JAIMIE VERNON
Jaimie Vernon was unleashed into this dimension November 19, 1963 (three days before the Kennedy assassination which lends credence to the 'Single Diaper Theory'). He survived training wheels and public school in Scarborough, Ontario, CANADA. A near fatal Tonya Harding-styled kneecapping in peewee hockey led Mr. Vernon down the rock 'n' roll highway to hell. But, first he had to finish high school - get that anachronism called a Grade 13 diploma and "you'll be set for life", they told him.
He pierced his red flannel lumberjacket years before Mike Myers took it to television and paraded ceremoniously through punk-rock purgatory from 1980 to 1982 as the guitar player for semi-legendary Queen Street act SWindleD. From there he floated about with YOUTH IN ASIA before forming the Spinal Tapian contingent known as MOVING TARGETZ in 1983. The Toronto musical community would never be the same; TARGETZ released five EP's, 2 LP's and destroyed the promising careers of no less than 57 would-be musicians.
By 1991 Jaimie had had enough of keeping a sinking ship afloat, so he pursued the business end of music (read: he was looking to make some cash). Having owned his own record label, BULLSEYE RECORDS OF CANADA INC., since 1985 and a self-promoted music magazine called Great White Noise, he launched a series of independent compilation CDs with the aid of audio production company P.A.M. entitled Unsigned, Sealed & Delivered. The CDs did well as springboards for the careers of such new and notable talent as KING APPARATUS, VICTIMS OF LUXURY, and VIRGINIA STOREY (now with Andy Curran's Caramel) while re-introducing such past music figures as Carl Dixon (CONEY HATCH), THE KINGS, Kenny MacLean (PLATINUM BLONDE), Paul Connors (THE NYLONS), and Walter Zwol (BRUTUS). In conjunction with the discs, he launched a flip-format Cancon music magazine, Great White Noise/Absolutely Indie, from prestigious offices in downtown Toronto (read: it cost a lot of money to rent). Eventually the magazine collapsed as did his first marriage and Jaimie focused on the finer things in life (read: paying rent, eating, etc.).
Following a 12 year day gig with the former City Of Scarborough Central Records Division, he was asked to create the Canadian Music Encyclopedia for Jam! Music.
He married for a second time in 1996 (to his former assistant editor no less and now co-author of The Canadian Music Encyclopedia) and is most happy spending time with his wife and two children or being buried up to his neck with newspaper and magazine clippings about Canadian music.
Between monster book projects his record label, BULLSEYE RECORDS OF CANADA INC., re-issues Canadian Classic Rock on CD such as Goddo, Moxy, Klaatu, Santers, Killer Dwarfs, The Guess Who, The Kings, Honeymoon Suite, Brave Belt, Brutus, et al.
In recent years Jaimie has also consulted on liner notes and CD packaging for other labels such as EMI Music Canada (Rational Youth, The Northern Pikes), SONY (Platinum Blonde), Rewind Records (Kick Axe), and Pacemaker (Battered Wives).
Vernon currently writes for http://www.cashboxcanada.ca
