhere down the road.
Love,
Ron

May 28

New shows have been added to the Tour Dates. In late September, Ron will play five gigs in Germany on a triple bill with Bruce Cockburn and Kristin Hersh –a very exciting line up. Also added to the page are details of each gig, as they are available.

April 24

The video for Gold In Them Hills is now available for viewing on this site. It is a duet with Ron and Chris Martin, directed by Stephen Scott and produced by Richard Cureton. Thanks to everyone involved in making this lovely clip. After watching the video, please visit the Bulletin Board and let us know what you think. Enjoy!

April 17

As you may know, Ron and Chris Martin filmed a video for their duet of “Gold in Them Hills” - it will be on this site as soon as it’s available. And great news: MTV Nordic have chosen “Gold In Them Hills” as their Fresh Pick of the Week starting on Monday April 21st.

April 11

So many new Tour Dates have been posted – besides the US dates with The Wallflowers and Colplay, you can now view dates for Japan, Australia and the UK. Even more dates will be added as they are confirmed. By the way, please note that there has been a change to the Coldplay tour: there is no longer an Albuquerque show but two nights in Denver.

We’ve also added a few new goodies to Links.

April 4

It’s Juno Weekend in Canada! Ron Sexsmith has been nominated for a Juno Award in the category of Songwriter of the Year for These Days, Gold In Them Hills and Former Glory. The awards will be presented on Sunday night, April 6 in Kanata Ontario; the show will be broadcast live on CTV at 8:00PM Eastern.

March 21

A few changes have been made to the Tour Dates. An April 30 Nashville date has been added to Ron’s tour with The Wallflowers, the two dates in Chicago has been changed to one date in Chicago and a new date in Madison WI. Also added, a June 2 second show at the Hollywood Bowl with Coldplay. As we always say, dates are subject to change so keep an eye on this site for the latest news.

March 19

On Wednesday April 2, Ron will be in Halifax NS at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium with Nathan Wiley opening the show. You can get tickets for this show at the Rebecca Cohn Box Office, by phone at 902 494 3820, or online.

March 17

Ron will be doing some shows with The Wallflowers in late April and early May in the USA. The confirmed gigs are now listed on the Tour Dates page of this site. Please note that there may be some Wallflowers shows in the same time frame on which Ron will not be playing so be sure before buying tickets. Between these Wallflowers gigs and the tour with Coldplay, Ron is now confirmed through mid-June. Keep an eye on this site for his summer plans.

March 10

Ron and his band will re-team with Coldplay for another round of dates in May and June. Ron will be second on a bill, precede by Eisley, and followed of course by Coldplay. The US dates for Coldplay have been selling out very quickly (in Nashville for example in 30 minutes) so if you think you might want to attend any of the shows listed on the Tour Dates page of this site, do not wait!

March 6

Ron will appear at SXSW on Saturday March 15 at the Austin Music Hall. As this appearance is part of a music conference, there are no advance tickets but the general public should be able to pay at the door. Also on the show are Polyphonic Spree and Bob Schneider, among others.

And just announced: Ron will be on the bill with Blue Rodeo at Brock University in St. Catharine's Ontario on Thursday April 3. This is a fairly small venue - under 1,000 - so you might want to get your tickets right away.

February 26

Ron Sexsmith has won a Galaxie Rising Stars Award, presented during Canadian Music Week in association with Galaxie, CBC's Continuous Music Network. The $2,000 cash prize was presented at the third annual Canadian Independent Music Awards ("The Indies"), the kick-off event for Canadian Music Week activities.

Galaxie's Rising Stars program sets out to stimulate and develop new musical talent from Canada through partnerships between the Continuous Music Network, a commercial division of CBC, and a host of organizations from the music and entertainment industry nationwide.

February 14 - Message from Ron

Hi everybody -
We just got home from what turned out to be a great tour with Coldplay. I'm always a bit hesitant when I have to open up for an act, but we were all pleasantly surprised at the reception we got and what truly great guys they are. During the tour we managed to film a video for "Gold In Them Hills" as well, which I hope will see the light of day soon.

The biggest surprise for me though, came on the last night in Phoenix when Glen Campbell knocked on my dressing room door. (Apparently his son had turned him on to my stuff.) I've always been a fan and knowing he was in the audience made us all play better too. Anyway, I'm not sure what our next move is, but thanks again for all your interest.
Love,
Ron

February 12

Ron Sexsmith has been nominated for a Juno Award in the category of Songwriter of the Year for These Days, Gold In Them Hills and Former Glory. The awards will be presented on April 6 in Kanata Ontario; the show will be broadcast live on CTV at 8:00PM Eastern.

The Village Voice has released the results their annual Pazz & Jop Poll and Ron is on the list. Check out the Poll then search for Sexsmith and you'll see the results.

January 28

On Wednesday January 29, Ron will have a solo live performance and interview at KGSR in Austin TX. This will be webcast beginning at 3:30PM Central Standard Time. On Thursday January 30, Ron and band will do an instore performance at Waterloo Records, also in Austin. It should kick off at 5:30PM. Waterloo is at 600a N. Lamar Blvd.

January 27

On Tuesday January 28, Ron will stop by Cactus Music in Houston TX for a quick visit. There won't be time for an instore performance but if you'd like to stop by and say howdy, Ron will be there at 3:30PM. The store is at 2973 S. Shepherd Drive; for more information, call 713 526 9272.

January 23

Ron's tour with Coldplay is underway and with two shows down, all seems to be going well. If you get a chance to catch one of the shows, please be sure to post your review on the Bulletin Board. During this tour, there will be some radio visits and instore appearances and of course, this is the place to find out where and when. First up, in Birmingham AL on Friday January 24, Ron will visit Lazer's Edge. The store is located at 2825 18th Street South. There will be a short solo performance along with a bit of a meet and greet with Ron starting at 5:00PM. For directions or more info, call 205 871 3472.

January 8

Ron and band will do a show in Toronto as a warm up for the Coldplay tour. The gig is January 17, at Hugh's Room, 2261 Dundas St. W. This is a small venue with only 200 capacity – it will sell out. Tickets are available ONLY through venue, either by phone (416 531 6604) or at their box office.