Accession 2017.01 - 2017 acquisition

Domenic Troiano was born in 1946, Modugno, Italy. He immigrated with his family to Toronto in 1949, being a naturalized citizen in 1955. Growing up in Toronto, he immersed himself in the music of the time and the sounds Toronto was producing.

At the age of 17, he had taught himself to play guitar and joined Robbie Lane and the Disciples and as the replacement for Robbie Robertson as lead guitarist with Ronnie Hawkins. In 1965 he joined the Five Rogues, who changed their name to Mandala in 1966. With Mandala, Troiano found great success, with songs reaching the Top Ten charts with songs like “Opportunity” and “Love-it is”. They continued to play together until 1969 when the band broke up.

Quickly thereafter, Troiano with previous Mandala band mates Pentti ‘Whitey’ Glan and Roy Kenner, with new musicians Hugh Sullivan and Prakash John formed the band Bush. Here Troiano co-wrote “I Can Hear You Calling”. By 1972, Troiano, along with Roy Kenner, joined the American rock group James Gang. The James Gang recorded two albums with Troiano, but by 1974 Troiano left to join the Guess Who. During this time, Troiano has already begun writing and recording music as a solo artist. In 1980, Troiano joined Bob Wilson and Paul DeLong to form Black Market, eventually turning exclusively to studio work as a composer, producer and guitarist at his own Black Market Records in 1981. Troiano worked as a studio musician, producer, and song writer during the 1980s, through to the early 2000s. In 1980, he was nominated for Producer of the Year at the Juno Awards. Troiano was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 1984, Troiano began to expand his music writing, creating themes for television shows Night Heat, Diamonds, Hot Shots, Airwaves, Counterstrike, and True Blue. It is for his work with television that earned him three Gemini Award nominations.

Domenic Troiano passed away in 2005 of cancer. He is considered one of the most important musicians to help define the ‘Toronto Sound’, and left a major mark on the Canadian music industry since he entered in the 1960s and 1970s.