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The Forest City London Music Awards is recognizing a blues guitarist, a radio programmer and a family synonymous with live entertainment as part of this year’s London Music Week celebrations.
Ted “Teddy” Leonard will be inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame, while the Jones family and longtime CHRW-FM host Fred Smith will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards during the 24th annual awards program in June.
Blues guitarist Ted “Teddy” Leonard speaks at a special event announcing his induction into the London Music Hall of Fame at Anderson Ales on Wednesday. (Jack Sutton/CBC)
Leonard, a self-taught guitarist who launched his career after joining a jam session at London’s Fire Hall, has spent nearly five decades performing and recording in Canada’s blues scene. Over the years, he has shared stages with artists including B.B. King and members of The Band, toured with Colin Linden and performed as a sideman for Morgan Davis.
He later became a founding member of Fathead, one of Canada’s best-known blues bands, earning a Juno Award and several Maple Blues Awards along the way.
London entertainment family recognized
A Lifetime Achievement Award will go to the Jones family, whose roots in London’s entertainment business date back to 1930.
The family’s history stretches from concerts at Wonderland Gardens in the 1960s to national touring productions and major festivals today through Jones Entertainment Group. Third-generation brothers Brad and Greg Jones now oversee a wide-ranging entertainment business that includes artist management, touring productions and Centennial Hall operations.
Don Jones talks about being honoured with a lifetime achievement award at a special event for the Forest City London Music Awards and London Music Hall of Fame on Wednesday. (Jack Sutton/CBC)
Locally, the brothers are perhaps best known as organizers of Rock the Park, the annual Harris Park music festival that has raised millions for charity while drawing major touring acts to London.
Long-time Radio Western voice honoured
The awards will also honour Fred Smith, whose weekly CHRW-FM program, Hardcore Country, has introduced listeners to alternative country, roots, and Americana music for more than 30 years.
Smith became a fixture at Radio Western through his support of independent artists and non-commercial programming, which helped shape London’s DIY and alternative music culture from behind the microphone.
Fred Smith, long-time host of CHRW’s Hardcore Country, will receive a lifetime achievement award from the Forest City London Music Awards and London Music Hall of Fame. (Jack Sutton/CBC)
The honourees will be celebrated during two gala events as part of London Music Week, running from June 6 to 14. The first gala takes place June 7 at Aeolian Hall, focusing on classical, jazz, world music and folk categories, while a second event on June 14 will spotlight pop music categories.
Past Hall of Fame inductees and award recipients include Shad, Garth Hudson, Loreena McKennitt, Denise Pelley and many others.