Grammy

The Inimitable Legacy of Jimmy Webb

In honour of Webb’s Feb 12, 2026 performance at Hugh’s Room Live in Toronto by Nick Krewen The piano is certainly a picturesque instrument: within its 88 keys is a palate of tonal colours that can be mixed, matched and stirred to unearth a kaleidoscope of sounds  ranging from emotional epiphany to textured gravitas, dependent on the player who is mastering the apparatus.   Last night at Hugh’s Room for…

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A Swedish heavy metal sensation is headed to Scotiabank Arena — and boasts a surprising connection to Sam the Record Man

Tobias Forge, a.k.a. Papa V Perpetua, brings his band Ghost to town on Saturday as part of the Skeletour World Tour. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star “Do we need mysterious bands? Absolutely.” So sayeth Papa V Perpetua, a.k.a. Tobias Forge, leader and frontman of the Swedish metal band Ghost, who performs in demonic face paint and dressed in papal robes and mitre. In this modern age of music, where information about artists…


Neil Young is about to turn 80 — and these Canadian musicians are throwing him a party at Massey Hall

“NY80: A Celebration of Neil Young and His Music,” hosted by CBC’s Tom Power, will take place Nov. 12.  Nov. 9, 2025 By Nick Krewen Special to the Star On the cusp of 80, few performers have remained as relevant as Toronto’s own Neil Young. He’s been steadily rockin’ in the free world since forming The Squires in Winnipeg in 1965 — and in a career that has seen him thrive…


Brian Wilson’s genius remembered by Steven Page, Ron Sexsmith and other Canadian musicians: ‘It’s like living in the time of Mozart or Beethoven’

Moe Berg, of the Pursuit of Happiness, and Burton Cummings, of the Guess Who, also weigh in on the late musician. June 12, 2025 By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Back in 2000, singer and songwriter Steven Page couldn’t believe his eyes … or his ears. He was sitting around in an L.A. studio with the rest of his Barenaked Ladies bandmates as they worked on their album Maroon, when their producer Don…


This Grammy-winning Toronto R&B star worked with Drake and Jay-Z. Then she decided to disappear. Now, Melanie Fiona is finding that making a comeback isn’t so easy

She just released a new EP, but the singer has already cancelled most of her upcoming tour dates. April 26, 2025 By Nick Krewen Special to the Star She’s won two Grammys and a Juno and has been associated with some of the biggest names in hip-hop. Then she went independent and virtually disappeared. Now, after being out of the spotlight for 13 years, Melanie Fiona is attempting a comeback. “I…