Ed Robertson
Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson
Born	October 25, 1970 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s)	Alternative Rock Folk rock Power pop
Occupation(s)	Musician Singer Songwriter Record producer
Instrument(s)	Vocals Guitar
Associated acts	Barenaked Ladies

Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson, better known as Ed Robertson (born October 25, 1970 in Scarborough, Ontario), is a lead singer, guitarist and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies. Robertson is, along with Steven Page, a founding member of the group. Image File history File linksMetadata EdRob1. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Country Canada Province Ontario Established 1 January 1850 (township)   1 January 1967 (borough) Incorporated Amalgamation June 1983 (city) 1 January 1998 Government  - Mayor David Miller (Toronto Mayor)  - Governing Body Toronto City Council  - MPs John Cannis, Jim Karygiannis, Derek Lee, John McKay, Dan McTeague, Tom Wappel  - MPPs Bas Balkissoon, Lorenzo Berardinetti... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Alternative rock (also called alternative music or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. ... Bob Dylans folk-rock album, Blonde on Blonde Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... Power pop is a long-standing musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop music. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music Musicians can be classified by their role in creating or performing music: A singer (or vocalist) uses his or her voice as an instrument. ... Ercole de Roberti: Concert, c. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Barenaked Ladies (often abbreviated BNL or occasionally BnL) is a Canadian alternative rock band currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart, and formerly Andy Creeggan. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Country Canada Province Ontario Established 1 January 1850 (township)   1 January 1967 (borough) Incorporated Amalgamation June 1983 (city) 1 January 1998 Government  - Mayor David Miller (Toronto Mayor)  - Governing Body Toronto City Council  - MPs John Cannis, Jim Karygiannis, Derek Lee, John McKay, Dan McTeague, Tom Wappel  - MPPs Bas Balkissoon, Lorenzo Berardinetti... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... the very definition of a guitarist is cody allen and taylor hines because of there un ending guitar skills and awsomnes. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... In music, a band is a company of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of or improvising a musical arrangement on different musical instruments. ... Barenaked Ladies (often abbreviated BNL or occasionally BnL) is a Canadian alternative rock band currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart, and formerly Andy Creeggan. ... Steven Page, 2005 Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada), is a Canadian musician. ...

Early life and career

Robertson was the youngest of five children, and claims to have been named on a bet. He also claims to believe that his birth was an "accident"; due to his being several years younger than his other siblings, who were all born about one year apart. He credits the situation with allowing him to have the experience of being both in a big family, and an only child — once his siblings moved out of their home ^[1].

He was brought up in a home where country music almost exclusively played (he is still fond of it today). He would sing harmonies with his family and learned how to play guitar, which his father also played. Once he began playing guitar for other people, around the fifth grade, he knew he wanted to be a performer^[1]. He was in several bands during his school days including a cover band that played a notable collection of rock artists (Rush and Kim Mitchell being notable contributors to their repertoire). Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. ... Kim Mitchell in the Toronto based Q107 radio booth, displeased at having his photo taken. ...

Page and Robertson, 1991

In the fourth grade, Robertson entered the gifted program at Churchill Heights Public School. Robertson's first run-in with Page, who was a year ahead in the same gifted program, was when he unknowingly "stole" Page's best friend. It would be several years before the two would really speak to each other. Page saw Robertson at a Harvey's restaurant after a Peter Gabriel concert and was surprised to find that Robertson was also a fan. This ultimately led to them talking and becoming friends^[1]. Image File history File linksMetadata Esl1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Esl1. ... Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented. ... Churchill Heights Public School is a specialized public elementary school located at 749 Brimorton Drive, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. ... A Harveys restaurant in Ottawa. ... Peter Brian Gabriel (born February 13, 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English musician. ...

