Editing Blue Rodeo (section)

==History==
[[High school]] friends Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor began playing music professionally together after completing university. They put together several bands without commercial success in the late 1970s, releasing a single as Hi-Fi's in 1980.

Cuddy and Keelor moved to [[New York City]] in the early 1980s to further their music careers. There, they met keyboardist and fellow Canadian [[Bob Wiseman]], who, at that time, was working as a producer. Upon returning to [[Toronto]] in the summer of 1984, the trio decided to form a band. The name "Blue Rodeo" had already been chosen for the new group when they met former [[David Wilcox (Canadian musician)|David Wilcox]] drummer [[Cleave Anderson]] and asked him to join. Anderson, in turn, recommended his former bandmate in The Sharks, bassist Bazil Donovan, and the new band's lineup was essentially set.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bluerodeo.com/people/biography/JimCuddy.aspx| title=Jim Cuddy Biography| work=Official Community of Blue Rodeo| access-date=May 14, 2008| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512092840/http://www.bluerodeo.com/people/biography/JimCuddy.aspx| archive-date=May 12, 2008| df=mdy-all}}</ref> On February 8, 1985, Blue Rodeo played their first show together at [[The Rivoli]] in Toronto;<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schneider|first=Jason|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/blue_rodeo-better_off_as_we_are |title=Timeline: Blue Rodeo: Better Off as We Are|website=[[Exclaim!]]|date=November 20, 2009}}</ref> one week later, they performed at [[Handsome Ned]]'s "Honky Tonk Heart."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-birth-of-blue-rodeo/article4124945/#:~:text=Our%20first%20gig%20as%20Blue,and%20a%20quick%2Dgun%20artist.|title="The birth of Blue Rodeo."|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]|date=November 16, 2004}}</ref>

The band quickly earned a following in Toronto and was subsequently signed to Canadian independent record label Risque Disque. They entered the studio in 1986 with [[Rush (band)|Rush]] producer [[Terry Brown (record producer)|Terry Brown]] and recorded several songs that would comprise Blue Rodeo's debut album, ''[[Outskirts (album)|Outskirts]]''. Released in March 1987, ''Outskirts'' met with moderate success in Canada until "[[Try (Blue Rodeo song)|Try]]" was released as a single in October of that year. The single was an immediate hit, going to number one on the ''RPM Country Tracks'' chart and number six on the ''RPM Top Singles'' chart, establishing Blue Rodeo as one of Canada's top new bands and carrying ''Outskirts'' to 4× Platinum status in sales. The music video for the single featured Keelor's then-girlfriend [[Michelle McAdorey]], who soon had success with her own band, [[Crash Vegas]].

In 1992, the band's song "After the Rain," written by Cuddy and Keelor, was the most-performed song in Canada.<ref name="Inc.1992">{{cite magazine|author=Larry LeBlanc|title='Do it for you' does it at the SOCAN Awards|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QhAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA48|date=14 November 1992|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=48–|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> By 1999 the band had sold more than two million albums in Canada.<ref name="Inc.1999">{{cite magazine|author=Bettsy Powell|title=There's no place like home|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TQ0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58|date=January 16, 1999|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|pages=50 and 58|issn=0006-2510}}</ref>

Cuddy, Keelor, Donovan, Boguski and Cripps have all released solo albums. Glenn Milchem performs his own solo music under the pseudonym "the swallows" and had co-founded, with his twin brother John, the rock duo [[Starvin Hungry]]. Keelor has also gone on to produce for other artists, notably alt-country group [[Cuff the Duke]], who have also toured as support for Blue Rodeo.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=139&csid2=9&fid1=42671| archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709190255/http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=139&csid2=9&fid1=42671| url-status=dead| archive-date=July 9, 2012| title=Blue Rodeo Timeline| work=Exclaim Magazine| access-date=July 5, 2010}}</ref>

Blue Rodeo members have collaborated extensively with other notable Canadian artists, including [[Sarah McLachlan]], [[The Tragically Hip]], [[Burton Cummings]], [[Great Big Sea]], [[Jann Arden]], [[The Sadies]], [[Skydiggers]], Cuff the Duke, [[Crash Vegas]], [[Cowboy Junkies]], [[Sarah Harmer]], [[Jill Barber]], and [[Kathleen Edwards]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-arts/bluesfest-review-blue-rodeo-flexed-their-musical-muscle-and-naughty-by-nature-came-to-please|title=Bluesfest review: Blue Rodeo vs Naughty By Nature |publisher=Ottawa Citizen|first=Lynn|last=Saxberg|work=ottawacitizen |date=2018-07-13|language=en|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/juno-tv/videos/blue-rodeo-ft-sarah-mclachlan-lost-together-live-at-the-juno-awards/|title=Blue Rodeo ft. Sarah McLachlan|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2017/02/03/gord-downie-makes-surprise-appearance-at-blue-rodeo-show-for-lost-together.html|title=Gord Downie makes surprise appearance at Blue Rodeo show for 'Lost Together'|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=February 3, 2017|language=en|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref> They have won many Canadian music awards, including twelve [[Juno Award]]s and seven [[Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada|SOCAN]] awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/awards/top-winners/|title=Top Winners|website=The JUNO Awards|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.socan.com/what-socan-does/socan-awards/|title=SOCAN Awards|date=June 18, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-12}}</ref>

