Ron Sexsmith

December 21

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UPDATE: The board is back up and running

December 17 - Message from Ron

Greetings - I just wanted to take this time to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday. I hope 2005 will be kind to you and yours. I would also like to thank you all for attending the shows this year, for writing in your comments and for all your support and encouragement in general. It has meant an awful lot. Hope to see you all again in 2005... take care of yourselves until then.
Love Ron

November 30

The Retriever tour has come to an end with Ron and band closing it out in St. Catharine's ON, Ron’s hometown. So that’s it for the year. It’s all over for 2004. Except for one more little thing. Ron will be in Los Angeles on December 8th for the KCRW Christmas Show. The Gimme Shelter Benefit will be held at the Roxy Theater and will feature many acts leading up to headliners Rooney and Jason Mraz. Ron will take the stage at 9:00 PM.

October 29

Ron will stop by the Vicki Gabereau show on Tuesday, November 2nd for a live performance and chat. If you are in the Vancouver area and would like to attend the taping, here are the details: They tape the show at 750 Burrard Street in Vancouver. Audience arrival time is 10:45am and you must be able to stay until 1:30pm. Audience members must be 16 years or older to attend. Tickets need to be booked and can be reserved by calling 604-609 5721.

October 26

In 2002 Nettwerk America, in cooperation with VH1 Save The Music Foundation, released "For The Kids," a collection of classic children’s songs along with noteworthy originals performed by a wonderfully diverse group of musicians. The next installment, "For The Kids Too!", is out now with The Lili Claire Foundation as the benefiting charity. The Lili Claire Foundation is a nonprofit organization that benefits people born with neurogenetic disorders such as Williams Syndrome, Down Syndrome and Autism, while providing resources and assistance to the families who love them. Among the participating artists are Butterfly Boucher, David Mead, They Might Be Giants, Sarah Harmer, Robyn Hitchcock and of course, Ron Sexsmith singing the Sesame Street song "The Very First Day". Check it out – lots of fun for a good cause.

October 20

By now, many of you may know that Ron Sexsmith duets on a single in the UK called "Lo Mismo Que Yo (If Only)" by the Alex Cuba Band. The group, led by Alexis Puentes, is made up of sons of the legendary Buena Vista Social Club musicians. Their album, Humo De Tobaco was produced by Martin Terefe. The single, with vocals shared by Alexis and Ron, has garnered much attention at BBC Radio2 and will be released on October 25 (UK only at this time). You can pre-order the single online through HMV, Virgin Megastore, Woolworths and other fine online retail outlets. You can also do it the old fashioned way: walk into a shop on Monday, buy the single and take it right home.

October 3

Ron Sexsmith returns to Toronto on November 25 to play the Danforth Music Hall. As Ron has been away from home for most of this year, many of you are very eager to see him and he is happy to be coming home. Those of you who are faithful visitors to this website and the message board, here's a special treat for you... a chance to buy tickets for the best seats in the house before they go on sale to the general public. TicketPro will have tickets for sale tomorrow, October 14 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. Tickets are $25.00 (CDN) in advance and there is a service charge (which differs depending on delivery method). There is also a print-at-home method that can save you time and money. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday, October 16.

September 24 - Message from Ron

Hi everybody... Just wanted to write and say how pleased I've been with current tour. We've been playing to some of the best and biggest crowds so far, which has been very encouraging. I also wanted to let you know that I've been reading the posts from the Message Board whenever possible and that I've found them all very heartwarming as I move around the globe. I'm looking forward to the upcoming shows in Paris, Japan and the UK and especially the Canadian tour which is shaping up to be quite a thorough one. Thanks to all who have attended a show or plan to in the near future as well as for all your support in general. Love Ron

August 24

Oh Susanna. Camptown Races. Old Folks At Home... classic American standards written by Stephen Foster, recorded by many. Now Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster is released today by American Roots Publishing. This tribute to one of the greatest American songwriters of all times features tracks by Raul Malo, Alison Krauss, John Prine, Mavis Staples, Roger McGuinn and many others, including of course, Ron

August 4

Barnes and Noble thinks Retriever is Good Music! From today through November 4th, Retriever will be in the Good Music Program. That means the disc will be sale priced, advertised in Tracks and Paste magazines, on the B&N instore Red Dot Listening Systems and featured on the BN.com. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, now would be a good time. If you have already gotten your copy, it’s never too early to start your holiday shopping!

