B: 1937; d. January 1, 1997
Hardy started his professional career as a vibraphonist in 1956 at the House Of Hamburg. After relocating to New York in the early '60's he became a much-in-demand performer with all of the Jazz elite including The Village Vanguard.
He began touring with the likes of Herbie Mann, George Shearing and Martin Denny for nearly seven years in such places as Las Vegas and Hawaii.
He moved back to Toronto in 1966 to form Hagood Hardy & The Montage which toured internationally for six years. It was around this time that he started music for film and television.
He wrote "The Homecoming" in 1972 for a Salada Tea commercial and once people began writing to the company to find out how they could get a copy of the instrumental piece Hardy finally released it. In 1975 it was released as a single and the song went Top-10 across Canada. Two Juno Awards followed for 'Composer Of The Year' and 'Instrumental Artist Of The Year'.
In 1976 the honour was repeated with another Juno and 'Instrumentalist Of The Year' in Billboard Magazine. In 1977 he won The Harold S. Moon Award for his contributions to Canadian music internationally.
1992 saw Hardy accept the Order Of Canada in a ceremony in Ottawa.
In 1995 Hardy ran as an incumbent in the Provincial election as a Liberal against Bob Rae - he came in third in the polls.
In 1996 Hardy received a Lifetime Achievement award from the former Municipality Of Metro Toronto. Hardy's final live appearance was for the Paul and Carol Mott Christmas Special December 20, 1996 on CFRB-FM. His last song was "The Homecoming".
Hardy died after an 18 month struggle with stomach cancer in Hamilton on January 1, 1997 and is survived by 4 children.
He had recorded more than 25 albums and won three Juno Awards and scored more than 50 movie and TV shows including 'Anne Of Green Gables' for which he won a Gemini Award. He was also the Director of Roy Thomson Hall, the SOCAN Foundation, president of The National Youth Orchestra Of Canada; honorary chairman of The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, ambassador for UNICEF, and director for The Performing Rights Organization Of Canada (PROCAN).
A posthumous CD was issued by Avalon Records which he had been working on at the time of his death with Rick Hommes (bass), Barry Elmes (drums) and Mark Crawford (guitar).
Singles
1971 Just A Little Lovin'
1975 The Homecoming (Attic)
1975 Wintertime/Jennifer's Song (Attic)
1976 Love Theme From Missouri Breaks (Attic)
1978 The Harlequin Theme (A Time For Love)(Attic)
1979 Love Song/Sonny's Ragtime (Attic)
1980 The Birdwalk
1981 Working In L.A.
Albums
1967 Stop 33
1970 Hagood Hardy And Montage (CBC)
1972 Hagood Hardy And Montage (Canadian Talent Library)
1975 The Homecoming (Attic)
1976 Maybe Tomorrow (Attic)
1977 Tell Me My Name (Attic)
1978 Reflections (Attic)
1979 The Hagood Hardy Collection (Attic)
1979 The Christmas Album
1980 As Time Goes By
1982 Love Me Closer
1983 Chasing A Dream
1985 Night Magic
1986 Hagood Hardy
1988 All My Best (Duke Street)
1989 All My Best Volume II (Duke Street)
1989 Morocco (Sackville Jazz)
1990 In My Heart (Duke Street)
1997 Between Friends (Avalon)
Video
Compilation Tracks
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