Colin Linden

Colin Linden was born in Toronto on April 16, 1960. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and when he was still an infant, his family moved to White Plains, New York, before returning to Toronto in 1971. On November 27, 1971, 11-year-old Colin Linden met and was befriended by blues legend Howlin' Wolf. This proved to be a pivotal moment in his career. At age 15, accompanied by fellow Canadian musician Doc MacLean, he embarked on a summer blues odyssey of the USA, meeting and performing with blues legends including Sippie Wallace, Buddy Moss, Son House, and Sam Chatmon. As a producer, he has been nominated for 25 JUNO Awards, winning 9 of them. Linden played on over 500 albums and produced 140, including his first-ever Grammy in 2020 for producing Keb Mo's "Oklahoma." In 1991, Bruce Cockburn recruited Linden as a sideman, and for three-and-a-half years Linden played guitar for Cockburn, subsequently becoming his co-producer. As a singer/guitarist, he's accompanied everyone from Bruce Cockburn to Bob Dylan, Gregg Allman, Rhiannon Giddens, Pistol Annies, and John Prine. In 1996, he joined with Tom Wilson and Stephen Fearing to form Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, a tribute to Canadian singer-songwriter Willie P. Bennett. He was the main contributor to the music for the Nashville TV show and subsequent live tours. Colin Linden's remarkable career spanning over 50 years in blues and roots music has established him as one of Canada's most important musical figures.

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