July 16

On July 27, k.d. lang will release her latest cd, Hymns of the 49th Parallel, a nod to some of the great songwriters of her home country: Canada. That list would not be complete with out Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, or Neil Young and this collection finds Ron in their company. k.d. sings "Fallen" simply beautifully. Being described as k.d. lang's Canadian Songbook, this cd will be released by Nonesuch Records.

July 12

Ron Sexsmith will be featured on the music portion of CNN's Headline News tomorrow evening, July 13. We have not been given exact times but it will be 15 minutes after the top of the hour starting anytime with or after the 6:15 PM Eastern time report and will re-air 5 times throughout the evening.

July 9

On Sunday, July 11, Ron will be featured in a segment of A&E’s Breakfast With The Arts which was taped shortly before Ron’s US Tour. The show airs at 8:00 AM Eastern time; Ron’s segment is “close to the 9:00 AM hour” according to the show’s producer. Perhaps it would be wise to tune in early! Rod Stewart, jazz musician Avaishi Cohen and Elizabeth Sussman (talking about photographer Diane Arbus) will also be featured during the show. Check your local listings for more details

July 7

Ron is currently in Germany, participating in Century of Song, an event that celebrates the art of the song. Organized by American guitarist Bill Frisell who continues his quest for timeless and sometimes lost songs, this event is in its second year. Held in Bochum Germany from May through July and featuring past performances from Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones and Vic Chesnutt, the upcoming shows on July 9 and 10 in the Jahrhunderthalle showcase Ron and Jesse Harris. They will be backed by a band consisting of Bill Frisell, Kenny Wollesen and Tony Scherr. During rehearsals this week, Ron and Jesse have been working up their songs with the band, singing duets together and unearthing some forgotten gems. For those of you lucky enough to attend: Enjoy!

June 22

A new batch of Tour Dates are now posted. These dates run through the fall for the UK, Europe and Japan. There will be Canadian tour even later in the year. Those shows will be posted when they are confirmed. In the meantime, Ron and the band are just about the wrap up the US Tour. For reviews and fan comments on the shows, visit the Message Board.

June 10

Big news for Australia: Retriever will be released in Australia on June 14 through Shock Records . And for those of you who waited to purchase Retriever, your patience pays off - there will be a bonus track. "Madeleine Knows" is a song that Ron played on his last trip to Australia but it's otherwise new. The rest of Retriever is the same fine disc that has been getting great reviews by press and fans alike.

June 2

Ron has been confirmed to open the show for Diana Krall at the Montreal Jazz Festival for The 25th Anniversary Festival Gala, June 29th at 8:00 PM at the Bell Centre. Ron has also been invited to be a special guest in Diana's set. The gala is the kick-off for this year's festival and will be taped for future television broadcast (station yet to be determined).

May 27

Ron’s song “Not About To Lose” is the kick off track on Nettwerk America’s Modern Day Troubadours. Released last week, this compilation also features Johnny Cash, Neil Finn, Jay Farrar and Daniel Lanois, among others. A portion of the profits from the sale of this disc will go to Big Brothers, Big Sisters. For details on a special promotion, please check the messageboard of this site.

May 20

Ron Sexsmith will be part of the Live At The Basement Music Series on Australian Television, ABC TV, Channel 2, nationwide. The episode will go to air on May 25th at 11:05PM AEST. The show was recorded at The Basement Club in Sydney during Ron's last visit to Australia and features a selection of his favorite songs performed live as well as interview footage about Ron's influences and thoughts on his music.

