In this section:
About
Richard Flohil heads a small, but extremely busy, music publicity and promotion company. After more than three decades of work in the music industry in Canada, he is understandably quite well known. Despite that, some people want to know more about him.
Resume:
| 1934 |
Born in the UK (Dutch and English parents) Private school education |
| 1950-1953 | Trainee apprentice reporter, Yorkshire Evening Press |
| 1954 | Winner: Westminster Press Junior Reporter of the Year |
| 1954 | Feature writer: Bradford Telegraph & Argus, Yorkshire Observer; chief reporter, Selby Gazette & Herald |
| 1957 |
First publicity work: John Barry Seven Emigrated to Canada, April |
| 1957-1965 | Editor, Canadian Woodworker, Electrical Contracting & Maintenance, Furniture & Furnishings Daily, Industrial Sales Promotion, freelance trade paper writing |
| 1965-1970 | Partner: Concept Associates Public Relations (clients included NCR Business Machinery, Chubb Safe, Mariposa Folk Festival) |
| 1970 | Formed Richard Flohil & Associates |
| 1980-1997 | Founding Editor, review editor, feature writer, The Record |
| 2002-2007 |
Editor, writer, Applaud! magazine |
Richard Flohil & Associates handles publicity/PR for a variety of music industry clients, including record companies, events, concert tours, individual artists. It also handles concert promotions and club gigs, and Flohil continues to undertake writing and editing work. Among dozens of clients over more than 30 years, one could include the following:
Record company publicity - Stony Plain Records 1980 - present, Evolver Records (Stacey Earle, Sarah Jane Morris projects), NorthernBlues/Borealis Records (Lightfoot tribute project), Isadora Records (Serena Ryder), Alert Records (Roxanne Potvin)
Concert promotions - Muddy Waters, Ry Cooder, Miles Davis, Stephane Grappelli, Benny Goodman, John Prine, k.d. Lang, B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and countless others. Currently promotes some 20 shows per year in various clubs, most notably Hugh's Room, The Rivoli, and Jeff Healey's Roadhouse.
Tour publicity - Nana Mouskouri, Eric Idle, Billy Connolly, David Crosby, Ian Tyson, James Keelaghan, Martyn Joseph, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart
Public relations clients - Canadian Country Music Association, 1990-2000
Events - Southern Comfort Blues Featival, 1990-1993, JVC Jazz Festival 1996-2001, Mariposa Folk Festival (1965-1962, 1988-1992), CMW 2000, 2001, 2002,Watershed Festivals 1999-02
Previous publicity clients - k.d. Lang, Colin James, The Irish Descendants, Laura Smith, James Keelaghan, Downchild Blues Band and countless others.
Ongoing publicity clients include - Stony Plain Records (30 years), Loreena McKennitt (24 years), Serena Ryder (eight years), Justin Rutledge (five years), Paul Reddick (six years), Roxanne Potvin (five years), Ian Tyson (10 years), Treasa Levasseur, Good Lovelies, David Baxter, Ariana Gillis, Andrea Ramolo, Shelley O'Brien, Shakura S'Aida, Allie Hughes.
Memberships - Toronto Blues Society, North American Folk Alliance, Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, SOCAN, CARAS.
There's no quick way to sum up so much - and so varied - work and experience. Flohil has also contributed sleeve notes to more than 100 albums/CDs released in Canada and/or the United States; written dozens of bios for artists; been a guest lecturer both at Trebas and, more frequently, the Harris Institute for the Arts; acted as keynote speaker/panelist at dozens of industry events from Vancouver to St. John's. He was, briefly, a radio DJ (Q107 Toronto, until he played an Anne Murray record), and is frequently heard/seen on radio and TV as an "expert" with a quick sound-bite. With graphic designer Michael Wrycraft, he presents an interactive "trivia quiz and game show" at folk festivals in Canada, and, in 2005, the United States. As an ongoing resource, he has 11,000 vinyl and CD recordings in his living room, his office, the bedroom, and the bathroom....
"Not bad, eh?" Flohil said, with some surprise, summing up more than 50 years of work....