Jian Ghomeshi
A Canadian broadcaster whose intimate interview style defined cultural radio before his career collapsed amid serious criminal allegations.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician, and producer·Birthday: June 9·Generation X
Biography
Jian Ghomeshi's rise was a masterclass in personal branding, weaving his background as a musician into a persona of the thoughtful, curious cultural interlocutor. He co-created and hosted 'Q' on CBC Radio, transforming it from a regional arts show into a daily international broadcast featuring A-list celebrities and intellectuals, all drawn in by his prepared, conversational style. His voice became synonymous with Canadian cultural journalism. However, in 2014, his meticulously crafted image shattered when multiple women accused him of sexual assault and violent behavior. His very public firing and subsequent criminal trial, which ended in an acquittal on some charges and a peace bond for another, ignited a national conversation about consent, power, and celebrity. Ghomeshi's story remains a stark, complex chapter about the fall of a media architect.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jian was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
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
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
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
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-created and hosted CBC Radio's daily cultural interview program 'Q', building it into an internationally syndicated show.
- Was a founding member and vocalist for the Canadian folk-pop band Moxy Früvous in the 1990s.
- Authored the bestselling memoir '1982', which detailed his teenage experiences as an Iranian-Canadian new wave fan.
- Previously hosted the CBC Newsworld television arts program 'Play'.
Did You Know?
He was a member of the a cappella group The University of Toronto Jazz Choir.
Before Moxy Früvous, he was in a band called The Vertical Struts.
He wrote a column for the Toronto Star in the early 2000s.
He publicly came out as a vegan.
“The interview is a dance, and I try to let my guest lead.”
