Dan Hill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Hill
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Daniel Grafton Hill IV
3 June 1954 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Children | 1 |
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| Years active | 1975–present |
Daniel Grafton Hill IV, born on June 3, 1954, is a Canadian pop singer and songwriter. He is famous for his hit songs like "Sometimes When We Touch" and "Can't We Try", which he sang with Vonda Shepard. Dan Hill also wrote popular songs for other artists, including George Benson and Celine Dion.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Dan Hill was born in Toronto, Canada. His father, Daniel G. Hill, was a social scientist, and his mother, Donna Mae Hill, was a social activist. He is also the older brother of author Lawrence Hill.
Dan showed musical talent from a young age. He received his first guitar when he was just ten years old. While still in high school, he began singing and performing at concerts and coffee houses. He even worked for the Ontario government during the day and performed at night. Before finishing high school, he made a demo tape with his friend Matt McCauley, who later became a famous composer. In 1972, he signed a contract with RCA Records.
Music Career Highlights
After leaving RCA, Dan Hill signed with GRT Records, a Canadian music company. In 1975, he released his first Canadian hit song, "You Make Me Want to Be." This was followed by his first album, Dan Hill.
"Sometimes When We Touch"
In 1977, Dan Hill recorded the famous song "Sometimes When We Touch." He wrote the lyrics, and Barry Mann helped with the music. This song became his biggest hit, reaching No. 3 in the United States and No. 1 in Canada. It led to him appearing on popular TV shows like The Merv Griffin Show. Even famous singer Tina Turner covered the song in 1978.
For a while, Dan Hill felt that "Sometimes When We Touch" was so popular it made it hard for him to sing other types of songs. However, he later realized that this song opened many doors for him in the music business. It helped him become a successful songwriter and producer.
Other Popular Songs
Another one of his well-known songs is "It's a Long Road," which he recorded for the 1982 action movie First Blood. In 1985, he joined many other Canadian artists on the charity song "Tears Are Not Enough" by Northern Lights.
In 1987, Dan Hill had another big hit with "Can't We Try," a duet with Vonda Shepard. This song reached No. 6 on the US Hot 100 chart. He also had success with "Never Thought (That I Could Love)". These songs helped him have more hits on the Adult Contemporary charts in the U.S.
Awards and Collaborations
In 1996, Dan Hill received a Grammy Award. He earned this award for his work as a co-producer on Celine Dion's album Falling Into You. He has also received five Juno Awards and other important honors.
Dan Hill is considered one of the important Canadian singers and songwriters who became popular in the 1970s. He often performed with writer Paul Quarrington as a folk music duo called Quarrington/Hill. Their last song together, "Are You Ready," was finished just before Quarrington passed away in 2010.
Dan Hill also became friends with boxer Manny Pacquiao after Pacquiao sang "Sometimes When We Touch" on a TV show. Hill later helped Pacquiao record his own version of the song.
Throughout the 1990s, Dan Hill focused on writing songs for many famous singers. These included Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, and Reba McEntire. In 2020, he returned to singing his own songs with "What About Black Lives?" This song is part of his album On The Other Side of Here, which was released in 2021. In February 2021, Dan Hill was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Dan Hill has one son named David. He is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism. Like his father, Dan Hill was diagnosed with diabetes. He has also shared that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Discography
Studio Albums
- 1975: Dan Hill
- 1976: Hold On
- 1977: Longer Fuse
- 1978: Frozen in the Night
- 1980: If Dreams Had Wings
- 1981: Partial Surrender
- 1983: Love in the Shadows
- 1987: Dan Hill
- 1989: Real Love
- 1991: Dance of Love
- 1993: Let Me Show You (Greatest Hits and More)
- 1996: I'm Doing Fine
- 2010: Intimate
- 2021: On The Other Side of Here
Compilation Albums
- 1980: The Best of Dan Hill
- 1984: Sometimes When We Touch: The Best of Dan Hill
- 1989: The Dan Hill Collection
- 1999: Love of My Life: The Best of Dan Hill
Singles
| Year | Song | Canada | CAN AC |
US | US AC |
UK | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "You Make Me Want to Be" | 24 | 16 | - | - | - | Dan Hill (1975) |
| "Growin' Up" | 41 | 30 | 67 | – | – | ||
| 1976 | "You Say You're Free" | 61 | 13 | – | – | – | |
| "Hold On" | 46 | – | – | – | – | Hold On | |
| 1977 | "Phonecall" | 53 | 17 | – | – | – | |
| "Sometimes When We Touch" | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 13 | Longer Fuse | |
| 1978 | "All I See Is Your Face" | 35 | 36 | 41 | 8 | – | Frozen in the Night |
| "Let the Song Last Forever" | 14 | 19 | 91 | 50 | – | ||
| "On the Dark Side of Atlanta" | 44 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1979 | "(Why Did You Have to Go and) Pick on Me" | 57 | 35 | – | – | – | |
| "Hold On To The Night b/w When You Smile at Me" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1980 | "I Still Reach for You" | 83 | 9 | – | – | – | If Dreams Had Wings |
| 1981 | "Don't Give Up on Love" | – | – | – | – | – | Partial Surrender |
| 1982 | "I'm Just a Man" | – | 20 | – | – | – | |
| 1983 | "Love in the Shadows" | 45 | 24 | – | – | – | Love in the Shadows |
| "It's a Long Road" | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1984 | "Helpless" | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "You Pulled Me Through" | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1987 | "Can't We Try" (w/ Vonda Shepard) | 14 | 2 | 6 | 2 | – | Dan Hill (1987) |
| "Never Thought (That I Could Love)" | 22 | 1 | 43 | 2 | – | ||
| 1988 | "Carmelia" | ? | ? | – | 8 | – | |
| 1989 | "Why Do We Always Hurt the Ones We Love" | – | – | – | – | – | Real Love |
| "Unborn Heart" | 25 | 1 | – | 3 | – | ||
| "Wishful Thinking" (w/ Celine Dion) | ? | ? | – | – | – | ||
| 1991 | "I Fall All Over Again" | ? | ? | – | 7 | – | Dance of Love |
| 1992 | "Hold Me Now" (with Rique Franks) | ? | ? | – | 30 | – | |
| 1993 | "Sometimes When We Touch" (w/ Rique Franks) | 46 | – | – | – | – | Let Me Show You – Greatest Hits and More |
| 1994 | "In Your Eyes" (w/ Rique Franks) | ? | ? | – | 38 | – |
