Ron Sexsmith

December 22

After a few weeks of much news and activity, Ron (and we) will take some time off to get ready for a busy 2006. Please feel free to continue to use the Messageboard throughout the holidays to keep in touch with us and each other. Thank you all for your support of Ron and best wishes for a happy and safe holiday season.

December 21

Ron can be heard as one of the performers on the Andy Kim Christmas show when it is aired (and webcast) later this week. CBC will air the special on Definitely Not The Opera on December 24, at 3:30PM Eastern Time and CHUM FM will run the show on December 24, at 6:00PM Eastern Time. For you fans around the world who would like to tune into the webcast, check out The World Clock to find your local times.

December 20

You can now view the video for "What Ever Happened To Christmas?", the song written and performed by Ron and Andy Kim. Both are in the video which was directed by Keith Holding and was filmed on a Toronto street corner across from muchmusic - and yes, it was cold. See the HiRes Version which takes a little longer to download, or the LoRes Version if you just can't wait. Additionally, the single is now available on iTunes... check it out!

December 20

On Friday, December 23, the ABC soap opera All My Children will use Ron's "Maybe This Christmas" over the ending credits of their holiday show. Check your local listings for air times.

December 19

Here are a few more seasonal appearance that Ron will make before Christmas:
On December 22, EZRock has The Stu and Colleen Christmas Breakfast Special, a Skating Party from the Panorama at the Manulife Centre, Toronto. The show airs from 6-9am Eastern Time, Ron will be on at 7:30 or so. Tune in over the airwaves at 97.3 or check out the webcast.
On December 23, MIX 99.9 has The Humble Howard Christmas Breakfast Special from The Courthouse Market & Grille on Adelaide Street, Toronto. The show airs from 6-9am Eastern Time, Ron will perform approx. 7:15. They are on the air at 99.9 or webcast too.
Later that same morning, KLITE Morning Show with Sunni and Hayes broadcasts live from the Limeridge Mall, Hamilton. The show airs from 5:30-9am, Ron will be on around 8:30. Tune your radio to 102.9 or listen online.

December 13

Are there any Ron Sexsmith fans on your Christmas list? If so, check out the new holiday bundles we have in the SHOP for both men and women. These include a shirt and a copy of Rarities. You can also order all Ron's releases and available shirts individually to fill in your own collections! And keep an eye on this site for more upcoming specials.

December 9

Canadian based John McDermott, one of the acclaimed Irish Tenors, has just released Images of Christmas on EMI Canada, featuring a duet with Ron on Maybe This Christmas. The album also includes over 20 newly recorded songs with by some of the best singer-songwriters in Canada and brand new renditions of classic Christmas and seasonal songs. Also guesting are Shaye, Marc Jordan, Cindy Church, Tom Cochrane, Jason Fowler, Glass Tiger and more. And look for news here regarding Ron and John McDermott in 2006.

December 5

For the last two years, Ron's "Maybe This Christmas" has been prominently featured in The O.C.'s Christmas episodes - or rather, their Chrismukkuh episodes. The song was also included on The O.C. Mix3 Soundtrack, along with seasonal songs by Rooney, Jimmy Eat World, The Ravonettes and more. Now you can send a holiday e-card to your friends and family to let them know you're thinking of them (and that they should pick up a copy of this fantastic soundtrack). Merry Chrismukkah everyone!

December 2

A live version of Ron's "I Know It Well" has been included on a new compilation from KPRI out of San Diego called KPRI's Live Tracks - Vol. III. It was recorded during his June 2004 visit to the station. Other artists on the album include Kathleen Edwards, Keane, John Fogarty, Jason Mraz - a very diverse selection. Proceeds from the sale of this album go to the San Diego organization called Voices For Children, an advocacy group for foster children in the San Diego area.

November 29 - Message from Ron:

Happy Holidays Everybody
I've just returned from LA where tracking has finally been completed on my new record. It was nice working with Mitchell Froom again and I'm hoping the results will be agreeable to all those concerned. I'm feeling very excited about 2006 in general - I'm looking forward to hitting the road with the new record and playing for everyone again. The Massey Hall show will be a definite career high point for me... hope some of you can make it out to that one.
Well, until next time, have a Happy Holiday Season and take care of yourselves.
Love Ron

November 25

In the early morning hours of December 9, Ron will once again visit the CHUMCity Christmas Wish Breakfast with Roger, Rick and Marilyn. From 6:00 to 9:00 AM Eastern Time at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, CHUM FM will broadcast live with lots of special musical guests: Melissa O'Neil, Jacksoul, Andy Kim and Ron are confirmed at this time. For those of you in the Toronto area wishing to attend, tickets are available at Ticketmaster with all proceeds going directly to the CHUMCity Christmas Wish. And if you're feeling extra jolly, please bring a new unwrapped toy for the kids. If you are unable to attend, you can tune into CHUM FM at 104.5 or check out the webcast.

