Canada’s classic rock orchestra band Lighthouse is currently touring for its 50th-anniversary tour until Dec. 31. The band is coming for a special performance at the ''Fighting Cancer w/ Friends'' benefit on Sunday, November 10th, at the Purple Hill Country Hall, 20903 Purple Hill Rd., Thorndale, ON. Tickets can be purchased or reserved at 519-461-0538.
The entire Lighthouse band got together on November 2nd, to sign this Epiphone acoustic guitar that was donated by Long and McQuade in Oshawa, especially for the ''Fighting Cancer w/ Friends'' benefit concert. You can bid for this amazing authentic signed guitar at https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/57889/auctions/72575/auction_items/2003584. What a great Christmas gift for the ultimate ''Lighthouse'' fan on your list this year.
https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/57889/auctions/72575/auction_items/2003584
Lighthouse fans will be thrilled to have this rare opportunity to see this iconic rock band coming to Thorndale, ON for this special performance. Lighthouse will be bringing the entire to play some of their classic hits like ''Sunny Days'', ''Pretty Woman'', and ''One Fine Day'', just to name a few.
Lighthouse was formed in 1968 in Toronto by vocalist/drummer Skip Prokop (formerly of the Paupers) and keyboardist Paul Hoffert.[3] The two met on a flight from New York City to Toronto and discussed forming a band structured around a rock rhythm section, jazz horn section, and classical string section. Prokop had admired Ralph Cole's playing when they shared the bill at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, so he invited him to Toronto to be the band's guitarist. Prokop and Hoffert assembled the rest of the group from friends, studio session musicians, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra members, and proceeded to make a demo recording.
Prokop and Hoffert took the demo to MGM Records in New York, who signed the band. Two days later they had a manager, Vinnie Fusco, from Albert Grossman's office, who overturned the MGM contract and made a deal with RCA Victor.
Lighthouse made its performing debut on May 14, 1969, at the Rock Pile in Toronto, introduced by Duke Ellington with the words, "I'm beginning to see the Light...house".[4] The band originally consisted of 13 members:
Skip Prokop: drums and vocals
Paul Hoffert: keyboards and vibraphone
Ralph Cole: guitar and vocals
Grant Fullerton: bass and vocals
Vic "Pinky" Dauvin: percussion and lead vocals
Ian Guenther: violin
Don Dinovo: violin and viola
Don Whitton: cello
Leslie Schneider: cello
Freddy Stone: trumpet and flugelhorn
Arnie Chycoski: trumpet and flugelhorn
Howard Shore: alto saxophone
Russ Little: trombone
One of the first Lighthouse concerts was at Carnegie Hall, and in its first year the band also played at Fillmore East, Fillmore West, Toronto, Boston, the Atlantic City Pop Festival, and the Monterey and Newport Jazz Festivals. A free concert at Toronto City Hall in the summer of 1969 drew a reported crowd of 25,000.[5] Their first album, Lighthouse, was released in 1969 by RCA from RCA's Toronto Eastern Sound Studio. It features "If There Ever Was a Time", which was a minor hit on CHUM 1050.
Their next album, Suite Feeling, was also released in 1969 at Toronto Eastern Sound Studio. It features two cover songs: The Band's "Chest Fever" and The Beatles' "A Day In The Life", along with the minor hit "Feel So Good". Lighthouse was invited to perform at Woodstock that year but turned it down. Their third and final album for RCA was also the last one for original lead singer Pinky Dauvin. The album Peacing It all together was recorded in RCA's Music Centre of the World Hollywood Studios. It includes the band's first nationwide Top 40 hit, "The Chant".
In the summer of 1970, Lighthouse represented Canada and Ontario at Expo '70 in Japan. The band appeared at the Strawberry Fields Festival in August 1970, followed by the Isle of Wight Festival where they performed two nights, along with The Doors, Joni Mitchell, Chicago, Miles Davis, and The Who.
At the end of 1970, Lighthouse moved to the record label Evolution (US)/GRT (Canada) and Toronto's Thunder Sound Studios. There were some lineup changes; the band dropped from thirteen musicians to eleven, including five original members (Prokop, Hoffert, Cole, Dinovo, and Shore), and Bob McBride became the band's new lead singer.[3]
In mid-1971, Lighthouse released One Fine Morning, and Thoughts of Movin' On later that year on Evolution/GRT. The title track from One Fine Morning was a hit in Canada, peaking at #2 on Canada's Singles Chart.[3][6] The song was also an international and American hit, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[7] with both albums 'going gold' in Canada.[8] It was preceded on the Canadian charts by "Hats Off to the Stranger" (#9). That year the band performed at the anniversary celebration concert in the city of Hamilton.[9]
In between recording albums and touring 300 days a year, the band was involved in the first performances by a rock band with symphony orchestras, a collaboration with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet company, Ballet High, which toured across Canada,[10] and a CBC production of Prometheus Bound with actress Irene Worth.