May 17

On Friday May 14, the movie A Slipping Down Life opened in New York and Los Angeles. Based on the Anne Tyler book, the film was directed by Toni Kalem, and stars Lili Taylor and Guy Pearce. As the character musician Drumstrings Casey, Guy Pearce sings throughout the movie, including songs written by Ron Sexsmith. The soundtrack album is available on Commotion Records. A Slipping Down Life will be more widely distributed in the US in June.

May 14

The video for “Whatever It Takes” can now be viewed from the Music page for Retriever in both Quicktime and Windows Media formats. This clever clip was produced in Toronto and was directed by Justin Stephenson. Enjoy!

May 7

The video for “Whatever It Takes” has been added right into heavy rotation on Canada’s MuchMoreMusic video channel. And Retriever made its debut at #20 on the Best Album chart in Sweden, the second highest debut of the week.

May 6

The last of the US shows are now up on the Tour Dates page. If your city is not on the list, don’t panic... Ron will likely do another run in the states later in the year.

Check out the current issue of Entertainment Weekly - the one with some American Idols on the cover – for a feature on Ron. It’s a different angle that you all will find amusing!

May 3

The second leg of the US tour has been added to the Tour Dates. Griffin House will open the June 7-22 shows except where noted

April 30

With Retriever out in the US, Canada, Japan, and Europe and releases forthcoming in the UK and Australia, it is time for Ron to hit the road. Most dates will be with the band: Don Kerr, Tim Bovaconti and Jason Mercer; some dates will be solo. Many will be clubs and theaters, some will be festivals. For a complete listing of the current confirmed shows, take a look at the Tour Dates. The support act for the US tour dates May 16 through June 4 is David Mead. More US dates will be added as they are confirmed and support for those shows will announced at that time.

April 5

Come on in...Check out the new and improved official website for Ron Sexsmith. The site has been redesigned in anticipation of Ron's upcoming cd release, Retriever.

The release dates are:
April 6 - USA, Nettwerk America
April 20 - Canada, Warner Canada
April 21 - Japan, Toshiba EMI
April 26 - Europe, V2 Music
May 17 - UK, Parlophone
TBA - Australia, Festival Mushroom Records

The website updates include a new Bio, a fantastic new Photo page with much easier navigation, an updated Music page with the track listing and lyrics for Retriever. We're also introducing a new, more secure Message Board. You must sign in and activate an account to use the board but, don't worry, it will be a snap to use... You'll see.

So, welcome. We hope you enjoy your visit. Come back anytime.

April 7

If you visit the Message Board, you will find information about two special events in Toronto. One is a contest to win tickets for an intimate performance of Ron and one is a two-night stand at Hugh’s Room. All the details are there.

Other Tour Dates are beginning to be made available. A full tour of the US will be announced shortly but in the meantime, on Friday April 16, Ron will participate in a wonderful show in New York. “Live From Home” is a series presented at Housing Works Used Book Café on the third Friday of every month. Housing Works is an organization that provides shelter, job training, medical services and legal advocacy for homeless people with AIDS in New York. Also on the bill: Juliana Hatfield and Johnathan Rice. Tickets for the benefit are $25 and go on sale Saturday April 10.

February 25

Ron will be heading off to Europe for a promotional trip in advance of his upcoming release (more details on that to come). It will be interviews and such for the most part but there is one exception. On March 6th, there will be a showcase in Hamburg Germany. The venue is Weltbühne (at the "Phonodrom" building), the address is Nobistor 24 20767 Hamburg. Space is somewhat limited - media and journalists will be admitted first by invitation but after that, it is open to the public.

January 21

A few extra shows with the Barenaked Ladies have been added for Western Canada. Check out the Tour Dates.

January 21

Message from Ron
My Top Ten Releases for 2003:
June Carter Cash - Wildwood Flower
Bing Crosby - Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings
Rufus Wainwright - Want 1
Steely Dan - Everything Must Go
Fembots - Small Town Murder Scene
Joel Plaskett - Truthfully Truthfully
Sam Roberts - We Were Born In A Flame
Pete Elkas - Party Of One (ep)
Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Beatles - Let It Be (Naked)
Sincerely,
Ron