80s ROCK SENSATION PLATINUM BLONDE ANNOUNCED AS 2010 INDUCTEES TO CANADIAN MUSIC AND BROADCAST INDUSTRY HALL OF FAME
Induction to take place Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Canadian Radio Music Awards
Canada’s new wave artists , . The band will be honored at the Canadian Radio Music Awards luncheon on Friday, March 12, 2010, 12:00pm, at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel during Canadian Music Week, March 10-14, 2010, in Toronto.
Toronto’s Platinum Blonde broke onto the music scene in 1982, featuring vocalist Mark Holmes, drummer Chris Steffler and guitarist Sergio Galli. The trio eventually recorded the six-song Platinum Blonde Six Track Attack LP which created the excitement that then fueled the commitment of CBS Records. The group worked with English producer David Tickle (Split Enz, Peter Gabriel) to complete their debut full-length album Standing In The Dark in 1984 including the singles "It Doesn't Really Matter", "Not In Love" and "Standing In the Dark".
Platinum Blonde's popularity throughout Canada in the early days was fuelled by cross-country tours including Billy Idol's 1984 Rebel Yell tour and in '83 with Bryan Adams. State-of-the-art videos by award-winning director Robert Quartly and a powerful CBS team were also significant assets in the band’s rise. Touring in America was highlighted with dates at New York City's The Ritz Music Hall (with Dead or Alive '84), The Filmore East (Spin Magazine party '85) and The Limelight in '86.
The release of their follow-up album Alien Shores in 1985 saw the band expand to a four-piece with the addition of bassist and keyboardist Kenny MacLean and witnessed the release of several singles, including songs like "Situation Critical", "Somebody Somewhere" and "Crying Over You” which peaked at #1 on the charts, won a Gemini Award for Best Music Video and exceeded the five times platinum sales mark. Extensive touring on the Alien Shores release also broke a 1985 Canadian merchandising sales record. The following release of the Contact album revealed a funkier movement in the group’s sound and platinum level success with songs including the album’s title track and a remake of The Ohio Players’ “Fire”.
Although the group disbanded in 1989, a compilation of Platinum Blonde’s best material was #1 on HMV's September sales chart in Toronto when released on CD in 1999.
Platinum Blonde was faced with the untimely death of Kenny Maclean after his show at The Mod Club Theatre on November 21, 2008. Maclean died of sudden heart failure at the age of 52.
Tickets for the Canadian Radio Music Awards luncheon are available for purchase through the Canadian Music Week website at www.cmw.net.
Canadian Music Week is Canada’s leading annual entertainment event dedicated to the expression and growth of the country’s music, media and entertainment industries. Combining four information-intensive conferences; a trade exposition; a film festival; four awards shows and the nation's largest New Music Festival – Canadian Music Fest - CMW spans a five-day period from March 10 to March 14, 2010 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel and various downtown Toronto venues, attracting participants from across the globe. For more information, visit www.cmw.net
