Jim Creeggan
The melodic backbone of Barenaked Ladies, whose inventive bass lines and harmonies helped shape the band's quirky, intelligent sound.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Canadian musician·Birthday: February 12·Generation X
Biography
Jim Creeggan provides more than just the low end for one of Canada's most beloved bands; he brings a sense of orchestral whimsy. Joining his brother and school friends to form Barenaked Ladies, Creeggan’s approach to the bass was never conventional. He often played a double bass, both bowed and plucked, lending a jazzy, acoustic warmth to the group's pop-rock foundations. His high harmonies became a signature layer in their vocal blend, crucial on hits like 'The Old Apartment' and 'One Week'. Beyond the stage, he’s a composer and collaborator, exploring children's music and film scores, but his legacy remains tied to holding down the fort with a smile for a band that made geekiness cool.
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.
Jim was born in 1970, 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 Jim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Jim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
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
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
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
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has been the bassist for Barenaked Ladies since its formation, contributing to over a dozen studio albums.
- Co-wrote the song 'Call and Answer' from the band's multi-platinum album 'Stunt'.
- Released a children's music album, 'Grocery Trip', with his brother, fellow band member Andy Creeggan.
- Performed the distinctive double bass parts that became a sonic hallmark of the band's early live shows.
Did You Know?
He is an accomplished player of the double bass and often performs with it during Barenaked Ladies concerts.
He and his brother Andy once performed as a duo called 'The Brothers Creeggan' and released an album.
He composed the score for the Canadian film 'Men with Brooms'.
He attended the same high school as other founding members of Barenaked Ladies in Scarborough, Ontario.
“The double bass lets me walk the line between rhythm and melody.”
