Bruce Cockburn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bruce Cockburn
Cockburn performing in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Bruce Douglas Cockburn
Born	(1945-05-27) May 27, 1945 (age 80) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Folk rock
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1967–present

Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC (pronounced KOH-bern; born May 27, 1945) is a famous Canadian singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His music mixes different styles like folk and rock with hints of jazz. He also creates unique soundscapes for spoken stories.

Bruce Cockburn's songs often talk about important topics. These include spirituality, human rights, and caring for the environment. He also shares his experiences from places like Central America and Africa. He has written over 350 songs across 34 albums in his long career. Many of his albums have sold very well in Canada. In 2014, he wrote a book about his life called Rumours of Glory.

Bruce Cockburn's Early Life and Learning

Bruce Cockburn was born in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1945. He spent some time on his grandfather's farm near Chelsea, Quebec. But he mostly grew up in Westboro, a suburb of Ottawa. His father, Doug Cockburn, was a doctor who specialized in X-rays.

Bruce found his first guitar in his grandmother's attic around 1959. He decorated it with golden stars. He used it to play along to songs on the radio. Later, his parents bought him a better guitar. His first guitar teacher, Hank Sims, said the attic guitar was too hard to play.

He also learned piano and music theory from Peter Hall. Peter was the organist at the church Bruce and his family attended. Bruce loved jazz music and wanted to learn how to compose. Peter Hall encouraged him. Bruce and his friend Bob Lamble spent a lot of time at Peter's house, listening to and talking about jazz.

Bruce went to Nepean High School. His yearbook photo from 1964 showed his dream to become a musician. After high school, he traveled to Europe by boat. He played music on the streets of Paris to earn money.

From 1964 to 1966, Bruce studied jazz at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He left after three semesters. Then, he joined a band in Ottawa called The Children. That band lasted for about a year.

Bruce Cockburn's Music Career

Starting His Music Journey

In 1967, Bruce joined a band called the Esquires. That summer, he moved to Toronto. There, he formed a new band called The Flying Circus. This band later changed its name to Olivus. Olivus even opened concerts for famous bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream in 1968.

Bruce decided to leave Olivus to start a solo career. But he ended up joining another band, 3's a Crowd. He left this band in 1969 to finally become a solo artist.

Bruce's first solo performance was at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1967. By 1969, he was a main performer there. In 1970, he released his first solo album, also called Bruce Cockburn. One song from it, "Going to the Country," became popular in Canada.

People loved Bruce's guitar playing and songwriting. His early songs often used images of nature and the sea. They also had ideas from the Bible. Bruce grew up without a specific religion, but he became a Christian early in his career. Many of his albums from the 1970s show Christian themes. These themes also influenced his strong feelings about human rights and protecting the environment.

In 1970, Bruce partnered with Bernie Finkelstein to create a music publishing company. He won the Juno Award for Canadian Folksinger of the Year for three years in a row, from 1971 to 1973.

Bruce was very popular in Canada for many years. But he didn't become well-known in the United States until 1979. That's when he released the album Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws. A song from that album, "Wondering Where the Lions Are", became a hit in the US in 1980. This led to Bruce performing on the TV show Saturday Night Live.

Music in the 1980s and 1990s

In the 1980s, Bruce Cockburn's songs became more focused on cities, global issues, and politics. He got more involved in causes that aimed for social change. His political views started to show in albums like Humans and Inner City Front. They became even clearer in 1984 with his song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher". He wrote this song after visiting refugee camps in Mexico. These camps had been attacked by military helicopters from Guatemala.

Bruce's political activism continues today. His interest in global issues is also seen in his music. He blends different world music styles, like reggae and Latin music, into his songs.

In 1991, an album called Kick at the Darkness was released. It was a tribute album where other artists sang Bruce's songs. The band Barenaked Ladies covered his song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time". This became their first big hit and helped them become famous. Even the band U2 mentioned a line from this song in their own music.

In the early 1990s, Bruce worked with producer T Bone Burnett on two albums. One of these, Dart to the Heart, included a song called "Closer to the Light." This song was inspired by the death of his close friend, songwriter Mark Heard. Bruce often says Mark Heard is his favorite songwriter.

Bruce Cockburn performing at the Markham Jazz Festival in 2014.

