Downchild Blues Band

When one thinks of Blues music in Canada, the first band that springs to mind is Downchild. It’s been nearly 40 years since Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh and his since passed brother, Hock Walsh, formed the group that would be the inspiration behind the world famous Blues Brothers.

A constant throughout, Donnie Walsh has kept the music alive and Downchild embodies some of the most well respected musicians in the country, who have performed together for over 15 years. This includes silky smooth singer and harmonica player Chuck Jackson, tenor sax player Pat Carey, beat man Mike Fitzpatrick on drums, rhythm captain Gary Kendall on bass, and former American supergroup rocker Michael Fonfara (of Rhinoceros fame) on keyboards.

Still on top of their game today, Downchild was nominated for “Blues Album of The Year” at the 2005 Juno Awards and lauded as “Entertainers of the Year” in 2007 at the Maple Blues Awards.