THE PIANO MEN

J I M   W I T T E R

Jim Witter has been entertaining audiences in the United States and Canada for over 20 years.

His incredible rich, powerful voice, versatility and rapport have made him a hit with theatre-goers everywhere.

It all began at an early age when Jim began performing in the comfort of his own living room. His mother would play piano and Jim would belt out the hits – from Broadway shows to The Beatles – which isn’t bad for a four year old!

Throughout his school years Jim knew he was destined for a career in the music business. “I never really thought of doing anything else,” he said, “and neither did my parents because they always encouraged me to follow my dream.”

And follow it he did. Jim paid his dues playing in the clubs and bars around Southern Ontario for years. He would write songs and record demos during the day and play in the clubs at night to pay the bills.

Jim met his wife Rebecca in 1985. Together they worked tirelessly to promote Jim’s talent and music. Finally in 1990, one of Jim’s demos came to the attention of a Sony Music executive and Jim’s recording career began.

A record deal with a small independent label in Canada soon gave way to a multi-record deal with Curb Records of Nashville – home to artists like Tim McGraw, Leanne Rimes and Wynonna Judd.

From his first self-titled record, to All My Life and Forgiveness, Jim has had 10 top ten radio hits in Canada, seven hit videos on CMT, and impressive chart action in the United States, on Billboard and R&R.

Jim’s music and songwriting have been recognised with multiple awards and nominations from the Canadian Country Music Association, the Juno Awards and most recently, the Dove Awards.

“Songwriting has always been a real love of mine,” said Jim. “I feel fortunate to have been able to work with so many incredible songwriters over the past years. Not only have the collaborations produced songs that I am very proud of, but I have gained an invaluable education and created lifelong friendships along the way.”

A few years ago, Jim came up with the concert for the show The Piano Men: a musical journey through the 70’s featuring the songs of Billy Joel and Elton John.

“I was always a big fan of acoustic music – especially the folk of the 70s, like James Taylor and Harry Chapin, but my real mentors were Billy Joel and Elton John.”

Jim still lives in Southern Ontario with his wife and four children. A devoted family man, Jim is a truly happy guy.

“All I have ever wanted from this business is to be able to support my family and to make people feel a little bit better when they hear my music. To help them forget about their troubles for a while and enjoy the moment. If I can continue doing this five, ten or 15 years down the road, I’ll be perfectly happy,” he said.

A firm believer in the transformative power of theatre, Michele’s most recent play RAGE, produced by The Vancouver East Cultural Centre, explores the difficult issues of violence and bullying in high school. Michele has also written communication campaigns supporting the end of Violence Against Women, Bullying and Racism. She is a former member of the board of directors for Turning Point Recovery Society and continues to advocate for women in recovery.