Tune in for an evening of music, madness and mayhem at the Halifax Metro Centre, Sunday, Feb. 18, as The Trailer Park Boys return to host the 2007 EAST COAST MUSIC AWARDS (ECMA) gala on CBC Television, live from Halifax at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) in the Maritimes, and at 8 p.m. across the rest of the country.
Actors John Paul Tremblay as “Julian”, Robb Wells as “Ricky” and Mike Smith as “Bubbles” return to host the show for the second year. The ECMA Gala features a stellar lineup of performers from across Atlantic Canada, and includes tributes to a Canadian rock and roll icon, an Atlantic Canadian blues legend, and a renowned Celtic music star.
Joining Julian, Ricky and Bubbles on stage are some top East Coast performers, including Halifax hometown heroes Joel Plaskett Emergency, indie-rockers In-Flight Safety, singer-songwriter Jill Barber, JUNO and ECMA-nominated hip-hop artist Classified, Newfoundland & Labrador’s multi-ECMA winner Ron Hynes, New Brunswick Acadian-country singer George Belliveau, the country sound of The Divorcees and internationally acclaimed soprano Measha Brueggergosman, who hails from New Brunswick. Canadian Idol’s Rex Goudie, who has just released his second solo album, performs his new single.
Multi-ECMA and Juno winner and five-time nominee this year, George Canyon is joined on stage by friends Dave Gunning and Doris Mason to perform a very special tribute to rock and roll legend Denny Doherty. Doherty, who passed away recently, was the amazing tenor of the ’60s group The Mamas and the Papas, and later in life became the beloved Harbour Master for CBC Television’s Theodore Tugboat.
As well, there is a tribute to the late, great John Allan Cameron, featuring two-time Grammy nominee and multiple-ECMA winner Gordie Sampson, Fiona MacGillivary of the Cottars, JP Cormier, Ashley MacIsaac, The Bara MacNeils, Shaye (Kim Stockwood, Damhnait Doyle and Tara MacLean) and Cameron’s son Stuart paying homage to the “Godfather of Celtic Music.”
The much celebrated Dutch Mason, Nova Scotia’s best-known bluesman, and hailed as the “Prime Minister of The Blues,” is honoured in song by sensational blues guitarists JP LeBlanc and Charlie A’Court, accompanied by Angelo Spinazzola on blues harp.
Finally, banjo songster Old Man Luedecke performs alongside contemporary singer-songwriters Rose Cousins, David Myles and Catherine MacLellan.
The 2007 EAST COAST MUSIC AWARDS is produced by Geoff D’Eon and Michael Lewis for CBC Television and Jac Gautreau for ECMA, in association with The East Coast Music Association.
