After More Than 30 Years, Triumph's Legacy Lives On: Canadian Music Hall Of Fame To Induct Legendary Rock Band At The 2008 JUNO Awards
At the
2008 JUNO Awards nominee media conference held today in
Toronto, the
Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced this year's
Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee,
the legendary rock band,
Triumph. The original band members will be honoured at The
2008 JUNO Awards in
Calgary on Sunday, April 6, 2008, broadcast on CTV from the
Pengrowth Saddledome.
"
Triumph helped define arena rock as we know it today. they truly knew how to put on a spectacular concert experience for the fans," says
Melanie Berry,
CARAS President. "We are very proud to recognize them in the
Canadian Music Hall of Fame."
Members
Rik Emmett (vocals/guitars),
Mike Levine (bass/keyboards) and
Gil Moore (vocals/drums) were destined for stardom when they formed the Canadian hard-rock trio,
Triumph, in 1975. Their
debut self-titled album was released in 1976 by
Attic Records and quickly reached gold status. On the strength of the group's non-stop touring schedule throughout
Canada and the
USA,
Triumph had rapidly built a large and loyal fan base.
"It's a tremendous honour to be part of the
Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In one way, the reunion is like a surprising, surreal whirlwind. In another sense, it is also very humbling," said
Rik Emmett. "I lost my brother to cancer last year, and he was always one of my biggest supporters - and a huge fan of Triumph - so an award like this also pays tribute to an enduring relationship with music lovers everywhere."
"I couldn't be more thrilled. This is the ultimate honour for
Triumph," said bass guitarist/keyboardist
Mike Levine.
Fellow band mate
Gil Moore adds, "It's a humbling experience and an honour to be recognized by your peers in this way, it has inspired me to start playing again."
Triumph followed up their debut album with the multi-platinum
Rock N' Roll Machine (1977) and
Just a Game (1979) releases, both of which are considered rock classics. The band became increasingly notorious for their live performances, dubbing them the godfathers of arena rock.
By the '80s,
Triumph truly became a force to be reckoned with, releasing a string of gold and platinum-certified albums including
Progressions of Power,
Allied Forces,
Never Surrender,
Thunder Seven and
The Sport of Kings. Their bombastic over-the-top arena tours combined with such classic radio staples ("
Fight the Good Fight," "
Magic Power," "
Lay It On The Line") and multiple
JUNO Award nominations solidified the group as one of rock�s top concert attractions.
In 1995, the entire
Triumph catalog was re-mastered and reissued on CD. These days, several producers at the Metalworks Studios' facilities in Mississauga, Ontario, are hard at work preparing future Triumph DVD and CD releases from the vaults. In June 2008, the original members of
Triumph,
Emmett,
Levine and
Moore, will unite to perform a reunion world premiere at the prestigious
Sweden Rock Festival.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by
CARAS to honour individuals or groups who have made an outstanding contribution toward the greater international recognition of Canadian artists and music. Last year's inductee to the
Canadian Hall of Fame was
Bob Rock and previous inductees include
Bryan Adams,
Joni Mitchell,
Neil Young and the late
Bruce Fairbairn.
A complete list of
Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees can be found at
junoawards.ca.
Sponsors of the
2008 JUNO Awards include FACTOR, Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters and the
Government of Canada through the
Department of Canadian Heritage's,
Canada Music Fund, The
Government of Alberta, The
City of Calgary,
Tourism Calgary,
Calgary Arts Development and Radio Starmaker Fund.
Broadcast sponsors for The
2008 JUNO Awards are Pontiac, Doritos, TD Canada Trust and Rogers.
About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L'academie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l'enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through television vehicles such as The JUNO Awards. For more information on the 37th Annual JUNO Awards, visit the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. (CARAS) website at
junoawards.ca.
About CTV:
CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV National News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at
ctv.ca.
