Tom Cochrane

Biography

Thomas William Cochrane ( KOK-rən; born May 14, 1953) is a Canadian musician best known as the frontman of rock band Red Rider and for his work as a solo singer-songwriter. Cochrane has won eight Juno Awards. He is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, an officer of the Order of Canada, and has an honorary doctorate from Brandon University. In September 2009, he was inducted onto Canada's Walk of Fame.

Early life

Cochrane was born in the mining town of Lynn Lake, Manitoba. His father was a bush pilot. When he was four years old, he and his family moved to Acton, Ontario and then to Oakville.

Red Rider

After meeting at the El Mocambo tavern in Toronto, Cochrane joined the Canadian rock band Red Rider in 1978 and served as their lead singer and main songwriter for more than ten years. Red Rider included Ken Greer, Jeff Jones, Peter Boynton, Rob Baker, Arvo Lepp, Steve Sexton, Bjorn Anderson, Ken Spider Sinnaeve, Kier Brownstone, Randall Correall, and Bill Bell. Bruce Allen managed the band from their debut until 1985. Cochrane recorded six studio albums with Red Rider plus a live album, a best-of album, and a box set. By 1986, the band was billed as "Tom Cochrane & Red Rider". He would later refer to this period of his career as a stretch of "manageable success" before the release of Mad Mad World.
In 2002, Cochrane reunited with his former Red Rider bandmates Greer and Jones and continues to perform with them.

Solo career

Already a household name in Canada from his time with Red Rider, Cochrane launched his solo career in 1991 with the release of the song "Life Is a Highway×Life Is a Highway1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Life Is a Highway4:292Emotional Truth6:013Get Back Up4:42". The single became a global success and was followed by the release of his album Mad Mad World×Mad Mad World20 September 1991 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Life Is a Highway4:272Mad Mad World5:033No Regrets4:394Sinking Like a Sunset5:475Washed Away5:206Everything Comes Around4:337The Secret Is to Know When to Stop4:228Brave and Crazy5:529Bigger Man4:2710Friendly Advice4:3611Get Back Up4:4112Emotional Truth5:5913All the King's Men4:33, which would reach the six million mark in worldwide sales. The albums Ragged Ass Road×Ragged Ass Road1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1I Wish You Well4:242Wildest Dreams4:123Just Scream4:534Paper Tigers3:565Crawl4:156Ragged Ass Road4:457Flowers in the Concrete4:038Dreamer's Dream4:589Message (Rise Up Again)4:3310Best Waste of Time4:3711Will of the Gun4:4712Song Before I Leave4:34, Songs of a Circling Spirit×Songs of a Circling Spirit23 September 1997 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Lunatic Fringe4:372Paper Tigers3:393Good Man Feeling Bad4:114Brave and Crazy4:305All the King's Men4:116Dreamer's Dream4:537Human Race3:188Napoleon Sheds His Skin5:479White Hot4:3910Boy Inside the Man3:4011Washed Away5:2012I Wish You Well4:44, Xray Sierra×Xray Sierra2 February 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I Wonder3:452Stonecutter’s Arms4:553Art of Listening4:184Heartbreak Girl4:225Willie Dixon Said4:076Marianne and Lenny5:257Beautiful Day4:548Windy Night in Fall4:509Piece of Your Soul4:1210This Is the World4:0811Northern Frontier4:20, and No Stranger×No Stranger7 November 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1The Party's Not Over3:302Glide4:123While You Are Young3:544White Horse4:345Didn't Mean4:086Rough And Tumble4:297Out Of My Head3:498Deep Breath4:139Northern Star4:4410Since You Left Me3:3211Colour Blue1:1512Spirit In The Sky3:12 followed. Cochrane's current band consists of Bill Bell, Jeff Jones, and Davide Direnzo.