Robertson attended Woburn Collegiate Institute with Page, and around the twelfth grade, realized he needed to focus on passing his courses to get into university, believing his goal of being musician was somewhat of a "pipe dream". It was around this point when he began playing with Page^[1]. The two would become counsellors at Scarborough Schools Music Camp in the summer of 1988, and spent a lot of time together, singing songs and playing guitar. Page was flattered that Robertson knew some of his songs, which he had learned after acquiring a copy of a tape Page had made. Page was also impressed by Robertson's ear for singing harmony^[2]. Robertson ultimately turned to Page when he was scheduled to play at a benefit and his band had just broken up. The two played the benefit and in the process, formed Barenaked Ladies. He was accepted to York University, but dropped out after only half a year, choosing to devote his time completely to the band. He and Page spent the next two years building the reputation and following for Barenaked Ladies, joined along the way by Andy and Jim Creeggan, and Tyler Stewart. Woburn Collegiate Institute is a secondary school on Ellesmere Road in the Scarborough district of Toronto. ... York University (French: Université York), located in Toronto, Ontario, is Canadas third-largest university and has produced several of the countrys top leaders in the fields of law, politics, business, space sciences, and fine arts. ... Andy performing with The Brothers Creeggan in London, Ontario, Canada in 2002 Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) was the keyboard and percussion player for the Canadian pop band Barenaked Ladies from 1990-1995. ... Jim Creegan is the bass player for Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. ... Tyler Stewart is the drummer for Barenaked Ladies. ...

Role in Barenaked Ladies

Robertson is the primary guitarist for the band, playing dominantly rhythm guitar (evenly split between acoustic and electric). Three of his four bandmates also play guitar with the band on certain songs (Page sometimes on another rhythm part, Kevin Hearn sometimes on lead electric, and Jim Creeggan occasionally playing guitar for songs he sings lead on) but Robertson is the only member who plays guitar on nearly every song. He is capable of playing several other instruments including drums, pedal steel guitar, banjo and mandolin, but he rarely plays anything other than guitar, or occasionally 6-string banjo, on stage. He also considers himself a drummer (at some level at least). On each passing album, he has sung lead on an increased number of songs, to the point where he now shares approximately equal duty with Page, and has sung lead on a number of the band's singles since the success of 1998's One Week. Kevin Hearn, 2005 Kevin Neil Hearn (b. ... Jim Creegan is the bass player for Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Pedal steel guitar with two 10-string necks The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal slide to stop the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. ... For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African American origin adapted from several African instruments. ... A mandolin is a small, stringed musical instrument which is plucked, strummed or a combination of both. ... The guitjo or banjitar is a six-string banjo with the neck of a guitar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Robertson, 1994

Robertson contributed to the writing for the band from their first album. Much of his contribution initially came in the way of co-writing with Page. As the years have passed, Robertson has written more and more on his own (and also more and more with Steve). He credits Jason Plumb in part for changing his perspective on songwriting, in that instead of trying to write one great song, he would commit to writing a certain number of ideas and they might not all be great, but parts of the songs would sometimes fit together into great songs. As well, Plumb encouraged Robertson to simply come up with an idea that fascinates him, and then to analyse it. The first song he wrote with this method was "When I Fall", based on the concept of "a window washer who's afraid of heights". Image File history File linksMetadata Edag1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Edag1. ... Jason Plumb is a Canadian musician who released his only album Under and Over in 2003. ...

Besides Tyler Stewart, who doesn't typically write, Robertson is the only other band member who has not written and recorded songs outside of the Barenaked Ladies for himself in the form of a side project. Robertson has preferred to spend creative energy outside the band in co-writing and producing songs for other people (including Andy Kim and Jason Plumb). Tyler Stewart is the drummer for Barenaked Ladies. ... Andy Kim, born December 5, 1952 in Lala Land, Jupiter, is a pop singer/songwriter. ...

Personal life

Robertson was the second member of the band to get married, and the first to have children. He married his longtime girlfriend, Natalie, in June 1994. They had their first child, Hannah on November 17, 1995. Their second child, Lyle was born September 29, 1999. They also have a third child, Arden. As the first in the band to have children, he was also one of the first to advocate for more time at home with his family. When he is not working with Barenaked Ladies, Robertson prefers to spend as much time as he can with his family in Toronto.

Robertson lost a brother in a motorcycle accident, and the experience had an impact on him personally. It also came through in his songwriting; the song "Am I The Only One" was initially about his future wife, but ended up being about his brother's loss. The song "Leave" is about the image of his brother haunting him in hotel rooms while on tour.

