These are the inductees of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame

The 2023 Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction cer‐ emony took place on Thursday at Studio Bell in Calgary, highlighting four starkly different musical acts with storied Canadian careers during the event.

CBC Music host and mez‐ zo-soprano Julia Nesral‐ lah was the MC of the cere‐ mony, the second of its kind.

She introduced the evening's inductees: Jazz pianist Oliver Jones, Quebecois songstress Diane Dufresne, country star Terri Clark and rock band Trooper.

Following a traditional per‐ formance by Blackfoot elder and knowledge keeper Eldon Weasel Child, Jones was the first to be honoured.

His longtime collaborator, Montreal-based American jazz singer Ranee Lee, paid him tribute — noting his humani‐ tarianism, devotion to family and willingness to mentor young musicians — as she in‐ ducted him into the hall.

"Anyone who has had the privilege to perform alongside Oliver is compelled to rise to their highest potential," she said.

Jones recalls legendary career

Jones was born in Montre‐ al's Little Burgundy neigh‐ bourhood and had his first performance at the nearby Union United Church. Though he dedicated much of his ear‐ ly life to jazz — by the age of nine, he was performing around the city — it was only at 49 years old that Jones em‐ barked on the legendary ca‐ reer he's now known for.

"This is such a wonderful, tremendous honour, and I am humbled to receive this award," Jones said, taking the stage.

"My first concert perfor‐ mance was exactly 84 years ago," the 88-year-old said to applause. "And I never imag‐ ined that it would lead to the amazing career that I've had."

He told the crowd that he'd promised the Union Unit‐ ed Church, where that first performance was, that if he lives to 100 he'll come out of retirement again. Jones retired in 2000, only to take up live performance again after a show with his childhood friend, Montreal jazz legend Oscar Peterson.

He spoke about the late Daisy Peterson — Oscar's sis‐ ter — who taught him piano and "encouraged me to ex‐ cel."

After Jones's speech, Lee and Hungarian Canadian pi‐ anist Robi Botos performed.

Dufresne inducted, Lightfoot remembered

Quebecois writer-per‐ former and former RadioCanada broadcaster Josée Thibeault then took the stage to introduce the next in‐ ductee, Dufresne, the Quebec rocker who she described as a

"chanteuse, painter, writer, trailblazer."

Dufresne, with her wild costumes and distinct vocal style, became one of the province's defining rock voic‐ es in the 70s and 80s. Her suc‐ cess quickly spread to France.

Dufresne, delivering her speech entirely in French, said she was proud to be inducted as a French-speaking Quebe‐ coise.

"Thank you to the public for being part of my life," she said.

She then took to the stage to perform her song Partager les anges.

Following Dufresne's per‐ formance, Nesrallah paid trib‐ ute to late Canadian singersongwriter Gordon Lightfoot, who died on May 1. Light‐ foot's songs carved them‐ selves "into the national con‐ sciousness," she said.

"It's so important that we acknowledge and appreciate the artists out there writing this country's story through song."

Touching speech by Ter‐ ri Clark

Jann Arden introduced her friend of 25 years, country star Terri Clark — an interna‐ tional success who left Medi‐ cine Hat, Alta., to pursue her country music dreams.

"She could entertain peo‐ ple hour after hour after hour," Arden said of Clark's early days in Nashville, where she moved to launch her ca‐ reer.

Clark took the stage and gave the evening's most touching speech, recalling a road trip she'd taken with her late mother as a teen for a Calgary music competition that she'd lost — only to find out 10 years later that she'd won but been disqualified from the competition, which was sponsored by Budweiser, for being underage.

"It really isn't about me. This is about the human spirit and the dream, the persever‐ ance, and using those road‐ blocks as building blocks and not letting them stop you." Clark then performed her 2000 song No Fear.

Trooper performs Raise

A Little Hell

Comedian Rick Mercer then stepped up to the podi‐ um to introduce Vancouver rock band Trooper, who he called the greatest Canadian band: "a seminal part of the nation's soundtrack."

"Given the chance to do Trooper all over again, I would choose to do Trooper all over again with you, my friend," founding member Ra McGuire said to his co-founder, Brian Smith. Both were on stage to accept the award.

Among other associates of the band, McGuire thanked its main members Scott Brown, Clayton Hill, Paul Gogo, Steve Crane and David Steele, who joined the band after McGuire and Smith re‐ tired.

Smith, taking the podium, addressed the band's fans: "We really are so fortunate to have the best fans in the world. Our fans are the ones who keep our songs alive and relevant."

Their song Raise a Little Hell became a signature an‐ them at raucous, roof-raising performances across this country, where they toured every nook and cranny. They performed it after their induc‐ tion to a standing ovation.

As the evening drew to a close, Nesrallah invited the in‐ ductees to place their plaques on the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.