Tyler Stewart
Encyclopedia
Tyler Joseph Stewart is the drummer
for the Canadian
music group Barenaked Ladies
. He was the last of the original five Barenaked Ladies to join the band.
, Ed Robertson
and Jim Creeggan
at a buskers festival
in the summer of 1990 and soon filled their desire for a real kit drummer. When Andy Creeggan
(who played conga
s) returned from a trip to Uruguay
to find Stewart on drums, he felt a little displaced (and eventually moved over to playing mostly keyboards). Stewart has been with the band ever since. He also adds numerous percussion elements besides the drum kit in the studio, and occasionally adds melodic elements (including some piano on the Born On A Pirate Ship
album). For live shows, he usually has an electronic sampler pad which he can activate with his drumsticks. During acoustic or smaller shows (or sets within shows), he sometimes plays other percussive elements live, including shakers, bongo drums, and even drumming on unusual objects, such as an instrument case.
He is the only member (past or present) of the band who has not actively written songs for the group's albums; Nor does he write for a side-project. He has received a writing credit on only three songs in the band's catalogue: "Grade 9" from Gordon
(written by all five then-members), "Why Say Anything Nice?" from Barenaked Ladies Are Men
(co-written with Page and Robertson), and "Allergies" from Snacktime!
(lyrics co-written with Kevin Hearn
, music written by all five then-members). Up until the time Page left the band, Stewart had sung lead on only two recorded songs, while having one or two lines of lead in only a handful of others. Stewart sings lead on "Allergies" and a cover of "Holly Jolly Christmas" which was cut from Barenaked for the Holidays
. Stewart also sings lead on a version of "Feliz Navidad
" which the band has performed live for holiday shows since 2004. For the song, the other four band members rotate to play one of instruments they don't normally play. The song has also been played on other occasions with the word "navidad" replaced by lyrics relevant to the event (such as "Feliz Ships and Dip", and "Feliz Halloween
", among others). Upon Page's departure in 2009, Stewart began taking on some of his vocals, including singing lead on at least one song ("Alcohol").
, but was raised in Newmarket, Ontario
. He is the son of Sandra Stewart and stepson of Robert Stewart. Stewart's biological father, Leonard Hawkins, is black, a fact which Stewart learned when he was about 12 years old. His stepfather sang in a Scarborough
rock band named "The Wizards of Id", formed at Woburn Collegiate Institute
where both Steve Page and Ed Robertson would later attend. He notes his parents relative youth (only 19 years his senior) to exposing him to interesting music which was frequently played around the house when he was young. He has claimed that his unique eyebrows are the result of his shaving them off when he was eight years old.
Stewart is a graduate of Huron Heights Secondary School
. He received a Bachelor of Applied Arts
degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University
) in 1989, making him the only member of Barenaked Ladies to have earned a degree.
Stewart was a member of The Ambassadors Drum and Bugle Corps, playing bongos and pit percussion from 1979–1980, and tri-drums from 1980 to 1982. He was the drummer for cowpunk
/rockabilly
band Pogo Rodeo and later 3 Day Bender in the late 1980s. When he met the Barenaked Ladies, at a buskers' festival, he was drumming for the Would Be Goods, a Guelph acoustic duo featuring stage actor Christine Brubaker, and singer Chris Reynolds.
, where the two became friends. Stewart also enjoys playing hockey, and is a member of the Jokers Hockey Club in the Canadian Exclaim!
Hockey Summit of the Arts. Stewart is also an occasional panelist/contributor on the post-game show for Hockey Night In Canada
, and an on-air contributor to the morning show on The Fan 590. Tyler took part in Super Skate at Madison Square Garden
for the Christopher Reeve
Foundation in 1999, 2001 and 2002. It was a celebrity hockey game with participants such as Denis Leary
, Kim Alexis
, Rick Moranis
, Chris Jericho
, Gary Dell'Abate
, Chad Smith
, Darren Pang and Jason Priestly, among others.
Prior to his switch to Pearl in mid-2006, Stewart used custom Ayotte drums from at least 1994, if not prior.
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
music group Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
. He was the last of the original five Barenaked Ladies to join the band.
Role in Barenaked Ladies
Stewart met Steven PageSteven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....
