Bernie LaBarge
Born in Ottawa, Canada in 1953, Bernie LaBarge started playing guitar at age 11. During the 1970s he was the front man and/or guitarist for many popular Canadian bands (Bond, Rain, Sweet Blindness, Zwol, Stem, Stingaree, The Dexters).
Bernie released a single entitled “Dream Away” (WEA) in 1981. It still receives strong AOR airplay to this day. It was produced by budding producer Daniel Lanois, and features Bernie on guitar, vocals, and electric piano, world-renowned producer / songwriter Jim Vallance on drums, and Red Rider / Tom Cochrane / Ocean / Stingaree bassist Jeff Jones.
Bernie was nominated for Most Promising Male Vocalist at the 1984 Juno Awards for his album entitled “Barging In” (Sony). That album has recently been remastered and retitled Barging In REDUX, available everywhere. He has released records on Warner Bros., Sony, BMG, and various independent labels. His first original recording was “Catwalk”, recorded by Rain in 1972 and released on Axe Records. Bernie has also been a sideman on over 100 recordings.
Bernie’s worked with Kim Mitchell, Long John Baldry, David Clayton-Thomas, The Shakers, Walter Zwol, Cassandra Vasik, The Irish Rovers, Doug Riley, Frank Biner of Tower of Power, John Sebastian, David Cassidy, Joel Feeney, and Sass Jordan, among many others. Bernie and world-renowned producer Jack Richardson spent many years working together. “Jack was like a father and a big brother to me”, says Bernie. “I learned so much from him, and he let me grow as a session musician. There will never be another Jack.”
Bernie composed and performed on many North American and Worldwide jingles i.e. Coke, Pepsi, GM, Ford, and Nissan, and he played guitar on Jim Henson’s popular Fraggle Rock TV series (1983-87), Smith & Smith (1979-85), Danger Bay (1985 – 1989) on CBC, and Party With The Rovers (1983-86) on Global Television. He won the Canadian Songwriting Contest in 1986 (Best R&B Song category). His single “Dream Away” (produced by Daniel Lanois) was one of the most-played songs of 1981. Bernie is the guitarist on the world-syndicated Doodlebops show, too.
Many top Canadian and International performers have covered his songs. Currently Toronto-based, Bernie is the lead guitarist for The Dexters and Danny B and the R&B All-Stars . In November 2014 The Dexters completed their twentieth anniversary at The Orbit Room with a farewell performance. Bernie has the distinction of having played at The Orbit Room more times than anyone in its history… more than 1000 appearances, which will be a tough record to break!
Band Members
The Underground Taxi Service
Gary Connors, Gary Goodwin, Dave Street, Herbie Burnside, Carl Noble, Mike Standing, Bernie LaBarge
The Royal Banke
Dave Clewer, Roger Gabsewicz, Johnnie Johnson, Dave Thrasher, Chuck Damjanovic, Bernie LaBarge
Stem
Bernie LaBarge, Johnnie Johnson, Dave Aldham, Phil Greason, Garry Brown, Ron Anderson (road manager)
Stem (V2)
Bernie LaBarge, Brian LeBlanc, Bill Dillon, Richard Best
Rain
Charlie Hall, Phyllis Boltz (Charity Brown), Brian LeBlanc, Chris Woroch, Bernie LaBarge
The JAX ‘N Lynda
Lynda Layne (Gorges), Frank Pollard, Bob Gray, Bernie LaBarge
Blue-Eyed Brotherhood
George Olliver, Bernie LaBarge, Sharon Hicks, Butch Walker, Paul Skoreyko, Benoit Perrault, Glenn Higgins, Almeda Lattimore, Gail Berry, Graham Greene (road manager)
Hot Dog
Bernie LaBarge, John Aleksa, Fred Leighton, Dave Aldham, Glenn Higgins, Dave Buckley
Whizz
Bernie LaBarge, Howie McLean, Mark Blacher, Larry Hamel
Stingaree
Bernie LaBarge, Jeff Jones, Brian MacLeod, Skip Layton, Larry Hamel, Don Harriss
Bond
Bernie LaBarge, Bill Dunn, Colin Walker, Ted Trenholm
Sweet Blindness
Bobby Dupont, Grant Slater, Ed White, Bruce Barrow, Bernie LaBarge, Nat Abraham
Kearney, King, McBride & LaBarge
Christopher Kearney, Bill King, Danny McBride, Bernie LaBarge, Gene Falbo, Gord Neave, Jim Vallance, Kevan MacKenzie, Paul DeLong
The Irish Rovers
Will Millar, George Millar, Joe Millar, Wilcil McDowell, Jimmy Ferguson, Bernie LaBarge, Kevin McKeown
Mind Over Matter
Bernie LaBarge, Grant Slater, Paul DeLong, Gene Falbo
Danny B Blues Band
Danny Balaka, Phil Woodard, Bernie LaBarge, Steve Kennedy, Pentti (Whitey) Glan, Peter Cardinali, Doug Riley
Cassandra Vasik
Gene Falbo, Dan Howlett, Bernie LaBarge, Cassandra Vasik, Stefan Szczesniak, Don Rooke, Randall Coryell
