Tom Cochrane Biography

Tom Cochrane was born in 1953 in Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada. As a child, Cochrane began playing guitar when he was only eleven and by the time he’d graduated from college, he was playing in local coffee houses all over Canada. A move to Los Angeles brought him a gig writing film music, but his difficulties breaking in to the music business as a performer brought him back to Toronto. A few years later, in 1974, he recorded and released a debut album, Hang on to Your Resistance, but Cochrane was still spending his time with a variety of day jobs, trying to pay the bills while breaking into the business.

In 1980, Tom Cochrane joined the group Red Rider as their lead singer. Red Rider released Don’t Fight It, their debut album, shortly after, to both critical acclaim and commercial success. The album went gold and spawned the hit “White Hot” and established a fan base not only for the band, but for Cochrane as well. He attempted a solo career again, this time bringing a large enough following that his original solo attempt was re-released by Capital Records and fared much better. Although he remained with Red Rider for two more albums (Victory Day and The Symphony Session), Cochrane released another solo attempt, Mad Mad World, in 1991.

Mad Mad World would prove to be Cochrane’s breakthrough in the United States. By 1993 he’d earned a contract with EMI and released another album, Ashes to Diamonds: A Collection. Additional albums followed for the next thirteen years, including Ragged Ass Road, Songs of a Circling Spirit, X-Ray Sierra, Anthology, Trapeze: The Collection, and No Stranger, bringing Cochrane well into the new millennium.  His hit single “Life is a Highway” has become an iconic song which still receives consistent airplay.

Tom Cochrane continues to write, perform, and tour, and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2003. He has also been recognized with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, an Honorary Doctorate from Brandon University, and the Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Music Industry Association. In addition to his accomplishments in music, Cochrane is actively involved in philanthropic endeavors, including supporting World Vision, Amnesty International, and Make Poverty History.