Kevin Hearn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kevin Hearn
Kevin Hearn in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Kevin Neil Hearn
Born	(1969-07-03) July 3, 1969 (age 56) Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Keyboards vocals guitar accordion mandolin
Years active	1988–present
Associated acts	Barenaked Ladies, Lou Reed, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle, Look People, Rheostatics, The Cousins

Kevin Hearn is a talented Canadian musician. He was born on July 3, 1969. Kevin is best known as a member of the popular band Barenaked Ladies. He also leads his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. Kevin mainly plays keyboards and guitars. He is also part of the band Rheostatics.

Early Life and Musical Start

Kevin Hearn grew up in a big family in a small home. This was in Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. He loved music from a young age. His first favorite albums were Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles and a Beach Boys greatest hits album. These records made him want to play music. He also liked electronic music and folk punk bands. Kevin learned to play classical piano. He went to Inglenook Community High School and St. Michael's Choir School.

Kevin's Music Career

Kevin Hearn started his music journey in 1988. He joined a band called Look People. He played with them until they broke up in 1993.

Joining Barenaked Ladies

In 1995, Kevin joined the band Barenaked Ladies. He took the place of their keyboard player, Andy Creeggan. Kevin had to learn all of the band's songs very quickly. He had only a few weeks to prepare. His first performances with the band are on their live album Rock Spectacle. On this album, he played keyboards and some accordion. Kevin's first music videos with the band were "Shoe Box" and "The Old Apartment". After joining Barenaked Ladies, Kevin released his first solo album. It was called Mothball Mint.

The band toured a lot in the United States. Their album Rock Spectacle became very popular. Then, they recorded their fourth studio album, Stunt. This was Kevin's first studio album with the band. Kevin was skilled with electronic keyboards and synthesizers. This added a new sound to the band's music. He also played some lead electric guitar on the album.

On August 27, 2011, Kevin played piano and sang backing vocals. This was for Steven Page's performance of "Hallelujah." It happened at Jack Layton's state funeral.

Facing Illness

Hearn performing in 2003

Soon after recording Stunt, Kevin got very sick. He was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer. He started treatment while the band was filming the video for "One Week." Because of this, he is not in many parts of the video. Kevin was in the hospital in Toronto. The band continued their tour without him. Some friends helped out by filling in for him. Kevin needed bone marrow transplants from his brother. Luckily, his cancer went away. He rejoined the band in 1999.

Kevin also released another solo album. It was called H-Wing. He named it after the hospital wing where he wrote most of the songs. This album was about his experience with illness. He performed it with his band, Kevin Hearn & Thin Buckle.

Returning to Music

Kevin Hearn playing the mandolin, 2005

Barenaked Ladies' next album was Maroon. It included one of Kevin's songs, "Hidden Sun." This song was a secret track at the end of the album. Later, the band changed how they wrote songs. Kevin and Jim Creeggan started bringing song ideas. The whole band would then finish them together. Kevin got his first writing credits on a regular BNL album with Everything to Everyone. He learned to play the mandolin for this album. The mandolin became an instrument he often plays on tour. Kevin also released a third solo album in 2003. It was called Night Light with Thin Buckle.

His fourth album, The Miracle Mile, came out on July 11, 2006. It was released in Canada and online. The band continued their new writing process for their seventh album. This album was called Barenaked Ladies Are Me. It was released in September 2006.

Working with Rheostatics

Kevin Hearn has also worked with the band Rheostatics. For their album Music Inspired by the Group of Seven, he helped write music. He played keyboards and sang a song called "Yellow Days Under a Lemon Sun." For their 1999 album, The Story of Harmelodia, Kevin was listed as a band member. He helped a lot with the album. He wrote the songs "Wingophone" and "Monkey Bird."

Kevin also performed live with Rheostatics many times. He is shown in their official picture at Zunior Records' Independent Music Hall of Fame.

Touring with Lou Reed

Kevin was part of Lou Reed's live band starting in 2007. He went on a European tour with him in 2011. Kevin played piano and keyboards. His friendship with Lou Reed began in 2001. Lou Reed called Kevin to wish him well when Kevin was fighting cancer.

Personal Life

Kevin Hearn lives in downtown Toronto, Ontario. He also spends time at a cottage he bought in the early 2000s. This cottage is on a lake where his family used to go when he was a kid. Kevin has a daughter named Havana Winter Hearn. She was born in December 2003.

Kevin's cousin is the actor and comedian Harland Williams. They spent a lot of time together when they were kids. They released two albums together as a duo called The Cousins. This happened in 2004 and 2017.

Even though Steven Page left Barenaked Ladies, Kevin has stayed friends with him.

Kevin was involved in a lawsuit against an art gallery in Toronto. He had bought a painting that turned out to be a fake. This story was shown in a 2019 movie called There Are No Fakes. Kevin was given $60,000 in September 2019 as payment for what happened.

Discography

Look People

• More Songs About Hats and Chickens (1989)
• Small Fish, Big Pond (1990)
• Boogazm (1991)
• Crazy Eggs (1993)

Corky and the Juice Pigs

• Pants (1994)

Rheostatics

• Music Inspired by the Group of Seven (1995)
• The Story of Harmelodia (1999)
• The Whale Music Concert, 1992 (2005)
• Calling Out the Chords, Vol. 1 (2005)
• Green Sprouts Music Week 1993 (2012)

Barenaked Ladies

See Barenaked Ladies' discography; Kevin's contributions include releases from 1996 until now.

Solo

• Mothball Mint (1997)
• Cloud Maintenance (2011)
• Days in Frames (2014)
• Calm and Cents (2019)

Kevin Hearn & Thin Buckle

• H-Wing (2001)
• Night Light (2004)
• The Miracle Mile (2006)
• Havana Winter (2009)

The Cousins

• The Love Song Years (2004)
• Rattlesnake Love (2017)