Bruce Cockburn , (born May 27, 1945, Ottawa, Ontario), Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and activist best known for music blending folk, rock, pop, and jazz, and lyrics that typically addressed spiritual themes and global issues from a politically charged perspective. Often considered a “songwriter’s songwriter,” Cockburn’s songs have been recorded by more than 20 musicians—including American musicians Judy Collins, k.d. lang, Jimmy Buffett, Chet Atkins, and Jerry Garcia, as well as Canadian artists Anne Murray and the Barenaked Ladies.
Cockburn was raised on a farm near Pembroke, west of Ottawa, Ontario, and in Ottawa itself. He began playing clarinet and trumpet before becoming obsessed with an old guitar he found in his grandmother’s attic when he was in his teens. He took lessons with Ottawa music store owner Hank Simms and studied theory and composition independently in high school before busking on the streets of Paris, France. Starting in 1964 Cockburn studied theory, composition, and arranging at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. During this period, he was introduced to the urban folk music revival and jazz, two styles that would influence his work in the mid-1970s; however, he dropped out in 1966 and returned to Ottawa.
Upon his return he played in a succession of rock bands, including The Esquires, The Children, and The Flying Circus. The latter changed its name to Olivus and had some success as a live band, opening for American musicians Wilson Pickett and Jimi Hendrix, American folk rock band the Lovin’ Spoonful, and British rock band Cream. Cockburn performed solo in coffeehouses and at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 1967 and 1969, while serving also as a member of the folk-rock band 3’s a Crowd when it was revived for a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television series in 1968.
Cockburn partnered with Canadian music promoter Bernie Finkelstein in the music-publishing firm Golden Mountain Music and released his self-titled debut record album, Bruce Cockburn (1970). The
