Bruce Cockburn will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Thursday, June 12, “in recognition of an outstanding career in music along with a commitment to voicing environmental, First Nations and social causes.”
Ottawa native Bruce Cockburn is a Canadian singing and songwriting icon whose work has become synonymous with giving voice to human rights issues and environmental causes.
He first began playing guitar in the late 1950s as teenager, although he never studied music at Ottawa’s Nepean High School. After high school, he completed three semesters at the Boston-based Berklee School of Music in the mid-1960s.
He played with several bands in the ‘60s, before launching his solo career in 1970 with the release of a self-titled album. More than 31 albums followed. Known for hits like Wondering Where the Lions Are, Lovers in a Dangerous Time and If I Had a Rocket Launcher, Cockburn’s fans are worldwide.
As of 2013, 22 of his albums have received Canadian gold or platinum certification. He has sold nearly one million albums in Canada alone. He has helped raise funds for food distribution programs and highlighted First Nations’ efforts to preserve the rain forests of the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Cockburn’s work has been recognized with numerous awards and honours. He became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1982 and was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002. The winner of 12 Juno awards, he also received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts. He has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Broadcasting Hall of Fame.