Musicians and radio come to the aid of the family farm

It might not be the first place you would think of. Nevertheless, Canada's largest arena (nestled amidst a fortress of office towers) was chosen as the site for a celebration of our roots. Where better to remind city dwellers that it's time to come back down to earth. The occasion was the Family Farm Tribute held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Sunday, January 16 and broadcast nationally via CBC Newsworld.

The show was a sellout, moving 14,000 tickets. Even more important was the media coverage afforded this worthwhile cause. Television, radio and print came to the party with unprecedented support. Media coverage in the week leading up to the big day was overwhelming. A Family Farm Tribute song "Back Down To Earth" was recorded at Post City Productions in Toronto by a number of the artists. Film from these sessions aired repeatedly in every major newscast across the country. Artist interviews were arranged for numerous television talk shows. Photos and stories appeared in virtually all of the daily newspapers. Radio showed its support by airing PSA's, artist interviews, hour long shows on the topic, and pre-release versions of "Back Down To Earth".

It all began with a suggestion from the legendary Ronnie Hawkins. Who better to talk about roots? The idea was simple. Set aside politics and draw attention to the plight of the family farmer in Canada. Farmers whose average annual income is $14,500. Farmers whose subsidies can't compare to those given their counterparts in the U.S. and overseas. Farmers who only see 6 cents from a loaf of bread. Still, with all of these hardships, their biggest single obstacle is apathy. In the city, it is so easy to feel removed from the rural experience. The goal here was to open a few eyes and a few hearts. To start a discussion.

Starting with this premise, the idea was to galvanize the support of like minded musicians who would donate their time to the cause. Any money raised would be donated to agricultural organizations. A tentative list was set. The performers were finalized just one week and three days before the event. The lineup included the rousing Ronnie Hawkins and his son Robin Hawkins (a great new talent), Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, Gordon Lightfoot, Sylvia Tyson, Michael Burgess, Big Sugar, Wide Mouth Mason, Prairie Oyster, Fred Eaglesmith, Sharon, Lois, & Bram, Kevin Parent, Fred Penner, Amanda Stott and The Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Hennessy, Bray & Reade Communications was brought in to handle publicity, produce radio and television ad creative, and produce "Back Down To Earth".

I personally had the privilege of working with the artists and media. I would like to express my gratitude for their extremely gracious support of a worthy cause.

The support of the performers, many of whom came from farming or rural backgrounds was, for the most part, extremely heartfelt. The performers spoke up for a cause they truly believed in. Front and centre was the inimitable Hawkins, who never ceases to both charm and amaze with his stories. Michael Burgess, Sylvia Tyson, Gord Johnson (of Big Sugar), and Shawn Vereault (of Wide Mouth Mason) gave unstintingly of their time and energies, expressing passionate support in a series of interviews. The show itself was a celebration, onstage, backstage and in the enthusiastic crowd. Behind the scenes, the goodwill was evident, with musicians from radically different genres greeting one another.

On a related note, I picked up a series of artist information tidbits.

Prairie Oyster is currently in the studio working on their next release, with Sylvia Tyson appearing as a guest artist. Ronnie & Robin Hawkins have just begun work on a studio album of completely new music featuring an astounding list of all star guest artists. Michael Burgess, whose last album is approaching gold status, is at work on a new release. In March look for him as the star of an American Network movie of the week. Gord Johnson and Randy Bachman have struck up a friendship which resulted in Big Sugar and Bachman performing together at the show. It will be interesting to see if they decide to record a cut together. As for the next steps (and this was just the beginning) for the Family Farm Tribute, I'll have more for you soon.