The “Erin McCallum Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction” Award 2025
Erin McCallum Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction
Blues Legend: Colin Linden
Best known as a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer, Colin Linden has been contributing to the Canadian Blues Collective – and beyond - for almost half a century. In addition to his individual career accomplishments, Linden’s work as a producer and accompanying musician has contributed to countless other projects, performances, and endeavours that leave a lasting impact on the Blues/Roots music industry as a whole. Since meeting his musical idol, Howlin’ Wolf, as a pre-teen in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Linden has been actively running with a torch that was given to him that day. “Its up to you to carry it on” are words that Colin Linden has taken seriously since Howlin’ Wolf made his plea for Colin to carry the music into a new generation. Linden started performing at the age of 12, and hasn’t looked back.
For more information on Colin Linden, visit www.colinlinden.net
To read the exclusive investigative article in The Sound Café Magazine featuring Colon Linden, visit: www.thesoundcafe.com/post/behind-the-curtain-colin-linden
In being named a “Blues Legend”, Colin Linden was entitled to name up to two eligible artists to be acknowledged with the “Blues Legacy” distinction. Linden has selected Richard Bell and Robbie Robertson to be recognized with the “Blues Legacy” distinction, as part of the ever-growing list of musicians whose musical contributions have made an impact on the Canadian Blues Music Collective.
Blues Legacy Distinction
Richard Bell
(March 5, 1946-June 15, 2007)
Toronto, Ontario pianist, vocalist, and songwriter, Richard Bell’s musical contributions can be identified by his early work in bands such as Ronnie Hawkins, Janis Joplin’s Full Tilt Boogie Band, and The Band, amongst others. With a career that spanned decades, Bell’s contributions in the second half of his career can be identified with artists such as Colin Linden, Blackie And The Rodeo Kings, Paul Reddick, and more. In addition to his live performance record, Bell has contributed as a producer, and has a substantial record as a session artist. Acts Bell has worked with as a session musician include Paul Butterfield, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Walsh, and more. A career that has travelled across geography, generations, and genres, Richard Bell’s contributions to the Canadian Blues Collective leave an ongoing influence for generations to come.
Robbie Robertson (Jaime Royal “Robbie” Robertson)
(July 5, 1943 - Aug 9, 2023)
Singer, songwriter, musician, and composer, Robbie Robertson, is most widely identified instrumentally as a guitarist, although also a keyboardist. Most identified for his contributions with The Band, Robertson has been recognized as one of the greatest guitar players of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, multiple times. As a songwriter, he wrote songs such as “The Weight”, and “Up On Cripple Creek” during his tenure with The Band, and “Somewhere Down The Crazy River”, amongst many others, during his solo career.
He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters, and been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Robertson has been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, as well as received many other awards and acknowledgments. Robertson also made significant contributions in the film and television industry as a producer, sourcer, underscorer, and soundtrack/score writer, most notably his long working relationship with filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Blues music was a foundational influence on Robbie Robertson’s music and songwriting, which is evidenced in his playing featured on some of John Hammond’s early Blues recordings. That influence remained evident throughout his career, which included genres such as rock, folk, country, and the resulting genre known today as Americana.
For more information about the Erin McCallum Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction, or to discover more about the musicians who have been recognized through this initiative, visit www.thesoundcafe.com
Morgan Davis
Chuck Jackson
Erin McCallum Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction Criteria
This distinction, established by Erin McCallum, is to recognize and honour artists who have made significant contributions to the Canadian Blues Music Collective. The intention is to provide a unique and credible recognition to artists based on their musical merit, influence, and impact within the Canadian Blues community. The Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction also provides a peer-driven platform for artists to recognize colleagues whose contributions meet the same criteria for this distinction.
How It Works:
Blues Legend Distinction:
The distinction of “Blues Legend” is selected and awarded by Erin McCallum, based upon outlined and established criteria.
Blues Legacy Distinction:
The distinction of “Blues Legacy” is selected by an artist who receives the Blues Legend Distinction.
*All artists with the distinction of “Blues Legend” have the opportunity to give the distinction of “Blues Legacy” to as many as two artists who meet the criteria. This provides “Blues Legends” the right to honour their colleagues, and strengthens the diversity of the artists who will be recognized. This structure maintains the credibility of the distinction, and offers fair representation of eligible artists via peer-driven recognition.
Criteria:
Blues Legend Distinction
Artists who are eligible for the Blues Legend Distinction must meet requirements outlined below:
⁃ Must have been a resident, citizen, or be a current resident/citizen of Canada.
⁃ Have a minimum of 25 years experience as a performing artist.
⁃ Be recognizable within the Canadian Blues community.
⁃ Made a significant contribution to the Canadian Blues music through their musical influence and/or musicianship as a participating member of the Blues community.
Blues Legacy Distinction
Artists who are eligible for the Blues Legacy Distinction must meet the requirements outlined below:
⁃ Must have been a resident or citizen of Canada.
⁃ Be deceased
⁃ Made a significant contribution within the Canadian Blues community
⁃ Be awarded the distinction by someone who is named a “Blues Legend” by Erin McCallum
About Erin McCallum:
Blues singer, songwriter, musician, performer, investigative writer, and contributor to the Canadian Blues Collective for decades, Erin McCallum, was inspired to develop an official distinction that is based on the foundation of peer-driven recognition. The basis of this inspiration is to provide a space for recognition that honours eligible artists based strictly upon their musical merits and contributions, without political bias or influences outside of the eligible artist’s musical merits/contributions. The Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction does not operate by submissions, deadlines, vote or committee, however, offers opportunity to recognize artists, and inform and educate Blues fans, through its structure of peer-driven selection of the Blues Legacy Distinction. This structure is unique to the Canadian Blues Music Collective, in the sense that it is strictly artist driven, self funded, and possess a high criteria for recognition.
This distinction is not sponsored by any record companies, managers or entities, and will not profit financially through any fees, memberships, or payments. Due to its high mandate/criteria, The Blues Legend & Legacy Distinction will remain an elite honour that recipients themselves have the authority to contribute to - maintaining the intention and integrity of merit based recognition it is founded on.
Each artist who is selected to receive the distinction of “Blues Legend” will be notified, and presented with a physical award, commemorating their contribution(s) to the Blues.