Alexander Mair

Alexander Mair is one of the most significant figures in the history of Canada's music industry. After a period as business manager of Gordon Lightfoot, he co-founded Attic Records, which became the largest and most successful independent record company in Canadian history. Attic launched the careers of dozens of Canadian artists.

In addition to his successful business career, Mair has played a prominent role in a wide variety of Canadian music industry associations, volunteering his considerable expertise to more than half a dozen vital organizations — a full list of which follows..

He played a major role in building the basic infrastructure of an industry that was in its infancy until the implementation of the Canadian content regulations. In fact, Mair — as the business manager of an iconic Canadian artist and as a member of the board of Canada's leading performing right society — played an important role in urging the passage of what has become known as "CanCon,"

Now in semi-retirement, he continues to work in the Canadian music industry — at home and abroad — as a consultant and mentor to individuals and companies aiming to continue his example and keep Canadian music at the forefront of our national culture.

• 1962-1968. As a young record company employee in his early '20s, Al Mair promoted all Gordon Lightfoot's early recordings — all of them platinum-plus in Canada. Other notable successes: The Lords of London song "Cornflakes and Ice Cream" was only the second Canadian song to reach the #1 position on the influential CHUM radio chart. He was also responsible for promoting "The Unicorn" — a world-wide hit for The Irish Rovers — and Motherlode's Top 5 US hit "When I Die."

• 1968-1976, Mair managed Gordon Lightfoot's business affairs , including producing the singer's first coast-to-coast Canadian tour. This period covered all Mr. Lightfoot's international hits, from "If You Could Read My Mind" to "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

• 1969 Mair appeared at hearings in support of Canadian content requirements for radio and television.

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Alexander Mair co-founded Attic Music Group, which became the largest independent record company in Canada, in 1974.

During Mr. Mair's period as president and CEO, Canadian artists signed to the company earned more than 60 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum awards from the US, Holland, Japan and Canada. Artists including Triumph, Lee Aaron, Patsy Gallant OC, Maestro Fresh Wes, Hagood Hardy OC, Downchild Blues Band, Haywire,The Nylons, The Irish Rovers all built careers — many of which are still continuing.

Attic Records remains legendary within the Canadian music industry — and despite the considerable demands of running a company which expanded exponentially during the '70s, '80s and '90s — he played significant roles in half a dozen music industry associations as the industry grew in the heady days since 1970's implementation of the Canadian content regulations.

Foreseeing the massive technological changes that would soon engulf the record business, he sold Attic Records in 2000 to a public company headed by pollster and Tragically Hip manager Allan Gregg. The company, then called Song Corporation, declared bankruptcy in 2002.

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• 1970-2000 Elected to the Board of CAPAC — the Canadian Association of Publishers, Authors and Composers, including a term as President. When CAPAC merged with the other performing rights organization, PROCAN to form SOCAN he served as a director, including terms as Treasurer and Vice-President.

• 1970-2010 Governor of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall for 15 years, including two as Vice President, and 20 years as a member of its programming committee. He remains an Honorary Governor of Toronto's two major performance venues.

• 1971-2000 Joined the Board of the Canadian Music Publishers Association in 1971, and served as President for eight years, stepping down in 2000.

• 1974-1995 Served more than 20 years on the Board of the Canadian Independent Record Production Association (now CIMA), including three terms as President. During this period he appeared at numerous CRTC hearings, and met on countless occasions with Ministers and officials involved with cultural affairs, heritage and broadcasting.

• 1975-2000 Co-founded the Canadian Musical Rights Reproduction Agency (CMRRA) 1975, serving as a Director, and including many years as its President.

• 1983-1997 Served as a Board member of FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings) for 15 years.

• 2000-2005 One of the original directors of the Radio Starmaker Fund. formed by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to support a variety of initiatives to assist Canadian artists.

• 2003-2007 Financed and founded Applaud!, a print magazine designed to promote successful Canadian artists internationally. The publication had a circulation of some 7,000 in more than 80 countries around the world.

• 2014 Inducted into the Canadian Music Week Hall of Fame.

• 2016 Honoured with CIMA's Builder's Award
• 2021 One of 24 people given the SOCAN Guardian Award for their efforts in preserving and boosting Canadian culture.

References

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