On June 16, 2009, it was announced that the band would receive a star on [[Canada's Walk of Fame]] in Toronto. The induction ceremony was held on September 12, 2009. They are the fifth band to receive the honour.<ref name="ind2009">{{cite web|url=http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/news/the-stars-align-12th-annual-canadas-walk-fame|title=The Stars Align at the 12th Annual Canada's Walk of Fame|date=June 16, 2009|publisher=Canada's Walk of Fame|access-date=June 16, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620081814/http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/news/the-stars-align-12th-annual-canadas-walk-fame|archive-date=June 20, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Blue Rodeo was inducted into the [[Canadian Music Hall of Fame]] at the [[Juno Awards of 2012|41st Juno Awards]] on April 1, 2012,<ref>[https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Blue+Rodeo+taking+well+deserved+place+Canada+cultural+history/6374354/story.html "Blue Rodeo taking a well-deserved place Canada's cultural history"]. ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'', March 28, 2012.</ref> joining other Canadian music icons including [[Rush (band)|Rush]], [[Leonard Cohen]], [[Neil Young]], [[The Band]], [[Oscar Peterson]], [[Bruce Cockburn]], [[Daniel Lanois]], [[Joni Mitchell]], [[Anne Murray]] and [[Tom Cochrane]].
 
According to CARAS, on selecting Blue Rodeo as the 2012 inductee, "Spanning nearly three decades, Blue Rodeo has sold in excess of four million records and won an unprecedented 11 JUNO Awards, establishing themselves as one of the premier groups in Canadian music history."<ref>[http://canadianmusichalloffame.ca/inductees/blue-rodeo/ "Canadian Hall of Fame Inductees: Blue Rodeo 2012"], Retrieved April 5, 2012.</ref>

In May 2014, the band received a [[Governor General's Performing Arts Award]] (GGPAA) for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Blue Rodeo|url=http://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients/2014/blue-rodeo.aspx|website=Governor General's Performing Arts Awards|publisher=Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation|access-date=July 25, 2014}}</ref> At the Gala honouring GGPAA recipients on May 10, the band delivered the evening's surprise finale.

On August 5, 2013, former keyboard player James Gray died as the result of a heart attack. He was 52 years old.<ref>{{cite web|last=Schneider |first=Jason |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/former_blue_rodeo_keyboardist_james_gray_dies_at_52 |title=Former Blue Rodeo Keyboardist James Gray Dies at 52|publisher=Exclaim.ca |date=August 5, 2013 |access-date=August 9, 2013}}</ref>

Canadian guitarist [[Colin Cripps]] joined Blue Rodeo as a full member in 2013 due to Greg Keelor's inability to play electric guitar live anymore because of hearing issues.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/blue-rodeo-the-complete-conversation|title=Blue Rodeo: the complete conversation |newspaper=[[Montreal Gazette]]|date=November 1, 2013|access-date=August 13, 2023}}</ref>

In September 2015, Blue Rodeo released the protest song and video "Stealin All My Dreams" which "chronicle the failings of the current government," referring to the government under Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bluerodeo.com/stealingdreams/" |title=Stealin' All My Dreams |website=BlueRodeo.com |access-date=October 5, 2015}}{{title missing|date=May 2022}}</ref>

The band is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://artistsagainstracism.org/artists/|title = Artists - Artists Against Racism}}</ref>

The City of Toronto named Blue Rodeo Drive, a street in the [[Riverdale, Toronto|Riverdale]] neighbourhood near the band's studio, after the band in 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Friend |first1=David |title=Blue Rodeo Drive: Toronto country-rock act gets Toronto street named after them |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/blue-rodeo-drive-toronto-country-rock-act-gets-toronto-street-named-after-them/article_8c6636c0-d9ed-5bcc-880f-d6531a582246.html |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=Toronto Star |agency=The Canadian Press |date=31 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

In 2024, Cuddy and Keelor were inducted into the [[Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame]].<ref>David Friend, [https://globalnews.ca/news/10785133/canadian-songwriters-hall-of-fame-sarah-mclachlan-tom-cochrane/ "Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame: Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane inducted"]. [[Global News]], September 29, 2024.</ref> In the same year they were profiled in [[Dale Heslip]]'s documentary film ''[[Blue Rodeo: Lost Together]]'',<ref>David Song, [https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/local-arts/the-music-piece-really-resonates-9839213 "'The music piece really resonates'"]. ''[[Pique Newsmagazine]]'', November 29, 2024.</ref> which was the winner of the [[Whistler Film Festival Audience Award|Audience Award]] at the 2024 [[Whistler Film Festival]].<ref>Jamie Casemore, [https://playbackonline.ca/2024/12/16/dale-heslips-blue-rodeo-doc-wins-over-whistler-audiences/ "Dale Heslip’s Blue Rodeo doc wins over Whistler audiences"]. ''[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]]'', December 16, 2024.</ref>