November 23

As you readers of this page know, a few weeks ago, Andy Kim was Ron's guest at the tv taping for Beautful Noise. Now Ron returns the favor, appearing at The Andy Kim Christmas Show, presented by CHUM FM at the Mod Club on Friday, December 2. Andy's other special guests are Esthero, The Hidden Cameras, Haydain Neale of Jacksoul, Jully Black, Shaye, Danny Michel and Andy Stochansky. This will be a great chance for you to hear Andy and Ron perform their Christmas song "What Ever Happened To Christmas?" as well as other seasonal favorites, old and new. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and all proceeds will go to the CHUM City Christmas Wish.

Additionally, for those of you elsewhere around the world, CHUM FM will broadcast (and webcast) the show sometime during Christmas week - we'll provide details as they are available.

November 21

In February of this year, Scandanvian songstress Ane Brun released "A Temporary Dive" on v2 Music. That album featured a duet with Ron called "Song No. 6". This collaboration reappears on Ane's news album called, appropriately enough, "Duets" to be released on November 23rd, again on v2. Some of the other artists on the album are Syd Matters, Liv Widdel and Teitur. About her original duet with Ron, Ane says, "Highly ranked on my list of musicians that I wanted to work with was Ron Sexsmith... And Ron said he wanted to do it. I was thrilled. His warm and personal voice would be included on my record!" And now it's included on "Duets".

November 16

On December 3rd, Ron and Don Kerr will perform as a duo at the Greenbank Centennial Hall in Uxbridge ON for The Greenbank Folk Music Society, a volunteer, non-profit group that has been dedicated to bringing the best Canadian roots and traditional folk and blues music to small town Ontario since 1993. The venue is intimate at just 95 seats. Ticket information and directions can be found at the website linked above. Ron and Don will perform favorites from all of Ron's albums as well as songs from Sexsmith & Kerr's Destination Unknown.

October 31

The St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation is holding its annual fundraiser on Friday, November 4 at John Michael's Banquet and Conference Center in Thorold, Ontario. In its 20th year, the fundraiser moves from the runway to the kitchen with community leaders and prominent business people rolling up their sleeves to create fabulous desserts for competition. Ron will perform a solo set during the evening to show his support for his home area's community hospital. For ticket information, call Jana Ray at 905 323 3863.

October 27

On Sunday, October 30, a Ron Sexsmith song will be featured in the television show Crossing Jordan. The episode is Total Recall and the song is Secret Heart. The show airs in the US at 10PM Eastern/9PM Central.

October 26

For those of you in the Toronto area, we are offering a special chance for you to see Ron and his band live in an intimate setting. BEAUTIFUL NOISE is a music performance series produced in Toronto by Original Spin for Hi-Definition broadcast on RAVEHD in the US. Each episode is one hour and features a different artist, consisting mainly of a live performance with brief interview clips. The programs are modeled after classic music series like Sessions at West54th and Austin City Limits.

Programs are taped in front of an invited audience in downtown Toronto. Ron and band will be taping an episode on Sunday November 6. This taping is not open to the public but we were able to score a quantity of passes for the fans in the Toronto area. For details on how to get tickets, visit the Messageboard of this website and check out Special Toronto Area Offer.

September 6 - Message from Ron:

Hi all... I just wanted to take this time to express my condolences to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina both directly and indirectly. New Orleans is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and certainly one of my favorite cities to visit in the USA. I sincerely hope that in time they can somehow manage to rebuild and restore not only the buildings but the spirit and hopes of the people, their incredible culture and historic musical heritage.
Love Ron

August 18

Sexsmith & Kerr hit the road in support of Destination Unknown. What is known, however, are the Tour Dates for the first leg of a September US tour. Several East Coast dates have been announced and more dates for the rest of the country will be confirmed soon. Ron and Don will be playing songs from Destination Unknown with a little help from Jason Mercer. Ana Egge will support (at least on the East Coast dates so far). Check back here for more details as they are available.

