WALKING ON CANADA’S WALK OF FAME

The Walk of Fame ceremonies are coming up this Saturday October 18th in Toronto with the actual unveiling of the stars, the Awards gala and the Inductees Charity Ball all happening that day and night.  The gala will be hosted by “Beverly Hills 90210” actor Jason Priestly and will be broadcast on Global Television Friday December 19th at 8PM EST.  Canada’s Walk of Fame began in 1998 and annually honours individuals (and groups) for their achievements in various fields, including music, sports, film and television, literary, visual and performing arts, science, innovation, philanthropy and social justice.  Inductees must have been born in, or spent their creative or formative years in Canada.  A minimum of 10 successful years is required to qualify, as well as a recognized body of work that has had a significant influence on our cultural heritage.  This year, the honourees are:  Louise Arbour, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and an international lawyer; The Band; musician Jeff Healey; actors Rachael McAdams and Ryan Reynolds; and Olympic athlete Hayley Wickenheiser.  This week, all 5 questions will be about previous Walk of Fame inductees.  Maybe you could hum “O Canada” a couple of times while you take the quiz.    

          

QUESTIONS

1.  One of last years’ inductees is an actor who’s appeared in many internationally successfully movies, including Academy Award winning films “Titanic” and “Argo”, “Milk”, “Sleepless In Seattle” and ”Legally Blonde”.  He’s been nominated six times for an Emmy Award and 4 times for a Tony.  He’s had guest starring roles on “Frasier”, “Will and Grace”, “Nurse Jackie” and “Glee”.  He was also was a regular cast member on the TV series “Alias”.  You can see his face and you know who he is, BUT can you name him?

      

2.  In 1998, the first year of Canada’s Walk of Fame, several internationally successful musicians were inducted.  Anne Murray and Buffy Sainte-Marie were two of them.  The third, came from Orillia, Ontario and first found U.S. success by having his songs covered by the likes of Ian & Sylvia as well as Peter, Paul and Mary.  Some of his biggest hits include: “If You Could Read My Mind”, “Sundown” and “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald”.  C’mon, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure this one out.  Who is this light footed minstrel?                    

                

3.  2003 saw the induction of this lovable comedic actor, originally from Scarborough, Ontario.  In the movies, he’s played The Cat In The Hat, Austin Powers, Doctor Evil and was the voice of a gigantic green ogre named Shrek.  Surely to heavens, you don’t need any more clues than that.  Who could this possibly be?   

4.  In 2010, inductees included actor Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”) and actor/ director Sarah Polley, along with author Farley Mowat, illusionist Doug Henning and singer Nelly Furtado.  The only other musician inductee that year became world famous when he became the lead singer for the New York jazz rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears.  Prior to BS&T, this performer had a strong career in Canada, with chart hits like “Boom Boom”, “Walk That Walk” and “Brainwashed”.  These days when he gives concerts, he prefers singing jazz.  Can you name him?

    

5.  Actors Catherine O’Hara, Gordon Pinsent and Jill Hennessy (“Law & Order”) along with Hockey Hall of Famer Johnny Bower were four of the 2007 inductees into Canada’s Walk of Fame.  Another honouree that year was voted ‘Canada’s Most Trusted News Anchor’ by the readers of TV Guide 11 years in a row.  He was news anchor for CBC Television and CTV for many decades.  Currently, he can be seen on CTV’s “W5” program.  I trust that you can come up with the answer relatively easily.  Who is he?  Here’s a hint:  his last name is the same as a Canadian screwdriver. 

ANSWERS

1.  The correct answer is Victor Garber.  Prior to his acting career taking off, Garber was a member of the ‘60’s singing group, The Sugar Shoppe, who had a Top 20 hit in the Great White North in 1967 with the Bobby Gimby written centennial song, “Canada”.  The group appeared on the Ed Sullivan TV show as well as “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” before they broke up.  He played Jesus in the 1972 Toronto stage production of “Godspell”.  Garber, who was born in London, Ontario in 1949, took an on-line course in officiating weddings so he could marry his former co-stars Jennifer Garner (“Alias”) and Ben Affleck (“Argo”).  In “Argo”, he played Canadian Ambassador to Iran, Ken Taylor and in “Titanic”, he was Thomas Andrews, the designer of the ill fated ship.  Most recently, he has a recurring role on the new TV series “The Flash”.    

2.  Gordon Lightfoot is the name we were looking for.  His full name is Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr.  Lightfoot was initially signed to the small Canadian record label Chateau, then with a new U.S. manager, moved up to United Artists records where he recorded several albums and had a number of Canadian chart hits, including two Top Ten’s, “Spin Spin” in 1966 and “Go Go Round” in ’67.  It wasn’t until 1970, when he signed with the WarnerReprise label that Lightfoot made the U.S. charts.  His first U.S. hit was “If You Could Read My Mind” which went to # 5 in 1971 and his only American # 1 was 1974’s “Sundown”.  Gordon, who has 17 JUNO Awards, was inducted into the JUNO Hall of Fame (aka The Canadian Music Hall of Fame) by no less a legend than Bob Dylan himself in 1986.  Lightfoot, who’s a Companion of the Order of Canada, was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (U.S.) in 2012.          

    

3.  You guessed it, it’s Mike Myers.  That crazy kid from Scarborough was all of 14 years old in 1977 when he appeared on CBC TV’s short lived children’s series “Range Ryder and The Calgary Kid”.  He went on to create characters for Much Music in the 1980’s, auditioned for and was accepted into Toronto’s Second City Touring Company in ‘82, which led to a stint with Second City Chicago, before being hired in 1989 for Saturday Night Live.  His hit movies have included “Wayne’s World”, “Wayne’s World II”, all three versions of the “Austin Powers” series (which he created), “54” and all 5 of the “Shrek” movies.  The year prior to his 2003 star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, Mike Myers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  His most recent project was to direct a documentary on the life of rock and roll manager Shep Gordon titled “Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon”.       

                  

4.  David Clayton Thomas is that man.  In and out of trouble for much of his youth, David learned to play guitar in Burwash, a youth penitentiary.  After his release, Ronnie Hawkins took him under his wing and not long after that, the former David Henry Thomsett changed his name to David Clayton-Thomas, had his own band, The Fabulous Shays (followed later by The Bossmen) and he was the toast of Toronto’s Yonge Street.  His debut album as singer with Blood, Sweat and Tears sold over 10 million albums, remained on Billboards’ Top 100 Album chart for 109 weeks and won five Grammy Awards.  BS&T was the first western rock band (OK, they were rock/jazz fusion) to tour behind the Iron Curtain, which they did so that David would be granted permanent residency status in the U.S.  David was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame In 1996 and has since returned to live back in Toronto. 

5.  Lloyd Robertson is the correct answer.  Lloyd began his broadcasting career in 1952 in his hometown of Stratford, Ontario (Justin Bieber is also from Stratford, but I’m not making any comments about him or his bodyguards will come after me).  Robertson joined CBC in 1965 and spent several years in Winnipeg and Ottawa before becoming the national news anchor from 1970 until ’76.  He joined CTV News that year.  Lloyd has been honoured by the Radio & Television News Directors Association with their Presidents Award (1993), he’s a three time Gemini Award winner as ‘Best Host, Anchor or Interviewer” (1992, ’94 and ’97).  The Canadian Association of Broadcasters inducted him into the CAB Hall of Fame in 1998, the same year he was awarded the Order of Canada.  Lloyd Robertson stepped down as anchor of the CTV National News in the summer of 2011, but continues today as a host on CTV’s weekly newsmagazine program “W5”.