During this period of recording from 1970 to 1972 with Evolution/GRT, RCA Records released a double album best-of in 1972 consisting of selections from the first three records recorded with RCA entitled One Fine Light.
Lighthouse Live! was recorded live at Carnegie Hall in February 1972 and released on Evolution/GRT. This was the first time a Canadian album qualified for platinum status. The band came back later that year with another gold album, Sunny Days, on Evolution/GRT. The title song became the band's second Top 5 Canadian hit single and second Hot 100 Top 40 single, peaking at #34 on 9 December 1972. Hoffert, tired of life on the road, left the band in 1973 but continued as the band's executive producer. Bob McBride failed to appear at the Record Plant in New York for the recording of their next album, Can You Feel It, and was fired. Prokop and Cole wanted to scrap the sessions but producer Jimmy Ienner insisted they continue. He decided that whoever wrote the song would sing it.[11] Evolution sold the band's recording contract to Polydor in the US, which reportedly cost the label "six figures". With the exception of "No More Searching", written and sung by new sax player Dale Hillary, Prokop and Cole sang all the vocals and harmonies on the album. The result was one of the band's biggest single releases, "Pretty Lady", which was a Top 10 Canadian hit and was their final Hot 100 hit in the US, reaching #53.
The band released Good Day, also on Polydor, in mid-September 1974. As with the previous album, the lead vocals were divided between Skip Prokop and Ralph Cole, but Prokop switched to guitar full-time and the drummer was Billy King. The album produced a minor hit with the title track and contains "Wide-Eyed Lady", a song co-written by Bob McBride. At Thunder Sounds Recording Studios, the band began work on a new album and had recorded several tracks when Prokop left the band. The album was never completed. Ralph Cole took the band out for another couple of tours with Doug Billard (formerly a member of Pepper Tree, Central Nervous System, and Five Sounds) as a lead vocalist but in 1976 Lighthouse disbanded. Janus/GRT released Best of Lighthouse in January 1975 to capitalize on their past success. The album went gold in Canada. Ralph Cole toured as Lighthouse once again from 1978-1980 with a nearly completely new lineup consisting of only one other previous Lighthouse member, Dale Hillary.[12]
Prokop, Hoffert, Cole, and McBride reunited along with many of the Lighthouse alumni in September 1982 for a weekend of four large concerts at Ontario Place.[9] In 1989 Denon Records bought the rights to the Evolution/GRT recordings and released The Best of Lighthouse - Sunny Days Again (No U.S. Issue). The re-mix of the album was produced by Hoffert, Cole, Prokop, and McBride. In 1992 the band reunited with a ten-member line-up which included the founding members Prokop, Hoffert, and Cole with McBride on vocals. McBride was dismissed several months later.[citation needed] He was replaced by Dan Clancy. Three years later Breaking Records released Song of the Ages. The single, "Remember the Times", was a top-thirty hit in Canada. In 1998 the original master tapes of The Best of Lighthouse - Sunny Days Again were digitally re-mastered and released on CD by True North Records who also re-released Song of the Ages in 1999.
Lighthouse reunion at Ontario Place, Toronto
After Lighthouse disbanded in the '70s, many of the players continued with their musical careers while some went in different directions.
Paul Hoffert has continued his career as a film composer, winning a Genie Award in 1978 for his score for the cult-hit movie Outrageous!; headed up the Ontario Arts Council from 1994 to 1997; created and was the Director of CulTech from 1992 to 2000, a Research Centre at York University, and has written five books exploring the intersection of culture and technology. In 2004 he received the Order of Canada.
Prokop and Cole formed other bands with some success before hitting their stride in the advertising world and as record producers. Saxophonist Howard Shore became the music director for Saturday Night Live and began a career in film composition, emerging as one of Hollywood's most sought after composers. Shore won three Academy Awards for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Don DiNovo bought a church in Arthur, Ontario, and turned it into a recording studio. Dick Armin continued his work as a creator of electronic string instruments.
Russ Little has continued as a musician and composer. He can be heard on numerous releases including his own albums, Snapshot, Footwork, and On the Shoulders of Giants. He was voted Best Trombonist of 2007 by Canada's National Jazz Awards. John Naslen became a recording engineer (he engineered the 1994 Lighthouse "Song of the Ages" release). Grant Fullerton continues to perform with his own band.
Louie Yacknin opted out of music altogether and bought a tire installation company. Larry Smith moved to Israel and created a software company for language translation. Bob McBride became a top studio session singer and was heard on numerous commercials but he suffered from drug abuse and serious illness, and died February 20, 1998, of heart failure in Toronto. Arnie Chycoski, Don DiNovo, Keith Jollimore, Alan Wilmot, Dale Hillary, Freddie Stone, are all deceased.
