Listen to a curated playlist of Canadian musicians who made their mark during the pivotal era of the California folk-rock movement.
From the bohemian hills of Laurel Canyon and the star-making studios of Los Angeles to the psychedelic ballrooms of San Francisco and the seaside sanctuaries of Malibu, some of the most influential moments in music history happened in ’60s and ’70s California.
As word spread across the United States, England, and Canada, a pilgrimage of aspiring rock stars headed for the West Coast, including songwriting visionary Joni Mitchell; “godfather of grunge” Neil Young, who formed Buffalo Springfield with fellow Canadians Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin, and later joined Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; vocalist Denny Doherty of folk-rock group The Mamas and the Papas; Canadian-American hard rock band Steppenwolf; original Jefferson Airplane drummer Skip Spence, also known for co-founding Moby Grape; Winnipeg-born rocker Neil Merryweather; singer-songwriter Elyse Weinberg from Ontario; Leonard Cohen, whose nomadic journey often brought him back to LA; Gordon Lightfoot, passing through to record a few of his early albums; and The Band, who relocated to Malibu for their 1975 album Northern Lights – Southern Cross.
These Canadian contributions helped redefine popular music — and continue to echo today.
On October 4-5, the National Music Centre will host Echoes Across the Border: Laurel Canyon and the Northern Connection, bringing notable speakers to Calgary to explore the cultural synergies between Canadian and American music. Learn more and register for the free music summit at studiobell.ca.
