Les Stroud
BIO:
At the age of fourteen, Les Stroud walked into his eighth grade music class expecting the usual boring songs. But this new music teacher was different. He didn't realize at the time, but she was, for all intents and purposes, a hippy. This year their music studies were to be an exhaustive look at the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. Already profoundly interested in music, this album would set Les' path in life as a singer- songwriter, rock and roller.
After two years learning music production at Fanshawe College's Music Industry Arts course, Les returned to Toronto and promptly entered the indie band scene that was alive and well. A brief stint in the David Bowie clone band Diamond Dogs led him to the role of lead guitar for the band New Regime, sort of U2ish with a harder edge. Citing many creative differences, Les left the band on the eve of signing what was at the time the largest financial advance in the Canadian history of RCA. This was also the time RCA was becoming BMG. A few more years of writing and recording without much mentorship left Les frustrated and his own admitted immaturity caused him to turn his back on some pretty sweet opportunities as a composer with BMG, although some of his music was published along the way. Les became involved professionally in the production of rock videos and music television, which is where he began to learn the skills of editing and camera work. At the age of twenty-five, after suffering an accident in a hockey game that broke his wrist in eight places, Les decided to leave music and film work altogether and focus on a life of outdoor adventure. For the next eleven years Les' musical leanings would remain buried within his own thoughts and subdued creativity.
In 1996, Les, with his wife Sue, moved to Yellowknife, North West Territories, where Les worked as an outdoor instructor to aboriginal special needs individuals. One day he noticed that the local bar called itself the most northern blues bar in the world. Les loved the blues. He thought for a moment and then decided, "what the heck" and went out and bought a harmonica and jumped up on stage during the weekly blues jam. "The second I got up on stage I thought ... oh man, have I ever missed this!" He has never looked back. He became the house band harmonica player, began playing around town at the only other (two) venues available as a blues duo with Ridd Sorrensen. And, after eleven years away from it, began writing songs again. The first song penned after eleven years, Ride On, featured on his debut CD.
Les took his re-found love for music back with him to New Liskeard, Ontario where he promptly teamed up with the very talented Ian Auger and began to enter and win music festivals. With a fun and casual approach yet a maturity to remain driven and focused he threw together his first solo CD in Ian's studio (Ogeriff Studio), the self- titled Les Stroud.
Working hard to bring his harmonica chops up to a level he could be proud of he eventually teamed up with local North Bay blues legend Jake Thomas and together they played for a year and a half blowing people away at blues festivals including the Toronto Beaches Jazz Festival and the Orillia Blues Festival.
A few months into the success of his hit TV show Survivorman, Stroud was contacted by The Northern Pikes guitar player/singer Bryan Potvin and thus began a perfect relationship made in Canada (Survivorman teams up with the Northern Pikes) now dubbed Les Stroud and The Pikes. An Ep was released in the spring of 2007 and will be re-released in 2008 with four new songs as a full CD. Touring will follow.
With his love for the more acoustic 'Bruce Cockburn meets Barenaked Ladies meets Blue Rodeo' musical stylings, Les continues to write and record solo efforts often teaming up with Kevin Closs (Sudbury) and Peter Cliche (North Bay). Both well respected, talented writers and musicians in their own right and well known throughout the industry.
Les is currently working on a new solo release and an evening performance that highlights his award winning film-work coupled with his music. He has performed on stage (at the Alice Cooper Christmas Pudding Concert) with Alice Cooper, Steven Stills, Tommy Shaw, Tesla, Don Felder (Eagles), and members of Chicago and has recently been invited to Philadelphia to meet up and jam with the intensely talented guitar hero Brian Setzer.