Music in the 2000s and Beyond

In 2001, Bruce Cockburn performed at the Music Without Borders concert. This event raised money for refugees from Afghanistan. In 2003, he released his 21st album, You've Never Seen Everything. Many other famous musicians, like Emmylou Harris and Jackson Browne, helped with this album.

Bruce has also released several collections of his older songs. These include Resume and Waiting for a Miracle. His first collection of greatest hits, Anything Anytime Anywhere: Singles 1979–2002, came out in 2002.

On July 2, 2005, Bruce performed at the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ontario. This concert aimed to raise awareness about poverty. Later that year, he released Speechless, an album of instrumental music. His 22nd album, Life Short Call Now, was released in 2006.

In 2008, Bruce performed with Canadian senator Roméo Dallaire at the University of Victoria. This concert helped raise money for child soldiers. In 2009, Bruce visited Afghanistan to see his brother, who was a medical officer there. He also played a concert for Canadian troops. He even performed his song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and was given a real rocket launcher for a short time by the military!

Bruce released the album Small Source of Comfort in 2011. In 2018, his album Bone on Bone won the Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the Juno Awards.

Bruce Cockburn's Activism

Bruce Cockburn's songs often have strong political messages. He cares deeply about the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples. One music dictionary says that Bruce has always been brave enough to speak out in his work. He tackles important issues even if it means less popularity.

He has worked with the relief organization Oxfam. In 1983, he traveled to Central America with them. He also supports the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. His song "Mines of Mozambique" is about what he saw during a visit to that country in 1995. Bruce is also involved with the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada. He visited Nepal twice with this charity.

Some of his songs that show these themes include:

• "If I Had a Rocket Launcher": This song expresses anger about the difficult situation of refugees in Central America.
• "Stolen Land": This song is about the land claims of the Haida people in British Columbia.
• "If a Tree Falls": This is one of Bruce's most famous songs. It speaks out against the cutting down of forests in the Amazon.

Documentaries and Soundtracks

Bruce Cockburn wrote and performed the theme song for the children's TV show Franklin. He also created music for the National Film Board of Canada documentary Waterwalker (1984). He wrote two songs for the classic Canadian film Goin' Down the Road (1970).

In 1998, Bruce traveled to Mali, West Africa, with filmmaker Robert Lang. There, he played music with famous musicians like Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate. This trip was shown in the film River of Sand. The film won an award for best documentary.

In 2007, Bruce's music was used in the movie Ecstasy. A documentary film about Bruce, called Bruce Cockburn Pacing the Cage, was released in 2013. It gave a rare look into his music, life, and political views. In 2018, Bruce contributed a song called "3 Al Purdys" to a special album.

Songs Covered by Other Artists

Many artists have performed their own versions of Bruce Cockburn's songs. Here are some of them:

Awards and Special Recognitions

1980 to 2010

Bruce Cockburn became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1982. He was promoted to Officer in 2002. The Order of Canada is one of the highest honors a Canadian citizen can receive. In 1998, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. This is Canada's top honor in the performing arts.

He has won thirteen Juno Awards, which are Canada's music awards. In 2001, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. During the awards ceremony, famous musicians like Bono from U2 and Jackson Browne shared their admiration for him. That year, he also received a SOCAN Folk/Roots award.

In 2002, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters added Bruce Cockburn to their Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame. The CBC also aired a special TV show about his life called The Life and Times of Bruce Cockburn.

Bruce has received many special degrees from universities. These are called honorary doctorates. He received six of them between 2007 and 2009. These degrees recognize his important contributions to Canadian music, culture, and social activism.

2010s and 2020s

In 2010, Bruce received the Outstanding Commitment to the Environment Award from Earth Day Canada. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. In November 2012, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by SOCAN. This organization supports Canadian songwriters and composers.

In 2017, he received the People's Voice Award from Folk Alliance International. On September 23, 2017, Bruce Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes his amazing songwriting. In June 2024, he received another Honorary Doctorate in Music from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Bruce Cockburn's Personal Life

Bruce Cockburn was married to Kitty Macaulay from 1969 to 1980. They have a daughter named Jenny, who was born in 1975. In his book, Bruce shared a personal moment when he became a Christian. While on vacation, he felt a deep personal struggle. He prayed for help and felt a strong spiritual presence.

In 2011, Bruce married his longtime girlfriend, M. J. Hannett. They have a daughter named Iona. As of 2014, Bruce and his family live in the San Francisco area. This is where he wrote his life story.

Discography