Bob McBride
| Bob McBride | |
|---|---|
| Born |
17 November 1946 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died |
20 February 1998 (aged 51) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | rock |
| Instruments | vocals |
| Years active | 1970–1980 |
| Associated acts | Lighthouse |
Robert Bruce "Bob" McBride (17 November 1946 – 20 February 1998)[1] was lead vocalist for the Canadian popular music group Lighthouse.
The Toronto-born McBride attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute[2] and joined Lighthouse in 1970, replacing original singer Pinky Dauvin.[3] His voice contributed to successful Lighthouse songs such as "Hats Off to the Stranger", "1849" and "One Fine Morning".[2] He also won a 1973 Juno Award in the Outstanding Male Performance category and was nominated for a 1974 Juno in the Best Male Vocalist category.
He remained with the band until his dismissal in 1973. Tensions occurred within the band after McBride was absent during a New York recording session for the album Can You Feel It. Fellow member Skip Prokop sang the band's hit song "Pretty Lady" in his place, although Prokop believed that McBride "could have done it bigger and better".[1]
McBride reunited along with many of the Lighthouse alumnae in September 1982 for a weekend of four concerts at Ontario Place which drew 33,000 people but at the end of the weekend the musicians went their separate ways. The band again reunited in 1992 with a ten-member line-up which included the founding members Prokop, Hoffert and Cole with McBride on vocals. McBride had become addicted to drugs, resulting in erratic performances, and he was dismissed several months later.
After his departure from Lighthouse, McBride incurred numerous illnesses such as diabetes and Hepatitis B, a result of his years of substance abuse. He received head injuries during a robbery at his parents' residence in 1996, an incident which his friends blamed for additional health problems.[1] He died in February 1998 at North York General Hospital in Toronto after heart failure.[2] He was married to Janice Fobert-Seaton and they had one son, Shawn.[2]
Solo discography
- 1972: Butterfly Days (Capitol/EMI)[4][5]
- 1973: Sea of Dreams (Capitol/EMI)[4][5]
- 1976: Seasons / Doin' It (MCA) exclusive 45 only release
- 1978: Bob McBride Live (London) [6]
- 1979: Here to Sing (MCA)[4]
References
- 1 2 3 Macgowan, James (11 March 1998). "Lives Lived: Robert Bruce McBride". The Globe and Mail. p. A16.
- 1 2 3 4 Grant, Kieran (24 February 1998). "Singer lived tragic life". Jam!/Canoe.
- ↑ "Lighthouse (bio)". Jam!/Canoe. 5 December 2004. Retrieved 28 November 2007.
- 1 2 3 "Lighthouse". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 28 November 20086. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - 1 2 "Discography". Paul Hoffert. Retrieved 28 November 2007. Hoffert produced two of McBride's solo albums.
- ↑ "Lighthouse". CanadianBands.com. Retrieved 28 November 2007.