Carl Dixon
Encyclopedia
Carl Dixon is a Canadian rock
singer, keyboardist
and guitarist
. He has been a member of the bands Coney Hatch
, April Wine
and The Guess Who
.
. During his childhood he enjoyed listening to the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival
, The Rolling Stones
, The Kinks
, Deep Purple
, Jethro Tul
, The Who
and The Guess Who
.
Dixon moved to Montreal
in 1979 to perform with a band called Firefly. In 1981, Dixon left Firefly, moving to Toronto
, where he answered an ad from the band Coney Hatch
, becoming their lead singer. While with Coney Hatch, he wrote and co-wrote many of their hits, such as "Hey Operator" and "Devil's Deck". He spent most of the 1980s and 1990s touring with Coney Hatch, April Wine
, and doing solo projects.
In 1989, his demo song Fool's Paradise
was heard in the 1989 horror film Freakshow
.
In 1997, Dixon was invited to join The Guess Who as lead singer, staying with the band until April 2008.
On April 14, 2008, he was seriously injured in an automobile accident, during the recording sessions for the hit Australian TV series, The Saddle Club
. During his recovery, he was replaced in the Guess Who by Derek Sharp
.
Dixon made a successful recovery and continues to perform. As a result of his accident, he now makes appearances as a motivational speaker and entertainer. He has written an autobiography about being a singer, and his recovery after the crash.
His daughter Lauren Dixon
played Stevie Lake in the popular Children's Show The Saddle Club.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer, keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He has been a member of the bands Coney Hatch
Coney Hatch
Coney Hatch is a Canadian hard rock band who released 3 albums in the 1980s. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Carl Dixon who would also go on to play with April Wine and a Burton Cummings-less Guess Who for several years, as well as touring solo and releasing...
, April Wine
April Wine
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. According to the band, they chose the name 'April Wine' simply because members thought the two words sounded good together...
and The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
.
Biography
Dixon was born in Sault Ste. Marie, OntarioSault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
. During his childhood he enjoyed listening to the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
, Jethro Tul
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
.
Dixon moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1979 to perform with a band called Firefly. In 1981, Dixon left Firefly, moving to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where he answered an ad from the band Coney Hatch
Coney Hatch
Coney Hatch is a Canadian hard rock band who released 3 albums in the 1980s. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Carl Dixon who would also go on to play with April Wine and a Burton Cummings-less Guess Who for several years, as well as touring solo and releasing...
, becoming their lead singer. While with Coney Hatch, he wrote and co-wrote many of their hits, such as "Hey Operator" and "Devil's Deck". He spent most of the 1980s and 1990s touring with Coney Hatch, April Wine
April Wine
April Wine is a Canadian rock band formed in 1969. According to the band, they chose the name 'April Wine' simply because members thought the two words sounded good together...
, and doing solo projects.
In 1989, his demo song Fool's Paradise
Fool's Paradise
Fool's Paradise is a 1921 romance film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. Survives in a preservation copy Library of Congress.-Cast:* Dorothy Dalton - Poll Patchouli* Conrad Nagel - Arthur Phelps* Mildred Harris - Rosa Duchene...
was heard in the 1989 horror film Freakshow
Freakshow
Freakshow most commonly refers to:* A freak show, an exhibition of raritiesFreakshow or Freak show may also refer to:-In music::* Freakshow, a Britney Spears song featured on her 2007 studio album, Blackout...
.
In 1997, Dixon was invited to join The Guess Who as lead singer, staying with the band until April 2008.
On April 14, 2008, he was seriously injured in an automobile accident, during the recording sessions for the hit Australian TV series, The Saddle Club
The Saddle Club
The Saddle Club is a children's television series based on the books written by Bonnie Bryant and is an Australia/Canada co-production. Like the book series, the scripted live action series follows the lives of three teenage girls in training to compete in equestrian competitions at the fictional...
. During his recovery, he was replaced in the Guess Who by Derek Sharp
Derek Sharp
Derek Sharp is a Canadian rock singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has been a member of several bands, but he is best known in the US as the current lead singer of The Guess Who, a position he has held since April 2008.-Biography:...
.
Dixon made a successful recovery and continues to perform. As a result of his accident, he now makes appearances as a motivational speaker and entertainer. He has written an autobiography about being a singer, and his recovery after the crash.
His daughter Lauren Dixon
Lauren Dixon
Lauren Hella Dixon is a teenage Canadian actress and singer. She is the daughter of Canadian rock singer Carl Dixon. Lauren is best known for her role as Stevie Lake #2 during Season 3 of The Saddle Club. Lauren's father, Carl Dixon, wrote the song "Just Because" for The Saddle Club Season 3 CD...
played Stevie Lake in the popular Children's Show The Saddle Club.