8 famous singers and musicians from Vancouver

Jun 24 2021, 5:49 pm

Ever wondered where your favourite artists or musicians got their start? Believe it or not, for some, it was right here in Canada. Known as Hollywood North, the Metro Vancouver area is home to some pretty legendary stars who still frequent the area, and some even own houses here.

Here are eight famous singers or musicians that are originally from the Vancouver area.

Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams / Facebook

Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Bryan Adams moved with his family at a young age to North Vancouver before his rise to fame in the 1980s. Adams got his first guitar at only 12 years old, and from there he started singing and playing in a band. To date, Adams has sold over 100 million records and is still making music.

Diana Krall

2018 JUNO Awards

Diana Krall/Facebook

With three Grammy Awards and eight Juno Awards under her belt, Diana Krall is a popular jazz singer and pianist from Nanaimo, BC. At fifteen, she started singing professionally at local restaurants and eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue her love of jazz music. Nowadays, she splits her time between New York City and Vancouver, owning houses in both cities. Krall is known for her contralto singing style — a rare type of singing that features the lowest female vocal range.

Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen/Facebook

Carly Rae Jepsen was born in Mission, BC, before moving to the Vancouver area with her family. In 2007, she was on Canadian Idol in which she placed third, and from there released her debut album, Tug of War. Her career skyrocketed in 2012 when she released pop single “Call Me Maybe,” which went viral and was played on every major radio station after Justin Bieber heard the song and promoted it in a tweet. Justin wrote, “Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen is possibly the catchiest song I’ve ever heard lol.” It didn’t take long for the single to hit number one in 18 different countries.

Michael Bublé

Michael Bublé Canucks

Michael Buble/Shutterstock

Canadian singer Michael Bublé is from Burnaby, BC, and the star still owns a house in the area. Growing up, Bublé always dreamt of becoming a famous singer, and he never gave up on his pursuit — and lucky for us, he didn’t! Bublé’s music is widely adored by his fans around the world, and he has won numerous awards, from Grammys to JUNOs.

Daniel Adair

Daniel Adair/Facebook

You may know him as the drummer from Nickelback, or maybe you remember him from the band 3 Doors Down. Daniel Adair calls Vancouver home and grew up in the area with his family. He started playing drums at the age of 13 which was largely influenced by his father, who was also a drummer. Adair left 3 Doors Down to join the Canadian band Nickelback in 2005, replacing their previous drummer, Ryan Vikedal, and he has been playing with the band ever since.

Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado/Shutterstock

Who could forget her hit songs “I’m Like a Bird” or “Turn off the Light,” which brought Nelly Furtado into the spotlight back in the 2000s. Furtado was born in Victoria, BC, where she led a pretty normal life before her stardom. Growing up, Furtado spent many summers working alongside her mother as a chambermaid and credits her family for her work ethic.

Josh Ramsay

Josh Ramsay/Facebook

Known as the voice behind Marianas Trench, Josh Ramsay is originally from the Vancouver area. Ramsay comes from a musical family, growing up with a mother that taught vocal classes and a father who owned a recording studio. He started the band Marianas Trench in his teens with a high school buddy back in 2001. He is also known for producing and his song-writing abilities, working with popular bands like Nickleback, Simple Plan, and Faber Drive, and artists like Carly Rae Jepsen.

Grimes

Grimes/Shutterstock

Claire Elise Boucher, known professionally as Grimes and most recently going by c, may live in Los Angeles now, but once upon a time she lived right here in Vancouver. Born and raised in Vancouver, she later moved to Montreal to study at McGill University before eventually dropping out to pursue music. She started writing her own songs and quickly gained recognition for her unique electronic sound.

Alison CooperAlison Cooper

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