The Dexters
Lou Pomanti, Bernie LaBarge, Mike Sloski, Peter Cardinali, Greg Critchley, Jorn Andersen, Mark Kelso, Kevan MacKenzie, Larnell Lewis
Off The Record
Bernie LaBarge, Russ Boswell, Terry Hatty, Greg Critchley, Bill McCauley, Grant Slater, Rob Gusevs, Neil Donell, Charlie Cooley, Mike Pellarin, Paul DeLong
The Incontinentals
Katalin Kiss, Brent Barkman, Gene Falbo, Jim Casson, Bernie LaBarge
The Stickmen
Brent Barkman, Gene Falbo, Jim Casson, Bernie LaBarge
David Clayton-Thomas
Bruce Cassidy, Vern Dorge, Jason Logue, Michael Stuart, Russ Little, Larry Shields, George Koller, Paul DeLong, Bernie LaBarge, Lou Pomanti, Steve Hunter, Grant Slater, Rob Gusevs, Howard Ayee, Doug Gibson, Brigham Phillips
Rhinoceros
John Finley, Alan Gerber, Danny Weis, Michael Fonfara, Peter Hodgson, Bernie LaBarge, Mike Sloski
A Brief History of Bernie LaBarge
In a wide-ranging career that began in 1967, LaBarge signed with WEA Records and released a single entitled “Dream Away” in 1981.[3] LaBarge earned a Canadian Juno Award nomination in 1984 for Most Promising Male Vocalist for his album, “Barging In” on the Sony label.[4] Then, LaBarge won the Canadian Songwriting Contest in 1986 (Best R&B Song category). His song “Dream Away” was produced by famous producer Daniel Lanois. “Dream Away” was one of the most-played songs of 1981, and still receives extensive airplay.
Along the way, LaBarge has been the guitarist/front man for popular performing acts like Rain, Sweet Blindness, Zwol, Stem, Stingaree, The Irish Rovers, Cassandra Vasik, The Dexters, and the George Olliver band. He has recorded and toured with a wide range of talent like The Irish Rovers, Doug Riley, Ian Tyson, David Clayton-Thomas, Rhinoceros, and Long John Baldry. And, he has proudly performed with Hall of Famers Domenic Troiano, Ronnie Hawkins, John Kay, Kim Mitchell John Sebastian, David Cassidy, and Rush’s Alex Lifeson.
LaBarge kicked off yet another decade in 2020 by rocking a reunion of the much beloved band, The Dexters, who were originally founded in 1994 in Toronto. And, fellow guitarist Alex Lifeson, whose legendary Canadian band Rush were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, says of his pal’s career: “Bernie is my brother. We’ve shared so many happy, fun times together doing what we both love most. I have learned from his guitar playing and I think it’s made me a fuller player. His sense of rhythm and dynamics is a strong suit I admire.”[5]
Born in Ottawa, Ontario on March 11, 1953, Bernie’s family moved to Burlington when he was five years old, and as he grew up he was quickly thrust into a vast musical world at home, thanks to music-loving parents and two older sisters who listened to records non-stop, from show tunes to Motown and everything in between. He began playing guitar at age 11, and his parents set him up with lessons, but these weren’t for him. He, like many young would-be musicians, became obsessed with the sounds of the British Invasion (then currently exploding all over the world), and through sheer passion and tenacity he learned to play guitar by ear.
The next phase in Bernie’s musical maturing came when local musicians began to capture his imagination (namely Domenic Troiano’s work with The Mandala). The burgeoning scene in Toronto was like a magnet to the young musician, and he quickly set his sights on the bright lights of the city. He began playing professionally in 1967 as a guitarist, joining his first basement band, The Underground Taxi Service. He joined The Royal Banke in 1968 and formed his first power band, STEM, in 1969 before moving onto his first recording group, Rain, featuring Charity Brown, who had already had a hit record with Out of My Mind, released in 1971 on Axe Records.
Bernie replaced Rain’s original guitarist Bill McLaughlin. After securing a solid lineup (with Bernie as vocalist/guitarist), the group began recording some new material and hitting the club scene around Toronto to build a reputation. This material they were recording is notable for featuring Bernie’s first original composition “Catwalk”, following the release of “Louise”, which was Bernie’s first recording as a lead vocalist. (Axe Records). The singles didn’t fare too well on the charts, and the band ended up splitting by that fall.