August 12

The Shop is now open. In conjunction with MapleMusic.com, you can now find all the Ron Sexsmith available merch in one place. For the first time in a very long while, all of Ron's albums are available along with T-shirts from today and yesterday. Have a look by clicking on the Shop tab. A new window will open. When you make your selection, you will be transported to the corresponding page at MapleMusic.com. Enjoy!

July 18

Destination Update: Sexsmith & Kerr's Destination Unknown is now out in the additional territories of Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. And now, we can announce that the disc will be released in Canada on August 16 and in the US on September 6. Before too long, Maplemusic will have a pre-release ordering option with a promotion for a limited quantity of autographed cds... keep an eye on this space for details. You can also order early from Amazon.com if that's more convenient for you. And as always, upon release, you can find Destination Unknown in your favorite local retail shops.

June 9

Destination Unknown, the duet record from Sexsmith & Kerr is set to be released on June 13 in Sweden by v2 Music. Their website has a preview option for you to hear the songs now. They also have a Pre-Order Feature. Other European territories and the UK release dates will be announced soon from v2 Music.

Details on Canadian and US release dates will be posted here in the near future. All Ron fans around the world should be able to get the record that Ron calls "misfit songs sung by a couple of misfits" - but when you hear the songs (and the singers), you will know the fit is just right.

June 3

On Sunday, June 5, Ron will participate in Canada's Walk of Fame ceremony in Toronto. He will be part of inducting dancer Rex Harrington. There is an unveiling ceremony (where the inductees stars on the Walk are presented) which is open to the public and a gala event where the inductee are presented with statuettes. A Red Carpet special and the Gala will be broadcast on CTV on Monday, June 6th at 7:00 pm EST.

May 30

LATE BREAKING NEWS - WEBCAST: Tonight, Ron Sexsmith will perform at Paradiso, Amsterdam. This concert will be webcast live at Fabchannel.com and afterwards the concert will be included in their online archive. Both live and on demand the webcast are free for everybody to watch. The webcast starts at 10:30 PM CET - that's 4:30 PM EDT at http://www.ronsexsmith.fabchannel.com, direct link to the page at Fabchannel.com.

May 20

On June 7, Ron will participate in the 8th Annual White Ribbon Concert in Toronto. The White Ribbon Campaign was established in 1991 when a group of Canadian men decided to speak out against violence against women. It has since become the largest effort in the world of its kind. The white ribbon is a symbol of men's opposition to men's violence against women. There are many people on the bill and Ron will only play one or two songs but this is a cause worth supporting and should be a great night out.

May 18

More dates have been added to the Tour Dates page. There may be a few more shows added to the list for the summer and fall but none of these are part of a full tour. The Sexsmith & Kerr album details will be released any day now - we just want to be sure that everyone around the world will be able to get this cd... and it looks like you will! Stand by for more news as it happens.

April 21

New Tour Dates have been posted for late spring through summer. A few more shows will be added but it will not be a full blown tour - that will come later this year or early next year. Ron is gearing up to go into the studio to record the follow up to Retriever... more details will be forthcoming. We'll also be announcing a release date for Sexsmith and Kerr Destination Unknown, very soon. But for now, enjoy the nice weather and if you're lucky, a Ron show near you.

April 4

In a ceremony held in Winnipeg on April 3, Ron Sexsmith was awarded the Juno for Songwriter of the Year for Whatever It Takes, Not About To Lose and Hard Bargain from his latest album, Retriever. The statue was presented to Ron by Hayden from Jacksoul, Sarah Slean and Canadian music royalty, Burton Cummings. Congratulations Ron!

April 1

No joke: Ron is on his way to Winnipeg for the Juno Awards. He has been nominated in two categories: Adult Alternative Album for Retriever and Songwriter for Whatever It Takes, Not About To Lose and Hard Bargain. The award ceremony will be held in Sunday April 3, and will be broadcast live from the MTS Centre on CTV. But first, there are many pre-show activities including interviews and other performances. For a complete listing of Ron's appearances visit the Message Board.

March 30

In a feature article in the May/June issue of Performing Songwriter, John Prine talks about other songwriters:

Prine counts Bob Dylan and Hank Williams as early influences. He finds Williams exceptional because his weighty legacy depends on a catalog compiled in such a short period of time. Currently, he also considers himself a fan of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Van Morrison ("because he sticks to his guns"). Among younger songwriters, Prine is particularly fond of Ron Sexsmith. "I love his words," he says, "but it slays me that somebody can come up with new, exciting melodies like he does. He's got his head turned in a certain way and he's saying this one thing, but he's saying it differently in all these songs."