, Ed Robertson
Ed Robertson
Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson , better known as Ed Robertson, is the Canadian lead singer, as well as a guitarist and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies...
and Jim Creeggan
Jim Creeggan
James Raymond Creeggan, better known as Jim Creeggan , is the bassist for Canadian band Barenaked Ladies...
at a buskers festival
Buskers festival
A buskers festival is any festival in which street-shows or street-performers of music, theater, dance, juggling, etc., play a prominent role....
in the summer of 1990 and soon filled their desire for a real kit drummer. When Andy Creeggan
Andy Creeggan
Andy Creeggan is the former Piano player, percussionist and occasional guitarist for the Canadian pop band, Barenaked Ladies, from 1990–95...
(who played conga
Conga
The conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
s) returned from a trip to Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
to find Stewart on drums, he felt a little displaced (and eventually moved over to playing mostly keyboards). Stewart has been with the band ever since. He also adds numerous percussion elements besides the drum kit in the studio, and occasionally adds melodic elements (including some piano on the Born On A Pirate Ship
Born on a Pirate Ship
Born on a Pirate Ship is the third full-length album by Barenaked Ladies. Its well-known tracks are "Shoe Box", "The Old Apartment", "When I Fall" and "Break Your Heart." "The Old Apartment" would become BNL's first US hit in 1997 and began the process of winning many new American fans.This was...
album). For live shows, he usually has an electronic sampler pad which he can activate with his drumsticks. During acoustic or smaller shows (or sets within shows), he sometimes plays other percussive elements live, including shakers, bongo drums, and even drumming on unusual objects, such as an instrument case.
He is the only member (past or present) of the band who has not actively written songs for the group's albums; Nor does he write for a side-project. He has received a writing credit on only three songs in the band's catalogue: "Grade 9" from Gordon
Gordon (album)
Gordon is the debut album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. It was released through Sire Records on July 28, 1992. After The Yellow Tape was certified platinum in Canada, the group won a contest hosted by a local radio station. With the winnings, Barenaked Ladies were able to hire producer Michael...
(written by all five then-members), "Why Say Anything Nice?" from Barenaked Ladies Are Men
Barenaked Ladies Are Men
Barenaked Ladies Are Men is the eighth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies, and the second release of material from the 29-song session that bore the companion album Barenaked Ladies Are Me...
(co-written with Page and Robertson), and "Allergies" from Snacktime!
Snacktime!
Snacktime! is the debut children's album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for the album. It is the final Barenaked Ladies album to include Steven Page, who departed...
(lyrics co-written with Kevin Hearn
Kevin Hearn
Kevin Neil Hearn is a Canadian musician who is currently the keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He is also a former member of Rheostatics.-Early life:...
, music written by all five then-members). Up until the time Page left the band, Stewart had sung lead on only two recorded songs, while having one or two lines of lead in only a handful of others. Stewart sings lead on "Allergies" and a cover of "Holly Jolly Christmas" which was cut from Barenaked for the Holidays
Barenaked for the Holidays
Barenaked for the Holidays is a full-length holiday-themed album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve. There are also several songs that are simply...
. Stewart also sings lead on a version of "Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad (song)
"Feliz Navidad" is a Christmas song written in 1970 by the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano. With its simple Spanish chorus "Feliz Navidad" is a Christmas song written in 1970 by the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter José Feliciano. With its simple Spanish chorus "Feliz Navidad" is a...
" which the band has performed live for holiday shows since 2004. For the song, the other four band members rotate to play one of instruments they don't normally play. The song has also been played on other occasions with the word "navidad" replaced by lyrics relevant to the event (such as "Feliz Ships and Dip", and "Feliz Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
", among others). Upon Page's departure in 2009, Stewart began taking on some of his vocals, including singing lead on at least one song ("Alcohol").
Early life
Stewart was born in TorontoToronto
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...
, but was raised in Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
. He is the son of Sandra Stewart and stepson of Robert Stewart. Stewart's biological father, Leonard Hawkins, is black, a fact which Stewart learned when he was about 12 years old. His stepfather sang in a Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
rock band named "The Wizards of Id", formed at Woburn Collegiate Institute
Woburn Collegiate Institute
Woburn Collegiate Institute is a non-semestered secondary school on Ellesmere Road in the Scarborough district of Toronto. Its motto is Let the Zeal for Learning Flourish.- History :...
where both Steve Page and Ed Robertson would later attend. He notes his parents relative youth (only 19 years his senior) to exposing him to interesting music which was frequently played around the house when he was young. He has claimed that his unique eyebrows are the result of his shaving them off when he was eight years old.
