When the aspiring musical acts chosen to battle it out on CBC’s new epic reality music competition series COVER ME CANADA strut their stuff for Canadians, they will be judged by a panel composed of some of the most successful players in the music business.
Showman and pop superstar Jordan Knight, renowned songstress Deborah Cox and star-maker and veteran producer Ron Fair will draw from their years of experience in all aspects of the music business as they offer advice to - and pronounce judgment upon - the COVER ME CANADA contenders.
“We’re searching for the best new musical talent that Canada has to offer, and Jordan, Deborah and Ron know from their incredible first-hand experience exactly what it takes to make it all the way to the top of the charts,” said Julie Bristow, Executive Director, Studio and Unscripted Programming for CBC Television. “With this stellar judge line-up, Cover Me Canada is going to be a great vehicle to showcase aspiring artists and gives Canada a chance to foster and support our homegrown talent.”
Beginning Sunday, September 18 at 9:00 p.m. (9:30 NT), host Nicole Appleton (former All Saints band member) and the judging panel will preside as a group of eight finalist acts (to be announced) perform live in a bid to win the hearts of the nation and the opportunity of a lifetime: a $100,000 cash prize and a recording contract for their first original single to be released by Universal Music Canada.
Bio highlights for the COVER ME CANADA judges:
THE SHOWMAN - JORDAN KNIGHT
Few performers in music history have achieved the height of global pop stardom as Jordan Knight has experienced. New Kids On The Block has sold over 70 million albums worldwide, generated hundreds of millions of dollars in concert revenues and paved the way for other boy bands like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. As a solo artist, he has had four U.S. Top 40 singles and sold over 1.5 million records. A dual Canadian/US citizen, Jordan and most of his extended family hail from the Ontario area. He comes to COVER ME CANADA fresh off a series of sold-out arena dates on the New Kids on the Block and Back Street Boys co-headlining tour. Jordan’s incredible success as a performer makes him the ideal person to judge the COVER ME CANADA competitors on all aspects of performance and showmanship.
THE SONGSTRESS - DEBORAH COX
Born in Toronto, raised in Scarborough, Deborah Cox was discovered by legendary record industry mogul Clive Davis when she was singing backup for Celine Dion. Her 1988 smash #1 single, Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here, ruled the Billboard R&B charts for a record-setting 14 weeks. She has had ten #1 hits on Billboard’s Dance chart and has garnered three Juno Awards and nominations for an American Music Award, Soul Train Award, Image Award and a Genie. With Deborah’s amazing musical resume, she is perfectly placed to judge the COVER ME CANADA competitors on their musicality.
THE STAR-MAKER - RON FAIR
He discovered Christina Aguilera, put Fergie in the Black Eyed Peas, shepherded the Pussycat Dolls to worldwide success and has produced one of the most successful covers in music history, the international triple-platinum #1 single Lady Marmalade (featuring Aguilera, Pink, Mya and Lil’ Kim). Ron Fair recently served as Chair of Geffen Records, the latest accomplishment in his 30-year career as a chart-topping producer and record company executive. Ron’s history in the business and his keen eye for what makes a star will serve him well on the COVER ME CANADA judging panel, as he judges the competitors on their interpretations of iconic Canadian songs and produces the single from the winner of COVER ME CANADA.
COVER ME CANADA is produced by Temple Street Productions based on a format co-created by 11 Entertainment and CBC.
For more information, including a full list of rules and regulations, visit:
On the web: www.cbc.ca/covermecanada
On twitter: @cbccoverme
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus seven languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada is celebrating 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada.
About Temple Street Productions
Temple Street Productions Inc. is a leading producer of television, film and digital media content based in Toronto, Canada. A selection of Temple Street’s past and present projects includes: Being Erica (CBC, SOAPnet), Wingin’ It (Family Channel), Recipe to Riches (Food Network, Global), Billable Hours (Global, Showcase), Canada’s Next Top Model (CTV), How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? (CBC), Queer as Folk (Showtime, Showcase) and Darcy’s Wild Life (NBC, Discovery Kids, Family Channel). For more company information www.templestreetproductions.com, twitter: @TempleStreet or connect with us on Facebook.
For further information, contact:
Nell Crichton, Veritas Communications
P) 416.482.0864
C) 416.305.5942
crichton@veritascanada.com