Other activities and interests

• He received his pilot's licence in 2005, and he also rides a motorcycle.
• Robertson is a fan of the popular machinima series Red vs. Blue, lending his voice to the series to voice Captain Butch Flowers, during a time travel episode. Originally for a one-off episode, Captain Flowers was re-introduced 4 episodes before the finale. Rooster Teeth Productions has also made special videos, using Red vs. Blue characters, to be shown at Barenaked Ladies shows. He later appeared near the end of the series, late in Season Five.
• Robertson has several tattoos. The first one he got was on his right deltoid — a stylized Canadian flag with a green maple leaf and diagonal red bars. The next one he got was a Mercator projection of the continents of Earth circling his left deltoid. For his next tattoo, he visited a shop in Portland, Oregon run by Matt Reed. Reed enhanced the Canadian flag, and recoloured the map. He also added a third tattoo; a jumping fish, on Robertson's left arm, above the map. At his next session, Robertson got a band of acorns and Oak leaves on his right arm, below the flag (possibly also from Reed). Robertson decided to exclusively use Reed for his tattoos, and has said that he gets a new one every time he is in Portland. Reed has also designed t-shirts for the band. He e-mailed Reed photos of both arms (each having a band and a single image, in about the same place) and asked him to design a way to tie everything together. Reed enhanced the existing tattoos by framing the fish with a nautical themed frame, and the flag with a natural wooden themed frame, and adding backgrounds. In 2004, on the Au Naturale tour, Robertson added a dragonfly across part of his chest while in Portland.
• Robertson won Humber College's inaugural Euterpe Award at the close of the 2005 Humber Songwriting Workshop. In his honour, the school named a scholarship after him for their songwriting program.
• In early 2005, Robertson joined Rush and actor Mike Smith from the Canadian comedy series Trailer Park Boys for a videotaped performance of Rush's song "Closer To The Heart," which aired as part of an all-Canadian TV special to raise funds for Indonesian tsunami relief.
• Having an interest in acting, Robertson had a brief appearance in Charlie's Angels 2, which was offered to him by director McG, who had directed Barenaked Ladies' video for "One Week". Robertson quotes McG has telling him that he would hand a baby to Carrie Fisher, so he figured Robertson would want to do it. Robertson had a larger role in the independent Canadian film Love, Sex and Eating the Bones, which was directed by childhood friend Sudz Sutherland.
• In 2006, Robertson filmed a program called Ed's Up for OLN Canada, which covered his journeys by plane to various locations given to him only in the form of GPS coordinates, where he learned about and participated in various interesting local occupations. The series premiered on November 1 of that year. [1]
• In March of 2007, Robertson started to film and upload to YouTube a series of "bathroom sessions" acoustic renditions of BNL songs. All posted under the name BNL music.[[2]]

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Red vs. ... This is a list of characters in the machinima series Red vs. ... Rooster Teeth Productions is an award-winning production group from Austin, Texas that specializes in the creation of machinima, or films created using real-time, interactive engines from computer and video games. ... A tattoo is a mark made by inserting pigment into the skin; in technical terms, tattooing is dermal pigmentation. ... Deltoid can refer to: The deltoid muscle, a muscle in the shoulder A deltoid curve, a three-sided hypocycloid A type of quadrilateral A leaf shape The deltoid tuberosity, a part of the humerus Delta, an article with related definitions. ... Mercator world map Nova et Aucta Orbis Terrae Descriptio ad Usum Navigatium Emendate (1569) The Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection presented by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator, in 1569. ... Nickname: Location in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: Country United States State Oregon County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter Area  - City  145. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (generally referred to as Humber College) is a college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. ... Michael Smith or Mike Smith is a relatively common name in the English-speaking world. ... Trailer Park Boys is a popular Canadian mockumentary television series focusing on the misadventures of a group of ex-convicts living in fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park, located near Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. ... Tsunami strikes Ao Nang, Thailand. ... The Angels (Liu, Diaz, and Barrymore) confront Madison (Demi Moore) Charlies Angels: Full Throttle is an action/comedy film, the second of the Charlies Angels cinematic releases. ... Joseph McG McGinty Nichol (born November 30, 1968) is an American film producer and director. ... Carrie Frances Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, screenwriter and novelist, best known for her role as Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy. ... Love, Sex and Eating the Bones is a 2003 Canadian black comedy/romance film directed and written by Sudz Sutherland. ... David Sutherland (or Sudz Sutherland) is an award-winning filmmaker from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. ... OLN (Outdoor Life Network) is a Canadian cable television specialty channel. ... GPS satellite in orbit, image courtesy NASA GPS redirects here. ...

References

Lorne Frohman is an award-winning writer and producer of feature films, variety shows, and sitcoms. ... Lorne Frohman interviewing Director David Cronenberg Distinguished Artists is a Canadian interview television series, with no particular focus within the arts and entertainment industry. ... For the album by The Soundtrack of Our Lives, see Behind the Music (album). ... VH1 (VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. VH1 and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks division...

External link

• Ed Robertson at All Music Guide