Toronto, Canada (Top40 Charts/ CARAS) - At the 2008 JUNO Awards nominee media conference held today in Toronto, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced this year's Canadian
Music Hall of Fame inductee, the legendary rock band, Triumph. The original band members will be honoured at The 2008 JUNO Awards in Calgary on Sunday, April 6th, broadcast on CTV from the Pengrowth Saddledome.
"Triumph helped define arena rock as we know it today - they truly knew how to put on a spectacular concert experience for the fans," says Melanie Berry, CARAS President. "We are very proud to recognize them in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame."
Members Rik Emmett (vocals/guitars), Mike Levine (bass/keyboards) and Gil Moore (vocals/drums) were destined for stardom when they formed the Canadian hard-rock trio, Triumph, in 1975. Their debut self-titled album was released in 1976 by Attic Records and quickly reached gold status. On the strength of the group's non-stop touring schedule throughout Canada and the USA, Triumph had rapidly built a large and loyal fan base.
"It's a tremendous honour to be part of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. In one way, the reunion is like a surprising, surreal whirlwind. In another sense, it is also very humbling," said Rik Emmett. "I lost my brother to cancer last year, and he was always one of my biggest supporters - and a huge fan of Triumph - so an award like this also pays tribute to an enduring relationship with music lovers everywhere."
"I couldn't be more thrilled. This is the ultimate honour for Triumph," said bass guitarist/keyboardist Mike Levine.
Fellow band mate Gil Moore adds, "It's a humbling experience and an honour to be recognized by your peers in this way - it has inspired me to start playing again."
Triumph followed up their debut album with the multi-platinum Rock 'N' Roll Machine (1977) and Just a Game (1979) releases - both of which are considered rock classics. The band became increasingly notorious for their live performances, dubbing them the godfathers of arena rock.
By the '80s, Triumph truly became a force to be reckoned with, releasing a string of gold and platinum-certified albums including Progressions of Power, Allied Forces, Never Surrender, Thunder Seven and The Sport of Kings. Their bombastic over-the-top arena tours combined with such classic radio staples ("Fight the Good Fight," "Magic Power," "Lay It On The Line") and multiple JUNO Award nominations solidified the group as one of rock's top concert attractions.
In 1995, the entire Triumph catalog was re-mastered and reissued on CD. These days, several producers at the Metalworks Studios' facilities in Mississauga, Ontario, are hard at work preparing future Triumph DVD and CD releases from the vaults. In June 2008, the original members of Triumph, Emmett, Levine and Moore, will unite to perform a reunion world premiere at the prestigious Sweden Rock Festival.
The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by CARAS to honour individuals or groups who have made an outstanding contribution toward the greater international recognition of Canadian artists and music. Last year's inductee to the Canadian Hall of Fame was Bob Rock and previous inductees include Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and the late Bruce Fairbairn.
