Has
extended his boundaries now as an Inventor. Wayne plays the Pan
flute, is a Singer, Writer, Musician, Actor, Choir director, Vocal
coach, Talent Agent, Graphic Artist, Music publisher and Playwright.
Facts
you should know about him.
WAYNE
ST. JOHN was inducted into the:
Canadian
Black Music Hall of Fame in 1982.
He
shared A Clio
Award (1985) for a national
Pepsi Commercial performed by the children's band 'The
Inner City Kids' that he formed and managed for six
years. Wayne also performed with the 'Innercity
Kids' at the historical
first Children's
World's Fair in New York
City's Asphalt Green on June 29, 1985. A Museum in NYC
has archived the events of that Day.
He Received
two Juno nominations, (1985
& 1977)
for his songs, 'Two Can Play' and
for 'Fightin'
on the Side of Love'.
Hairafter
in 1971:
Wayne formed Hairafter with four original member's of the Toronto
Cast. Tiki
Mercury-Clarke, Mary Ann McDonald, Linda Squires and Kid Carson:
drummer. Hairafter had the longest running live act performing
at Granny's in the Walker House Hotel, it was right across the
street and to the west a bit from the Royal York Hotel. Gone are
those days and the Buildings. When HAIR was over, Granny's was
the only spot in town where people could see remnants of the Past
Cast.
Agent
Brian Rainey of Rain Drop Productions still remembers to this
day "There were people lined up around the building and then
some and it lasted almost a year". Wayne remembers...
"Myself and the girls in the group, Mary Ann McDonald, Tiki
Mercury-Clarke and Linda Squires, got to work with some of the
best musician's around. For me it was an honor to have Sax player
Doug Richardson
in the group as he had worked with Rasand Roland Kirk, Sonny Rollins
and other great players, and Dougie came with mentor like qualities
and some fire in his playing and inspired me to take a listen
to Leon Thomas the Jazz yodeler and what I've gleaned from that
journey has been very fruitful indeed. The final achievement with
Hairafter was a song the band and I co-wrote, called, 'Stand
Up Baby'. Recently, Glen Bivins a New York DJ has encouraged
me to re-release 'Stand Up Baby' because he feel's "it's
one of those gems that missed the mainstream". Apparently
it is an underground hit! It will be re-released on vinyl in the
45 RPM format in 2006, and here I thought 45's were dead".
Apparently rare 45's are more popular then rare 33's.
The fact is that DJ's will always want to work with vinyl and
some fans and collectors will never get tired of the 45 format.
Listen to an excerpt of Wayne's
45 single from 1971, called Stand Up (Baby). Stand Up (Baby) is
an underground hit an the small amount of used singles floating
around go for $250.00 to $400.00 as seen on E-bay. Listen to an
excerpt from a UK site, click on link.
http://www.funk45.com/Index.asp?funk=music&search=2174&cat=id
The Musicians on the single: Wayne
conceived and wrote the lyrics, sang lead and played Cungas. The
late Gord Fleming arranged it and played Hammond B3, Gord played
bass on left hand and foot combination. Joe Larmond on Drums.
Terry Logan on Guitar. Doug Richardson on Tenor Sax. Demo Cates
on Soprano Sax. Wayne Jackson on Trumpet and Linda Squires-Davies
on BG Vox. Frank Davies/Strawberry Records.
Wayne won
an AMPAC
Award for a 'Womad' Harbourfront radio commercial. (Advertising
Music Producers
Association
of Canada). He received a 'Heal
L.A.' certificate for a song he wrote.
Performed
the climactic high notes in the historic song
'Tears Are Not Enough'. Producer
David Foster was inspired by Quincy Jones to put together fifty
three of Canada's top singers and performers and produced a song
that raised over three million dollars for the relief of desperate
famine victims in Africa. It was included on the 'We Are the World'
album. The making of 'Tears' the eighty three minute movie
was a one time unique opportunity to have Canada's most
notable's in the building together for nine hours.
Wayne
has performed for many benefits including The Association in Defense
of the Wrongly Convicted, Live Unity, Green peace, the United
Way, Children's Miracle Network Telethon, St. Christopher House,
Variety Club, Easter Seal Society, The Starlight Foundation, Sick
Kids Telethon, the Toronto Metropolitan Police Community Affairs
Events "Clean start" at the Dufferin Mall and the CNE
Bandshell. Wayne donated his voice in perpetuity to a "Think
Safe" TV Commercial sponsored by The Police Chiefs of Ontario.
