Randy Bachman

After two mildly successful album releases, Brave Belt almost packed it in. But an 11th-hour offer from a record label injected new life into the boys. They changed their name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive and decided to give it one last try. Incredibly, Randy enjoyed a ride at the top of the charts all over again, cranking out several monster radio hits, beginning with Takin’ Care of Business and followed by You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet, which reached Number 1 in more than 20 countries. Other Bachman-penned hits included the jazz-influenced Lookin’ out for #1, Let it Ride, and Hey You.

Bachman’s career has been built upon his infinite capacity and desire to create music. He has released numerous albums throughout the years, and has simultaneously written songs for and produced the albums of other artists. His production/writing work with Canadian rock band, Trooper, generated gold and platinum records in the 1970s and, in 1975, he won a Juno for his work with them.

His musical genius led him to collaborate with contemporaries, like the Beach Boys’ Carl Wilson. But Bachman is equally enthusiastic in working with developing songwriters. He has written songs for Juno-nominated female vocalist Maren Ord, Canadian Idol winners Ryan Malcolm and Kalan Porter, as he continues to help other young artists get established in the music business.

In 1987, The Guess Who was inducted into the Canadian Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. The band came back to stand tall in their hometown of Winnipeg, when they headlined the Pan-American Games in 1999. The same year, Lenny Kravitz covered their signature hit, American Woman, introducing a new generation to this timeless rock and roll gem. The song can be found on many movie soundtracks, most notably in “Austin Powers 2, The Spy Who Shagged Me”. Successful Guess Who reunion tours followed across North America in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Many have recognized Bachman’s touch with both music and lyrics. Hal Leonard published a Bachman song collection, complete with arrangements for choir, marching band and jazz ensemble; artists as diverse as James Last and Alabama have recorded his songs. In 2001, SOCAN recognized him and Cummings jointly for their success with These Eyes and No Time. The honour was only a tiny symbol of his success, as he has earned more than 120 gold and platinum album/singles awards and amassed more than 40 million records sold over his career.

Bachman entered the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2002 and was given a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award that same year. His former high school in Winnipeg named its music complex after him and his personal archives are housed in the National Archives of Canada. The publishing house, McArthur and Company, issued his autobiography, “Takin’ Care Of Business,” in 2000.