Present

An avid golfer, pilot, and hockey buff, Cochrane lives in British Columbia, and spends summers at his cottage/studio on the shores of Georgian Bay in Northern Ontario. Cochrane has two daughters.
Cochrane continues to tour and perform in Canada. In 2006, the group Rascal Flatts charted in the top 10 of the Hot 100 with a cover of "Life Is a Highway×Life Is a Highway1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Life Is a Highway4:292Emotional Truth6:013Get Back Up4:42", which they recorded for the Pixar film Cars. Although the song was not originally released to country radio, several country stations began playing the song, causing it to chart within the top 20 of Hot Country Songs. Chris LeDoux also had a country hit with "Life Is a Highway".
In October 2016, Cochrane celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his album Mad Mad World×Mad Mad World20 September 1991 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Life Is a Highway4:272Mad Mad World5:033No Regrets4:394Sinking Like a Sunset5:475Washed Away5:206Everything Comes Around4:337The Secret Is to Know When to Stop4:228Brave and Crazy5:529Bigger Man4:2710Friendly Advice4:3611Get Back Up4:4112Emotional Truth5:5913All the King's Men4:33 with an announcement of the release of a special edition of the album, featuring a demo recording of "Love is a Highway", the working title of "Life Is a Highway", as well as a second disc featuring a live performance from a 1992 Chicago stop on the tour supporting the album.
In 2016, the Manitoba provincial government renamed a section of a highway near his hometown of Lynn Lake after the hit "Life Is a Highway". A stretch of Highway 391 was renamed Tom Cochrane's Life is a Highway.

Honours

Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame: Cochrane was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024 for his achievements as a songwriter and his contributions to Canada and around the world.
Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction: Cochrane was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2003 for outstanding contribution to the greater recognition of Canadian music. The ceremony took place April 5, 2003, at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec. The following night, Cochrane was honoured for his induction in a speech by Jeff Healey at the Juno Awards at the Corel Centre (now Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa). Cochrane closed the show by performing a medley of his hits and was joined onstage by host Shania Twain for the final song, "Life Is a Highway×Life Is a Highway1992 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Life Is a Highway4:292Emotional Truth6:013Get Back Up4:42".
Order of Canada: In April 2008, Cochrane received one of the highest honours for a Canadian citizen when he was invested as an officer of the Order of Canada (the level companion of the Order of Canada is the highest honour, and several people originally invested as officers have been promoted to companions for continued contributions to charity and the arts, among other fields). Cochrane was honoured for a lifetime of charity work, his contribution to the arts and for being unabashedly Canadian.
Canada's Walk of Fame: In September 2009, Cochrane was inducted onto Canada's Walk of Fame. The induction was highlighted by a two-hour nationally televised gala at Toronto's Four Season's Center for the Performing Arts. Anne Murray hosted the event which also included the inductions of Kim Cattrall, Raymond Burr, Blue Rodeo, Dsquared2, Howie Mandel, Robert Munsch and Chantal Petitclerc.
Honorary colonel: In November 2007, Cochrane was formally invested as an honorary colonel (HCol) by the Royal Canadian Air Force's 409 "Nighthawks" Tactical Fighter Squadron. As part of his investiture weekend, Cochrane experienced his second flight in a CF-18.
Honorary doctorate: In May 2005, Cochrane received an honorary doctorate from Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba. In addition, musician James Ehnes, journalist Henry Champ and actress Shirley Douglas received honorary doctorates from the university at the spring convocation held May 28, 2005.
Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame: Cochrane was inducted on May 9, 2014, Gil Moore formerly of the band Triumph made the presentation.
Canadian Music Industry Humanitarian Award: In March 2005, Cochrane received the Humanitarian Award at the Canadian Music Industry Association's (CMIA) gala dinner in Toronto during the annual Canadian Music Week Festival.
Allan Waters Humanitarian Award: In April 2013, Cochrane received the award at the 2013 Juno Awards gala dinner.
Henry H. Knowles Humanitarian Award: In May 2014, Cochrane received this award from OPSEU.
Order of Manitoba: In July 2015, Cochrane received the Order Of Manitoba.
On October 31, 2016, the provincial legislature of Manitoba announced a 322-kilometre section of Provincial Road 391 connecting Lynn Lake and Thompson would be designated Tom Cochrane's Life Is a Highway.
In 2024, Cochrane was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Solo

1974: Hang On to Your Resistance
1975: My Pleasure Is My Business (soundtrack)
1991: Mad Mad World
1995: Ragged Ass Road
1999: Xray Sierra
2006: No Stranger
2015: Take It Home
2016: Mad Mad World (Deluxe Edition with live disc)

With Red Rider

1979: Don't Fight It
1981: As Far as Siam
1983: Neruda
1984: Breaking Curfew
1986: Tom Cochrane and Red Rider (as Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)
1988: Victory Day (as Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)
1989: The Symphony Sessions (as Tom Cochrane & Red Rider)

Compilation albums (with Red Rider)

1987: Over 60 Minutes with Red Rider
1993: Ashes to Diamonds (3-CD boxed set)
2002: Anthology 1980–1987
2002: Trapeze: The Collection