Glass Tiger will be enshrined as one of the country’s music greats this spring, with the band being announced as a new inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Upon finishing the second leg of their ongoing tour in April, musicians Alan Frew, Al Connelly, Wayne Parker, Sam Reid and Chris McNeill will head to Studio Bell in Calgary where they will be recognized for their contribution to the Canadian music scene and perform at the award ceremony on May 15.
Glass Tiger join Sum 41, Dan Hill, Ginette Reno, Loreena McKennitt and Maestro Fresh Wes as this year’s inductees for their storied commercial success and lasting impact on Canadian music both near and far.
Founding member and keyboardist Sam Reid said that the announcement came as a shock to the band, which made a name for themselves in the early 1980s by playing at local bars in Newmarket, East Gwillimbury and Aurora.
“We were all thrilled and having been together for just over 40 years now as a band, the hall of fame is the icing on the cake,” he told NewmarketToday. “It is exciting to be on a shortlist of other artists who we have great respect for, and for all of us to realize that this has been our lifelong career.”
Grammy-nominated Glass Tiger is no stranger to success, having won five JUNO awards and most recently having been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2023.
Their 1986 debut album, The Thin Red Line, went quadruple platinum in Canada, with the hit single Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) reaching global popularity as it topped the Canada Top Singles chart and reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.
As Reid recalls, all of that success started here in Newmarket.
“When we were cutting our teeth in the basement and learning how to be a band, it all happened here in River Drive Park, Holland Landing, Newmarket and Aurora. Early on, one of our game plans was to be big fish in a smaller pond and we really wanted to stay (close) with the Newmarket area,” he said.
“Newmarket has always been a very supportive community and one that has given us a lot of chances. It is a place that has become synonymous with the band and when we arrive somewhere like Germany or when we go to the U.S., they all know that we are a band from Newmarket, Ontario.”
Even as the band continues to tour and cement its legacy, Reid has never lost touch with the community the band calls home. Glass Tiger and Newmarket have both undergone significant change over the years, something that Reid has welcomed with open arms.
“A lot of the live venues that we used to perform at when we were a young band getting started are gone. People might remember the Compass in Newmarket, the Richmond Hill Inn and The Village Inn in Bradford for example, but I think Main Street in Newmarket has expanded delightfully from back in the day,” he said.
“We have hung out around here for a long time, and it is great to see Newmarket still going strong.”
