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Born in Winnipeg, Randy Bachman has become a legendary figure in the rock and roll world through his talents as a guitarist, songwriter, performer and producer. Bachman has earned over 120 gold and platinum album/singles awards around the world. His songwriting has garnered him the coveted #1 spot on radio playlists in over 20 countries and over the course of his career he has sold over 40 million records. Randy’s songs have been recorded by a broad range of artists and have been placed in dozens of TV shows, films and commercials. Impressively, his music has provided a veritable soundtrack for more than fifty years of popular music.
Bachman first scored Billboard radio chart success with his band The Guess Who in 1965 performing the song, “Shakin' All Over.” The Guess Who went on an unprecedented run of 5 singles that each sold a million copies, all the product of the gold-plated Randy Bachman-Burton Cummings songwriting team. By 1970, The Guess Who had sold more records than the entire Canadian recording industry to that point, even outselling the Beatles that year. Their hits included “These Eyes,” “Laughing,” “Undun,” “No Time,” “No Sugar Tonight,” and “American Woman.”
Due to health concerns and desiring a change in lifestyle, including spending more time with his young family, Randy left The Guess Who at the height of their success. While this move stunned the music world, Randy knew that he could never leave music behind. He formed Brave Belt - a country rock outfit in 1970 and experimented with a new musical style and lineup that eventually metamorphosed into Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Unbelievably, Randy's success with Bachman-Turner Overdrive would eclipse his earlier triumphs and give him yet a third run at the pop music charts. Monstrous hits for the band included, “Let it Ride,” “Roll on Down the Highway,” “Takin' Care of Business,” “Hey You,” “Looking Out for #1,” “Four Wheel Drive” and “You Ain't
Seen Nothin' Yet” which reached #1 in over 20 countries. Randy's career has been built upon his unstoppable drive to work at creating music. He has released numerous solo albums throughout his career, and has simultaneously worked at producing for other artists. His production/writing work with Canadian rock band Trooper generated gold and platinum records in the 1970s.
In 2005, following the phenomenal success of the much-heralded four-year Guess Who reunion, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings decided that the time was right to finally go out under their own names. Together as Bachman-Cummings, they starred and performed in the top-rated television concert special entitled First Time Around, which aired throughout North America on CBC and PBS. Following its success, they released their platinum-selling album, Songbook (2006), followed by Jukebox (2007). Bachman then started to work on a solo album to include collaborations with friends Neil Young, Burton Cummings, the late Jeff Healey and Fred Turner. Instead, this led to Bachman and Turner working together again after being apart for over 20 years, and Bachman & Turner was born. They released a self-titled studio album in 2010 that seamlessly fit among their previous classic rock anthems, then went on a world tour in support.
Bachman’s love of guitar music and a desire to support some unsung and legendary guitar greats (including his early mentor Lenny Breau) led him to found the jazz guitar record label Guitarchives Music, which rescues and releases otherwise lost archival guitar music. He founded Ranbach Music as well, a label which releases archival Guess Who recordings and other material which never made it to CD.
His songs have been recorded by a diverse selection of artists including Lenny Kravitz (performing “American Woman”) and have been used on television and movie soundtracks including “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons,” “American Beauty,” and “Austin Powers 2.” He had the great honor of being animated on “The Simpsons,” and has sat in and performed with “The Late Show with David Letterman” band.
Randy lived out the dream of a million Beatle fans, himself included, when he was invited to join Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band for their summer 1995 tour. Despite a cast of rock music legends, Randy brought the house down night after night with the one-two punch of “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” and “Takin' Care of Business.”
Noted for his contributions as an iconic Canadian rock musician and for his support of emerging artists as a producer, Randy Bachman has received many awards, including the Order of Canada (2009) which is Canada’s highest civilian honor for lifetime achievement. He continues to be in high demand as a songwriter, session player, and solo artist. His music industry awards include dozens of coveted acknowledgments of legendary achievements. When asked which award is his most prized, he responds, "The one I haven't got yet."
In 2015, Randy released Heavy Blues, an album of stripped down, 1960s Cream-style hard-hitting original blues songs. The album included contributions from Bachman admirers Neil Young, Joe Bonamassa, Robert Randolph, Peter Frampton, and the late Jeff Healey. Critics hailed Randy’s fresh take on the classic rock power trio format.
In 2017, Randy embarked on his most ambitious project in many years, taking the music of one of his personal heroes, Beatles guitarist George Harrison, and re-imagining some of Harrison’s best-known songs in a contemporary musical context with all new arrangements.
The release of the acclaimed full length documentary film Bachman (2018), written and directed by award-winning director John Barnard, brings the oft-described architect of Canadian rock ‘n’ roll’s story full circle with an insightful retrospective of his many remarkable career milestones while continuing to look forward to what is still ahead. Bachman is also the subject of a new documentary, currently in production, that chronicles his recovery of a long-lost Gretsch guitar. He has played an integral role in the evolution and growth of the Canadian music industry and continues to serve as both an inspiration and impetus for others to succeed.
Randy Bachman currently resides on Canada’s west coast in Victoria, British Columbia.
In 2023, Bachman revived BTO for a Fall tour and will continue into 2024. Led by Bachman, BTO's latest lineup includes Mick Dalla-Vee, Brent Knudsen, Marc LaFrance, and his son Tal Bachman. With Randy's legendary guitar, Mick's versatile talents, Brent's dynamic vocals, Marc's rhythmic beats, and Tal's contemporary flair, BTO forges ahead, blending classic hits with a fresh energy that captivates audiences worldwide. The legacy lives on as these rock virtuosos unite, promising unforgettable performances and a continued impact on the ever-evolving rock landscape.