Submitted by Lisa Hartt
When I first stood behind Gino Vannelli, singing background vocals at Montreal’s Altitech all those years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the moment we are now sharing. Decades later, it feels like a circle has quietly, powerfully closed: Gino is being inducted into LEGENDS, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Toronto, Ontario on Oct 17, 2025.
For an artist whose music has shaped generations, this recognition carries a quiet resonance. As Gino put it, “It’s kind of like old friends finally coming around and saying, you know what? – you really are good at what you do. If I never told you, I’m telling you now.”
That understated gratitude is so very Gino. His career has always been about much more than the spotlight: From singles like “I Just Wanna Stop” “People Gotta Move”, “Living Inside Myself”, “Black Cars”, over 20 albums and much recorded media, it has been about relentless invention, about stretching the boundaries of genre, about following the muse wherever it led—R&B, jazz, classical, or even new literary ground with his forthcoming graphic novels and soundscapes.
The Purpose Behind Creation
When I asked him what drives such reinvention, he spoke of purpose. “To spend a couple of years making a record, writing it, slaving over some lines, some lyrics – it must have a direct purpose. And in this case, for his latest album, “The Life I Got” (To My Most Beloved)”, the purpose was honoring Tricia. I cared for her for almost five years, and the last two years were difficult. I moved my studio home so I could be on call every hour if she needed me. Creativity became not only an artistic outlet but an act of care, presence, and survival.”
That marriage of art and love is a thread running through Gino’s work. Music is never abstract; it is grounded in lived experience, in devotion, in the discipline of showing up even when inspiration feels far away. He compared it to going to the gym: if you don’t have a reason, you won’t keep going.
Teacher and Mentor
Gino is a natural-born teacher, generous with his knowledge. Before the pandemic, he offered annual masterclasses that drew students from around the world. These weren’t mass lectures but intimate sessions—five students in the morning, five in the afternoon.
“Live is wonderful when people can come and be with you,” he said. “It is personal, hands-on. You can’t just sit in a class of 30. You must go up to the mic, sing your piece, and really go through it line by line. Knowledge is accumulative. By the second time they come, students grow so much.”
He stressed the importance of basics: how to stand at a mic, how to approach a lyric, how to make choices rather than leaving things to chance. “Even professionals need a plan. If you’re singing something intimate, you don’t scream it. You think about the chorus, about how to build. It’s intention that separates craft from accident.”
And he encouraged curiosity about the technical side. “Don’t be afraid to ask the engineer: what kind of mic is this? How close should I be? Do you have a windscreen? Learn the tools of your trade.”
His masterclasses extended into songwriting too, though he admits you cannot teach someone to write a song—you can only point a direction. Some students could handle polyharmonies; others were just beginning, and he showed them that even simplicity can yield greatness. “If they have very simplistic knowledge, they can still write a great Bob Dylan song,” he smiled.
The Discipline of the Artist
We spoke about discipline, the unseen force that has allowed him to sustain a lifetime in music. For Gino, structure is not a cage but a form of freedom.
“People don’t realize how the straight and narrow life is so liberating. It allows you to do everything you want to do because you understand your path. When you’re experimenting all the time with drugs, alcohol, all kinds of hours—you’re tethered. You don’t realize it, but you’re a bond servant. Whereas if you eat right, meditate, pray, keep your spirit intact, now you’re free. Now you can do what you want to do.”
That discipline has carried him through every season of life. It has fueled not only albums but a new creative chapter as an author. He has written seven short novels—graphic works with original music and soundscapes—that will begin to appear in 2026. “I didn’t want to just put out another record. I wanted to write stories and put music to them. I’d wake up at 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning and write until the stories were done. Five years later, they were finished.”
A European Chapter
Restlessness has always been part of Gino’s creative DNA. In 2007 he moved to Amsterdam for over a year, immersing himself in European life and music.
“I wanted to do something I never did before—to be a layperson in Europe. I rented an apartment, stayed there for months at a time, and worked with a big band and the pianist Bert van den Brink. Tricia was big-hearted and said, do what you’ve got to do. That period gave me new associations, a jazzier side, and a fresh trajectory.”
He admitted it was partly about avoiding boredom, the enemy of creation. “After 18 or 19 records, I just needed to throw myself into the deep end somewhere. And I did. Out of it came the album ‘A Good Thing’, and more importantly, renewed inspiration.”
Seeker and Artist
At 73, Gino remains as curious as ever. For him, music, spirituality, and literature are three wells that must always be replenished. His advice for young artists is simple yet profound:
“Be a musicologist. Be a spiritual seeker. Read good literature. Don’t be afraid to be awed by greatness.”
He urges musicians to study the masters—Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny—and to balance darkness with light in their reading. “It’s okay to explore Nietzsche, but don’t stop there. Read perspectives that give hope. That’s how you deepen your well—so full you can’t even keep up with the thoughts that come.”
For Gino, awe is not weakness but fuel. “Don’t be afraid to be awed by people. Even if it’s uncomfortable to know you’re not as good at that craft, you’re learning something, accumulating something.”
A Lifetime Devoted to Song
That sense of awe – for life, for art, for mystery – is perhaps the key to why this induction matters. It is less about career milestones and more about recognizing a lifetime devoted to song, to story, to discipline, and to curiosity.
As he returns to Toronto to accept this honour, Gino remains the same artist I remember standing alongside: bold, thoughtful, endlessly creative. And now, finally, celebrated as he deserves.
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame’s 2025 Legends Induction Series will take place on October 17 at Toronto’s Meridian Arts Centre and on November 17 at Montréal’s Espace St-Denis. The Montreal event will spotlight francophone and Indigenous voices, honouring François Cousineau, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Michel Pagliaro, and Florent Vollant. Tickets for the Toronto event are available via Ticketmaster HERE, and tickets for tMontréal event are available through Espace St-Denis HERE.
With special thanks to our sponsors and partners: RBC, SOCAN, Hargraft Insurance, CMRRA, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Anthem Music Group, the Songwriters Association of Canada, the Lewitt Family Foundation, the Slaight Family Foundation, and e=mc² Productions for their invaluable support in helping us celebrate and champion Canadian songwriters through these meaningful programs and events.
Event Details
Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
Location: Lyric Theatre, Meridian Arts Centre, Toronto
Showtime: 8:00 PM
For more information about the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, visit www.cshf.ca.