Ron Sexsmith
A songwriter's songwriter whose deceptively simple, heart-tugging melodies have earned him the deep admiration of music legends and peers alike.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Canadian musician·Birthday: January 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ron Sexsmith has spent decades crafting songs that feel both timeless and intimately personal, operating in a space where folk, pop, and classic singer-songwriter traditions gently collide. From his hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario, he honed a style marked by melodic grace and lyrical empathy, often exploring themes of doubt, hope, and everyday wonder. His 1995 self-titled major-label debut, produced by Mitchell Froom, announced a major talent, though commercial stardom remained elusive. Instead, Sexsmith built a steadfast career through consistent, high-quality albums, earning a reputation as one of Canada's finest musical exports. His work is celebrated by figures like Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney not for flashy innovation, but for its pure, enduring songcraft—the kind that sounds like it was always meant to exist.
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.
Ron 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 Ron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Ron'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
- Won the Juno Award for Songwriter of the Year in 2005.
- Has released over eighteen studio albums, maintaining a consistent output of critically praised work since the mid-1990s.
- Was the subject of the 2010 documentary 'Love Shines,' directed by Douglas Arrowsmith.
Did You Know?
He worked as a courier for the Canadian government in Toronto before his music career took off.
Elvis Costello has been a vocal champion of his work, calling him "one of the best songwriters I've ever met."
His song "Secret Heart" was covered by Feist on her 2004 album 'Let It Die.'
“I always felt like an old soul, even when I was a kid.”