Wayne
performed with his Choir backing up Raffi at the United Nations
Building, NYC at the twentieth Earth Day
Celebrations in 1992. The
special presentation was especially for the Astronauts while they
watched the show from the space shuttle.
Wayne performed
a song he wrote called, 'Body Mind and Spirit'
at a live concert for the Dalai Lama's 1986 Canadian visit.
http://www.ofraharnoy.com/
The amazing Ofra Harnoy (RCA's Red Seal Label) is featured.
Wayne played
the Pan flute with Ofra Harnoy on Cello for his song 'Body
Mind and Spirit' just released on a compilation album to
support the 'Food For Chiapas Campaign'
the CD is called, 'Songs For Chiapas' (Riding The Back Of The
Feathered Serpent) on Ra Records in stores now!
Performed
in Mayibuy' i Africa' with his choir for
Nelson Mandela's
Celebrated
release from prison, aired April 29, 1990
on CITY TV's Much Music's Big Ticket. It
was also Wayne's 20-year reunion working the on stage at the Royal
Alexandra theater since his performance in HAIR the musical. When
Nelson Mandela visited Toronto in
1990 Wayne once again performed live
with his World Peace Choir at Queen's Park in his honor. Performing
his own song, 'Vocal Magic' a song about how the almighty word
can be very powerful and it was proven in the word of the people
in Nelson Mandela's release!
Wayne
& his choir performed 'Eye On The
Prize' written in tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during
a Coretta Scot King (Lecture to 2000
children) in Toronto. Wayne & Coretta held hands and
sang 'We Shall Overcome' at St. Paul's Church, Toronto.
The event was covered by all major station's and newspapers
as 15 or more camera's rolled but sadly there's was hardly a mention
of the historic event and the important message Coretta
Scot King had about eradicating racism in a nonviolent
way, keeping Dr. King's Dream alive!
...Top
Wayne
played Pan flute and sang lead with
the World Peace Choir at the first 'Live Unity' concert series,
a Tribute to Baha'u'lla' held at
the old Massey Hall in Toronto. The 42 choir members also backed
up Buffy Sainte Marie, Dan Seals &
Sharon Lee Williams. The event was produced by Jack
Lenz.
Wayne formed the World Peace Choir and composes many of
the songs they perform. Wayne and the choir
have performed on CBC TV Super Specials with Anne Murray, for ten
years. He was assistant Choir Director and Talent Coordinator;
he also did three tv shows for Rita Mc Neil
and two shows for Michael Bolton on
his Ontario tour.
Wayne
sang two songs on the historical 'live' recording at Club
Bluenote in Toronto in 1985, produced by Dominic Troiano.
As a casting agent for ADR
which stands for: Automated Dialogue Replacement or (Looping) on
films. Wayne has worked on one hundred and twenty-five films (series
and features) over the years.
Over
the past 30 years, Wayne's voice has been heard thousands of times
in North America singing on some award
winning jingles <
click to listen !
Organized
and performed a HAIR medley with some original cast members for
Ed Mirvish's birthday party in 1995 &
96.
Wayne performed
with the Domenic Troiano Band when they opened for
Santana
in Ottawa's Civic center.
Wayne
Had a top 10 Canadian Chart Hit with THP Orchestra called 'Fightin'
on the Side of Love', selling over 90,000 units on the RCA
label. <[Download
Real Audio file Here]
Completed
52 half hour shows for Keith Hampshire's Music
Machine, a half hour national CBC television series in the
70's.
Wayne
Played alternate leads (Berger and Hud) in
HAIR
at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theater for its 14 month run
from 1969-1971.
This
picture was on the invitations when Wayne put together a show
that broke all attendance records for all 6 nights at PDW's Nightclub
on Yorkville Avenue with a show he put together called the Atlantis
Connection featuring Pete Pedersen, (original
Harmonicats) Dawn Aitken,
Sherry Miller (Actor/singer), and John Rutledge as
the front line.
Wayne sang
lead for most of the following Bands/Groups/Albums:
·
High School
- Glee club
·
High
School Vocal Quartet
·
The Vibra-Tones
·The
Soul Four w/Danny Garrett, Eddie Dillard & Ronnie Richardson