Throughout the mid 70’s to early 80’s, Bernie would form or join a number of notable Canadian groups, including George Olliver’s Blue Eyed Brotherhood in ‘74, Stingaree in 76-77, Bond in 78-79, Sweet Blindness in ‘79, Zwol in 1980 and Kearney, King, McBride & LaBarge in 1981 (ultimately recording). Though they played different styles/genres, one thing these groups had in common was masterful musicianship amongst its members, supported by Bernie.
In 1981, after the conclusion of Kearney, King, McBride & LaBarge, Bernie focused on a own solo career while still doing record sessions and jingles. He would release his first solo single Dream Away (WEA) (produced by Daniel Lanois) in late 1981 to good success; it still receives airplay today. Bernie continued to write for himself and others, finally landing a contract with Sony Records to record Barging In, his debut LP. That album earned him the Canadian Juno Award nomination in 1984 for Most Promising Male Vocalist, a feat that shocked LaBarge, who himself had no knowledge of even being nominated until his next-door neighbour called to congratulate him! Barging In is still in high demand as a collectible, and there are plans for a remastered version to be released in 2025.
The career highlights didn’t stop here; he had begun working with the Irish Rovers a year prior in 1983 and would record and tour with them until 1990. He formed his own Mind Over Matter band in 1987. He has toured and recorded with big names such as David Clayton-Thomas, Rhinoceros, Cassandra Vasik, The Dexters, and many more over the following decades. He has been blessed with a talent that many cherish and has enjoyed notoriety as one of Canada’s most revered and sought-after session guitarists/vocalists for most of his career. — Written by Aaron Lusch
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An unfortunate fall and injury, then subsequent surgery in 2015 kept him from even practicing guitar. But, you can’t keep a good man down, and LaBarge relates: “I couldn’t even make a fist for more than four years, but with physio, relearning guitar, and a whole lot of support from friends and family, I slowly got most of my chops back. The Dexters reunion in January 2020 was my first concert in five years, and now I’m back recording. Like I always say—just keep practicing.”
Influences
One of the key elements to success beyond hard work—those 10,000 Hours—is meeting and being influenced by mentors. One such influence was Jack Richardson, renowned for producing the biggest hit records from The Guess Who from 1969 to 1975. LaBarge says Richardson became like a “surrogate father” to him after they met: “I got booked to do my first session, with the legendary Jack Richardson around 1983, for singer/songwriter Christopher Ward. Jack and I, along with David Greene, Jack’s favorite engineer, hit it off immediately, and I guess I did a good job. Jack started booking me for all sorts of sessions, and he, David and I became quite the team. Jack introduced me to The Irish Rovers—and I worked with them on their television show, Party With The Rovers. Jack also recommended me for the audition for Fraggle Rock. So his influence has been immense. I loved Jack and his wife Shirley, and I still keep in close touch with his kids.”
Another major influence was Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee and international music legend, guitarist Domenic Troiano, who inspired LaBarge all the way back to high school: “Donnie’s band, The Mandala, was the first live band I saw at high school, and they changed my life. Around 1980, Donnie and I later became close friends, and I first got to hold his Tele shortly thereafter, due to a great deal of persistence on my part. Fast forward many years, coupled with the untimely passing of Donnie, his brother Frank asked me if I’d like to hold on to the guitar for a bit. I can’t describe what it felt like to have come full circle from that high school to actually playing his guitar, which oozes The Toronto Sound. It IS that sound, although Donnie was the only one who could squeeze those sounds from it. I am merely a facsimile of what I learned from my friend. Not a gig or session goes by where I don’t try to ask him for guidance. That guitar should be in every soul and music museum everywhere. I wouldn’t have had the capacity to be any more thrilled if I had the chance to play Hendrix’s Strat or George Harrison’s Gretsch.”[8]
David Clayton-Thomas, multiple Grammy Award-winning Canadian musician, singer/songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the American band Blood, Sweat & Tears, says of working with LaBarge: “I’ve known Bernie LaBarge for decades. We’ve recorded and toured the world together, and working with him was always a joy. The ultimate groove player and one of the finest blues players alive.”[8]
LaBarge’s many other influences include (in no particular order) Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Curtis Mayfield, James Burton, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Albert King, Domenic Troiano, Steve Cropper, Jeff Beck, Steely Dan, Elvis Costello, Robin Trower, Howard Roberts, Elliott Randall, Rick Derringer, Elliot Easton, Peter Frampton, Gary Moore, Peter Green, and Kenny Marco.
As for how LaBarge influenced other musicians, Danny Weis of Lou Reed, Iron Butterfly, Bette Midler, and Rhinoceros fame, offers: “If you have Bernie LaBarge on your gig, you know you’re covered. He always knows the right thing to play, and always has a smile. When he played with me on the Rhinoceros reunions gig in 2009, it felt like the original band was back together as he covered that guitar part perfectly. When you’ve got Bernie on stage, you’re in for a good time. He’s a great guitar player and a great friend.”