Lighthouse has remained together since they reunited in 1992. Since that time they have recorded one new studio album, Song of the Ages, in 1996. The rhythm section for the ten-member group features the original founders, Prokop (drums), Hoffert (keyboards and vibraphone), and Cole (guitar) with Don Paulton (keyboard), Doug Moore (bass), and Dan Clancy (vocals). The horn section is made up of original member, trombonist Russ Little, Simon Wallis (saxophones and flute), Chris Howells (trumpet), and saxophonist Steve Kennedy who performed with the band at Ontario Place in 1982. Lighthouse continues to perform and create innovative works including a reunion concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra that was broadcast nationally, a tour of Brazil with an original multimedia stage show in collaboration with the Desrosiers Dance Theatre, and a series of concerts in which sections of the band performed in different locations across Toronto linked together by broadband cable. In 1995 Lighthouse was inducted into the Q107 Canadian Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Dan Clancy Lead Singer Lighthouse Photography by Kim Cyr-Goodyear NOW and THEN Magazine
Lighthouse songs have been used in films and covered by other artists including Three Dog Night, Shobha, and Carlos Santana. Rap artist Akon has sampled "I'd Be So Happy" and Japanese rock stars Theatre Brook perform "One Fine Morning" in their stage show.
For Lighthouse's 40th anniversary, Ole/Universal Records released 40 Years of Sunny Days, a retrospective of their biggest hits, featuring digitally remastered tracks, and a DVD of new performances recorded at Q Music in 5.1 Surround Sound.
On July 19, 2013, it was announced that the band would be appearing on the second annual Moody Blues Cruise in April, 2014 on the cruise ship MSC Ship Divina.
Skip Prokop died at the age of 73 on August 30, 2017 from heart complications. He was replaced by his son, Jamie Prokop playing drums.
Mr. Prokop's place in Lighthouse has been taken by his son, Jamie, who learned to play drums from his father, starting at the age of seven. "Dad wasn't always the easiest man to get along with," Jamie said, "because he was very opinionated and pushed himself and everyone around him to succeed. He couldn't stand mediocrity and I learned all about the benefits of hard work from him."
The elder Mr. Prokop also had a caring side. He worked with the World Vision charity and two years ago, despite poor health, led a drumming workshop at South Dorchester Public School, near Aylmer, Ont., teaching children to play rhythm patterns on Home Depot plastic pails. His remarkable life story will be told in his forthcoming memoir, written with the help of music journalist Jaimie Vernon.
Skip Prokop (December 13, 1943 – August 30, 2017)
Skip Prokop Photography by Kim Cyr-Goodyear NOW and THEN Magazine
The bands most recent compilation album, Icon, was released on August 10, 2018.
A 50th anniversary live album is planned and expected to be released before the end of 2019.
The anniversary tour started May 14 at Koerner Hall in Toronto with musicians from Ontario Philharmonic. Toronto is where the band first performed, at the Masonic Temple, in 1969.
“It’s been a great, great active year,” said Dan Clancy, who has been the lead singer for the band for the past 24 years. The singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and music teacher replaced Bob McBride in the 1990s.
Clancy first met Lighthouse founder Skip Prokop in 1979 and performed in Prokop’s band when the legendary drummer took a break from Lighthouse. Skip Prokop died at the age of 73 on August 30, 2017 from heart complications.
“I consider him like a big brother. I admired him on many levels,” said Clancy.
He is also remembered through his son, Jamie Prokop, the new drummer of the band.
“We celebrate Skip every time we are on stage,” said Clancy.
Steve Kennedy Lighthouse Photography by Kim Cyr-Goodyear NOW and THEN Magazine
Doug Moore Lighthouse Photography by Kim Cyr-Goodyear NOW and THEN Magazine
Dan Paulton Lighthouse Photography by Kim Cyr NOW and THEN Magazine
Chris Howell Lighthouse Photography by Kim Cyr NOW and THEN Magazine
Russ Little LIGHTHOUSE Photography by Kim Cyr-Goodyear NOW and THEN Magazine
LIGHTHOUSE 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
Help us celebrate 50 years of music! We’re taking the party from coast-to-coast.
NEW RELEASE NOW AVAILABLE
We're excited to offer this brand new Lighthouse compilation CD that includes previously unavailable early classic recordings of Eight Miles High, Chest Fever and I'd Be So Happy with liner notes by Grammy Award® winning author Rob Bowman.
This brand new Lighthouse compilation CD includes previously unavailable early classic recordings of Eight Miles High, Chest Fever and I'd Be So Happy with liner notes by Grammy Award® winning author Rob Bowman. Click here
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