‘He loved the music’: Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Guthro dies at 62
Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Guthro has died aged 62 from cancer.
JP Cormier, a Cape Breton artist and close friend of the late Guthro, said he learned of his pa*sing Wednesday morning after receiving a call from Guthro’s family.
“We knew this was coming, and so did his loved ones,” he said, pointing out that Guthro had been ill for a few years before conditions worsened over the past month. “He didn’t deserve to go down this path.”
“We had a conversation just a few weeks ago…he was strong in his faith and I hope he’s in a good place.”
Guthro, a native of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, achieved major commercial success with his 1998 hit. Walk this road, which reached number 1 on the Canadian country charts. His album of the same year, Of your sunwent gold in Canada.
At the height of his success as a solo artist, Guthro joined Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig. — and performed as the band’s lead singer for 25 years.
The BBC also confirmed the death on Wednesday morning after speaking with former Runrig band member Pete Wishart.
“An exceptional singer, musician and songwriter taken way too soon. He will be missed,” Wishart told the BBC.
Cormier said that Guthro “has had practically three careers”, referring to the wide range of musical roles he has played in different regions over the years.
“The very concept of the singing circle in this country was practically invented by him and there is no way of measuring how it affected us all,” he said, adding that he himself been involved in several popular Guthro songwriting events.
“No one else on the East Coast has ever done what he did.”
Tributes poured in from local musicians and public figures, including words shared by Halifax Mayor Mike Savage on social media.
“I cannot express how sad I am to learn of the pa*sing of musical legend Bruce Guthro,” Savage said. “Talented, dedicated and the best in the business who really cares about people. »
Guthro’s contributions as a frontman saw the band’s 2007 album all you see was a huge success, sold millions of copies and went platinum in Denmark.
“The band retired in 2018 for a sold-out European tour, culminating in two concerts in Scotland in front of an audience of over 50,000 cheering fans,” read a statement posted on Guthro’s official website. .
Despite spending half of his 40-year professional career traveling across Europe, Guthro, who has released seven albums as a solo artist, has stayed true to his Nova Scotian roots while continuing to reside in the province.
Over the past decade, he has captivated audiences across Atlantic Canada by providing a unique twist on live performances under the aegis of the Bruce Guthro Songwriter Circle, which has seen the acclaimed artist share the stage with many of the top local interpreters.
Cormier described Guthro as someone who “was never off”.
“No matter who it was, I’ve seen him so many times interact with complete strangers like he’s known them their whole lives, and welcome them to a jam session, a campsite,” he said. declared.
“He just loved the music and the people.”
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