Submitted by Michael Williams
Legendary VJ Much Music, Radio and Event Host Michael Williams caught up with Rik Emmet of Triumph for an up close and personal insight on the induction into to CSHF on October 17, 2025.
The last time I saw Ric was live, during my days at Much Music in 1992, around the album Ipso Facto. His song “Out of the Blue” from that album, is one of my favourites. He just happened to have his guitar that day, he played the song for me beautifully, and I was honored. Today, I am honored once again to talk to Ric Emmet about Triumph’s induction to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
MW: So let’s talk about this “songwriter award” , this must be, what is this to you, cause as a fan and always keeping an eye on things, this to me, is what you got into it for, you know it’s the song writing, it’s the three of you together, the magic power is what you got into this whole rock ‘n roll thing for.
Rick Emmet: Yeah, it’s the bedrock thing of not just what connects you to your career, but in the end, sort of what connects you to your audience and then to the world in general. I mean we’ve had this lovely thing that’s happened in the last little bit where the coalition of baseball are using Triumph songs, (Lay it on the Line) Rogers television has used it for the Maple Leaf Hockey team in the playoffs and they are going to use it at the end of the season, as they’re heading towards the playoffs ….and may use another Triumph song. So, there’s this thing where the songs are the things that end up outliving everybody, you know, careers and certainly for me personally, it’s just a nice thing.
I think about my career in my life and then I go, well, what was it that I really wanted and then it’s that that whole thing of peer group. You know there’s gonna be people like Tom Cochrane and songwriters from the ages, that you are getting to go into some kind of a Hall with people like Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen, those kinds of people ….and your name is going to be thrown in with that. There’s a part of me that says I’m not sure I deserve it, but you know, I’ll take it ! (laughs)
MW: It must be like that “pinch me” sort of thing, like “what am I doing here?”
Ric Emmet – yeah, for sure.
MW: There was a time, I guess with the group when, the core of the songwriting and the record label was suggesting, you know, to work with other writers and things like that. Is this a bit of vindication for you as well? (both laugh)
Rick Emmet: “Let the record show that I laughed.” I always had a faith in my ability to be a writer. I felt that when you’re trying to have a career and you’re jumping around in spandex pants and you’re part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll machine thing of it, the giant show and the spectacle, it was an easy for people to dismiss it and go “They are all sizzle and no steak” kind of thing. I‘ve always felt that I had an ability to write songs, and even what you’re alluding to, which was inside the band. It was GIL wanting to find songs for him to sing, that he wanted to have hit singles, and the guys in the record company like Irving Azoff were brought in, pushing for record producers to try to find hit songs….I don’t know. I mean, I kind of go, yes it can happen, certainly hit records come not just from a question of a great song, because there’s lots of great songs that never become hits and lots of hits that are not very good songs…so yeah. There’s something to be said of the separation of church and state, and I always believed in the church. I was always that kind of a guy.
MW: When you started out in music, how were your parents about it?
Ric Emmet: – My mom, she sang in the choir, and she wrote letters to the editor of the newspaper, wrote poetry on her own, she was a closet artist…she was a mom of the 50’s…she took those kinds of chances. My dad, NO…. he didn’t think that. The story that I like to tell is that eventually when I bought him a house, he kind went “oh, so this music thing seems to be working out for you. “ (Laughs)
MW: That’s great. So, your solo career now ?
Rick Emmet: I don’t really think it’s about a career anymore. I feel like I’ve retired from the chasing of a career. But you know, it is funny how when you do that and you say, “I no longer wanna do it anymore, then it’s like …..hey, Triumph’s going to play the Stanley Cup playoff thing out in Edmonton, then I go “well OK, I guess”. Then I get another phone call asking if I want to go to a Cancun thing in November and it’ll be first class air fare, you’ll be paid a whole bunch of money and really all we want to do is sit and have a conversation with you. Maybe you can play a couple of songs on the guitar, so it’s not really a question of playing anymore, it’s more a question of you showing up and we’re going to celebrate the fact that you had a career. So, you say, “ yes I can live with that”. …so yeah, I feel that it’s where I am at right now. I have an ongoing thing where I write books of poetry for ECW Press. I put a thing out this year called “Telecaster Tales” , which was in conjunction with the show at the Redwood, and that’s how I think of my career now, I am a writer. I write poetry, songs and the songs will eventually end up on streaming services or downloads or whatever. I no longer chase the same old method of trying to sell vinyl or CDs, I think that time has come and gone, you know what I mean?
MW: We’re all really excited and happy for you guys. The songs that we sang in the streets and in the showers, you understand. The songs that kept us alive (Like “Hold On” ) when S**t was really bad and now you’re getting this award, congratulations man !
Rick Emmet: Thanks very much Michael.
MW: It’s been a long time since I saw the Triumph film. Were you happy with the film?
Rick Emmet: I thought it was an impossible kind of thing for them to take on…Banger Films deserve all kinds of credit. How do you take 40-50 years of life and compress it into an hour and a half of something for TV. Pretty hard to tell that story. Yeah, I think they did great job, I was happy.
MW: I might be at the award Ceremony, but if I’m not, you enjoy yourself. Are Gil and Michael going to be there?
Rick Emmet: Yes they will – when they first called me – the Hall of Fame Folks – they asked if I wanted to go in on my own or do you want to go in with the guys and I said….no, no, no…with the guys, it’s gotta be Triumph.
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame’s 2025 Legends Induction Series will take place on October 17 at Toronto’s Meridian Arts Centre. Tickets for the Toronto event are available via Ticketmaster HERE