March 21

Just released on Sanctuary: Moodswings by Brodsky Quartet ... a collection of songs written and performed various singer songwriters and Brodsky Quartet, and featuring the previously unrecorded Dumptruck by Ron Sexsmith. Not only did he write it, but Ron also sings on the record. Other artists appearing with Brodsky Quartet on this release are Elvis Costello, Sting, Meredith Monk and Bjork. Since their formation in 1972, Brodsky Quartet has been at the forefront of bringing chamber music to new audiences around the world and their collaboration with cutting edge songwriters, poets and choreographers has kept them fresh for these 30 years.

March 10 - Message from Ron:

Well, as some of you have mentioned it has now been 10 years since the release of my major label debut "Ron Sexsmith". As you can imagine, it brings to mind all sorts of memories, feelings and mostly a sense of relief that I've been able to continue all this time. The record itself, I'm still quite proud of. I met with so many different producers and the whole process was very confusing. I had a better idea of what I wanted to avoid than what I wanted to do. Fortunately I was able to work with Mitchell Froom who helped me pick the right songs (out of about 50 or so) and steered me in the right direction I think

The album initially was hated by most of the people involved at Interscope Records and almost didn't come out at all. When it was finally released in 95, it was with very little fanfare and almost no promotion so it was quite amazing and unexpected when Elvis Costello decided to hold it up on the December issue of Mojo magazine. That one generous act in many ways saved my shaky little career by creating interest in other parts of the world and forced the label to give it and me a second chance.

Although it didn't go on to be a big seller, it gave me a leg to stand on and platform in which to continue. When I hear it now, I can hear myself trying to find my voice. I had been listening to Little Jimmy Scott and as a result my phrasing was quite behind the beat. Mostly I was just trying do a good job because it was my first shot in the"big leagues". Mitchell insisted that I play all the guitars which I think ultimately made me a better player and Tchad Blake's sparse/left-field production created a slightly dark atmosphere to warble over. If you listen to "First Chance I Get" during the lead solo there are actual tree frogs squealing away in the background. On "In Place Of You" towards the end you'll hear Jerry Marotta slamming the door of his drum booth. Some producers would have edited that out but Tchad actually spent time trying to bring that up in the mix.

During the sessions we all stayed in a band house in Woodstock NY watching movies and drinking scotch and on one of our days off I got to play guitar on a track Suzanne Vega was recording for a Leonard Cohen tribute album. It was all pretty exciting for me looking back. I guess before I close I should also touch upon the alternate version of "There's A Rhythm" produced by Daniel Lanois. His moodier take was recorded in Quebec and Toronto and was brought on by the label's desire for me to re-do the entire record with Dan. It was kind of a stressful period because I just wanted it to come out as is and it was a bit awkward for Dan I think, to be in the middle of the conflict. We had a great time though, and best of all he turned out to be quite an excellent photographer and shot all the photos for the package.I'd like to think I haven't aged too much in 10 years :O)

Well in closing, I want to thank everyone for listening - all the various artists and music critics who said nice things about the record and saved me from the bottomless pit. Here's to another 10 years.

Love,

Ron Sexsmith 

February 14

Norwegian/Swedish singer Ane Brun has a new release "A Temporary Dive", out now in Scandinavia on v2. The album is currently #1 in Norway and features the single "Song No.6" - a duet with Ron Sexsmith!

February 7

Ron Sexsmith has been nominated for Juno Awards in two categories: Adult Alternative Album for Retriever and Songwriter for Whatever It Takes, Not About To Lose and Hard Bargain. The Junos are the highest award in the Canadian Music Industry. The award ceremony will be held in Winnipeg MB on Sunday April 3, and will be broadcast live from the MTS Centre on CTV.

January 24 - Message from Ron:

Hi everybody... As 2005 gets underway it looks like it's shaping up to be a productive year in my little world. The "Sexsmith and Kerr" record is coming together nicely. Don has just started mixing it and I'm really pleased by what I've heard so far. We're not sure yet how or when this will be released but we'll keep you posted. I've also been sifting through 20 new songs which I hope to record in the coming months once I settle on a producer. And lastly, I just got wind of a few possible Canadian dates around the spring and summer that we're looking at. I apologize once again to the folks down in Australia for not making it there this time around but it's definitely high on my list of things to do once we start touring again. That's all for now. Take care and, if you're in my part of the world, stay warm.
Love Ron