Brad Roberts
His unmistakable bass-baritone voice gave Crash Test Dummies a surreal and philosophical edge, turning folk-rock into something strangely profound.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Canadian singer and guitarist·Birthday: January 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brad Roberts emerged from the Winnipeg music scene with a voice that seemed to belong to a different century—a deep, resonant bass-baritone that became the unlikely instrument for 1990s alt-rock radio. As the chief songwriter and frontman for Crash Test Dummies, he wrapped wry, existential musings on God, death, and Superman in deceptively catchy melodies. The global phenomenon of "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" from 1993's 'God Shuffled His Feet' showcased his unique gift: making the deeply quirky feel universal. While often labeled a one-hit wonder internationally, in Canada his sharp, literary songwriting on earlier tracks like "Superman's Song" cemented a lasting reputation. Roberts carved a niche where intellectual curiosity and pop sensibility met, all delivered in a voice you could feel in your bones.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brad was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote and performed the international hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm," which reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1994.
- The Crash Test Dummies' album 'God Shuffled His Feet' was certified double platinum in the United States.
- Won multiple Juno Awards in 1992, including Group of the Year and Album of the Year for 'The Ghosts That Haunt Me'.
Did You Know?
He holds a degree in philosophy from the University of Winnipeg.
Before music, Roberts worked as a bartender and a film projectionist.
He is an avid chess player.
The band's name was inspired by a children's educational film about car safety.
“I'm not a trained singer. I just open my mouth and this sound comes out.”