Stewart is a graduate of Huron Heights Secondary School
Huron Heights Secondary School
This article is about the school in Newmarket. For the school in Kitchener, see Huron Heights Secondary School .Huron Heights Secondary School is a public high school in the York Region District School Board which opened in 1962. Additions were added in 1965 and 1969...
. He received a Bachelor of Applied Arts
Bachelor of Applied Arts
The Bachelor of Applied Arts, often abbreviated as BAA or B.A.A. is an undergraduate degree. The term 'Applied' means that the degree is vocational in nature, and not research-oriented.-Usage:...
degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
) in 1989, making him the only member of Barenaked Ladies to have earned a degree.
Stewart was a member of The Ambassadors Drum and Bugle Corps, playing bongos and pit percussion from 1979–1980, and tri-drums from 1980 to 1982. He was the drummer for cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
/rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band Pogo Rodeo and later 3 Day Bender in the late 1980s. When he met the Barenaked Ladies, at a buskers' festival, he was drumming for the Would Be Goods, a Guelph acoustic duo featuring stage actor Christine Brubaker, and singer Chris Reynolds.
Personal life
Stewart's wife, Jill (née Spratt), is a former high school French teacher, and the two were married on September 19, 1998; they have three daughters, Mili, born April 2, 1999 , Hazel, born April 16, 2001 and Carmen, born January 28, ,2011. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking. He is a huge hockey fan and actively promotes Women's Hockey in Canada, serving on the board of The Ladies First Hockey Foundation and coaching his daughters' teams. Stewart also went to high school with Leafs goalie, Curtis JosephCurtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....
, where the two became friends. Stewart also enjoys playing hockey, and is a member of the Jokers Hockey Club in the Canadian Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
Hockey Summit of the Arts. Stewart is also an occasional panelist/contributor on the post-game show for Hockey Night In Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
, and an on-air contributor to the morning show on The Fan 590. Tyler took part in Super Skate at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
for the Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve was an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, author and activist...
Foundation in 1999, 2001 and 2002. It was a celebrity hockey game with participants such as Denis Leary
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary is an Irish-American actor, comedian, writer and director. Leary is known for his biting, fast paced comedic style and chain smoking...
, Kim Alexis
Kim Alexis
Kim Alexis is an American model and actress.- Career :Alexis was one of the top models of the 1980s, identified along with Gia Carangi, Carol Alt, Christie Brinkley, Kelly Emberg, Iman, and Paulina Porizkova...
, Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis
Frederick Allan "Rick" Moranis is a Canadian comedian, actor, musician, and a magician. Moranis came to prominence in the late 1970s on the sketch comedy show Second City Television, and later appeared in several Hollywood films including Strange Brew; Ghostbusters; Spaceballs; Little Shop of...
, Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
, Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Dell'Abate
Gary Patrick Angelo Dell'Abate , also known as "Baba Booey", is an American radio producer, known for being the executive producer of The Howard Stern Show. His autobiography, They Call Me Baba Booey, was released on November 2, 2010.-Early life and career:Dell'Abate was born in Uniondale, New...
, Chad Smith
Chad Smith
Chad Smith is an American musician, best known as the longtime and current drummer of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Smith is also the drummer of the hard rock supergroup Chickenfoot which includes Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, and Michael Anthony, former Deep Purple vocalist Glenn Hughes' backing band and...
, Darren Pang and Jason Priestly, among others.
Drum equipment
Stewart currently plays Pearl drum kits and Sabian cymbals. He uses Regal Tip drumsticks (mainly Groovers) and Regal Tip Blasticks for brushes. He also has his own signature sticks made by Regal Tip which he designed with his drum tech, Rob "Tiny" Menegoni. The sticks are called Ty-phoons (a second, "dipped" version of which was released in the mid-2000s).Prior to his switch to Pearl in mid-2006, Stewart used custom Ayotte drums from at least 1994, if not prior.