David McPherson - Massey Hall

I am humbled that I had the chance to write this history of Massey Hall, and I hope I succeeded in capturing the soul and cultural significance of this iconic building.

Deciding what to include in a history of a building that has witnessed so much over the years was one of the most difficult tasks. A valuable starting point was William Kilbourns well-researched book, Intimate Grandeur: One Hundred Years of Massey Hall, published to mark the halls centennial in 1994. This secondary source painted a picture of Massey Hall through the eyes of another historian. It allowed me to decide how I would begin to fill my canvas, and it was a constant reference during the three years I spent researching and writing this book. I relied on guidance from the artists who have been lucky enough to stand on that storied stage I asked questions, heard their stories, and sifted through them looking for common threads. Slowly, all the reasons why Massey Hall is such an incredible venue emerged. I spent hundreds of hours losing myself down various rabbit holes, poring through the Massey Hall archives (thanks, Ashley DAndrea) and those of the City of Toronto, through old issues of the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star all these sources led me to discover many new stories and facts to add to this narrative. Thanks to the following libraries for providing access to these invaluable online databases: the Toronto Public Library, Kitchener Public Library, and Wilfrid Laurier library.

The shows Ive seen at Massey over the decades are too many to count but include the Pretenders, Annie Lennox, Loretta Lynn, Lucinda Williams, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, John Prine, Daniel Lanois, and the legendary Gordon Lightfoot. At each show, I felt the mystique and the gravitas of this great hall. Ive seen shows with friends and shows with my wife. Ive also attended many concerts alone, on assignment, writing reviews for various publications. And I shared many of my favourite Massey experiences with my dad, most memorably seeing Neil Young during his Chrome Dreams II tour (2007) and Jackson Browne (2011), who appeared alone on stage with dozens of acoustic guitars and a pair of pianos, taking requests from the audience and showcasing the halls intimacy.

Id like to acknowledge you, the reader, for your support of and interest in Massey Hall over the years, whether by buying a ticket to a show or picking up a copy of this book.

Thank you to my family for their ongoing support, love, and encouragement. Thanks to my mom, dad, and sister, who have always championed my writing, supported my career choice, and believed in me. Writing a book is not easy. It requires sacrifice. My wife, Patricia, is my constant companion on lifes journey. She is my daily inspiration and my muse. Gracias, corazn. I love you para siempre. To my children, Alex and Isabella, Im so grateful for the joy you bring to my life. Your encouragement is valued more than you know. You, too, have always supported my work and championed my writing whenever self-doubt crept in. Your encouragement is valued more than you know.

Every picture tells a story, indeed. The photographs I carefully curated throughout this book showcase Massey Halls illustrious history as much as the words Ive written to tell this story. Thank you to all of the photographers whose work is included in the book. Im forever grateful for your contributions. Special thanks goes to Richard Beland and John Rowlands, who went above and beyond donating countless amazing pictures to this labour of love. Thanks also to the photographers who documented Massey Hall over the years and who agreed to having so many of their beautiful shots in the book, including Jag Gundu, Salina Kassam, and Matt Barnes.

I would also be remiss if I did not credit all of the amazing artist managers and publicists who arranged interviews and provided photographs from their artists. There are too many names to list here, but know that Im grateful to each of you for the part you played in this project.

Thank you to the Dundurn Press team, past and present: from founder, past president, and publisher emeritus Kirk Howard (who retired and sold the business in 2019 to a consortium of tech entrepreneurs led by Randall Howard, Lorne Wallace, and Jason Martin) to current president and publisher Scott Fraser. Following the success of my first book, The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern: A Complete History, they accepted my proposal for this project and supported me throughout the process. Though the book was originally scheduled for fall 2020 publication, the pandemic and ensuing economic recession forced us to push the date to the following year. Special mention is due to associate publisher Kathryn Lane, who gave me early feedback on my initial drafts and met with me many times throughout the writing to help refine and reframe the books structure. I was also lucky to once again work with editor extraordinaire Allison Hirst. She helped take my words and vision and reorganize them to make the stories come alive. Her input was invaluable and Im grateful for her guidance. Final thanks to my publishers team goes to copy editor Jess Shulman, who received the manuscript in its home stretch; her input and eagle eye (including checking nearly nine hundred proper nouns) were invaluable to the finished book you now hold in your hands. Thanks also to art director Laura Boyle, managing editor Elena Radic, and publicist Heather Wood.

Thanks also to the Ontario Arts Council for their financial support of this project. Their funding helped cover some of my travel expenses to and from Toronto from my hometown in Waterloo to interview artists and conduct research at the Massey Hall archive, City of Toronto archives, and the Toronto Reference Library.

Gratitude goes to the leaders at Massey Hall especially the late Deane Cameron (president and CEO of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, 2015 to 2019), current president and CEO Jesse Kumagai, and communications manager Mima Agozzino. These individuals trusted me from our first meeting, helping and guiding me every step of the way on this journey. Deane led this most recent revitalization and leaves an extremely important legacy. I was fortunate to befriend him and spend some time with him during my time researching and writing this book. Without the help, support, and encouragement of Deane, Jesse, Mima, and the rest of the Massey Hall team I worked with, especially Cathie Carlino, Ashley DAndrea, Stephen McGrath, Grant Troop, and Doug McKendrick, this book would not have happened. Deane championed my project and helped me every step of the way by facilitating interviews, making suggestions for storylines to follow, sharing his knowledge and passion for the hall, and granting access to the corporations archives. He even gave me his seat on the floor so I could witness Gordon Lightfoot close the venue on Canada Day 2018 before the renovations. I was saddened by Deanes death in the summer of 2019, by the fact that he will be unable to see his vision completed and be there for the reopening. At his funeral, held at Roy Thomson Hall (RTH), his long-time friend Tom Cochrane sang The Weight the classic tune by the Band, who was performing the first time Tom and Deane went to Massey together as teenagers. It was extremely moving as, unrehearsed, and as the mourners that filled the lower bowl at RTH sang along, several other artists, including Damhnait Doyle and Serena Ryder, bounded down the aisles and joined Tom for a sing-a-long to what happens to be my favourite song. Talk about chills. I know Deane is up there, along with the other artists who have gone before. His spirit is in the revitalized hall and I know he is smiling knowing his work is done and his beloved hall has reopened and is ready to serve a new generation of music lovers.