Jon-Rae Fletcher is a Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded both as a solo artist and with a back-up band, The River.

Background

Fletcher grew up in

Kelowna Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''ki� ...

, British Columbia, where as the son of a minister, he sang in his church's choir. Eventual musical developments included his discovery of

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...

and the formation of his own garage band.Stuart Berman, "Cover Story: Jon-Rae and the River". ''

Eye Weekly ''Eye Weekly'' was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the ''Toronto Star'', and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following ...

'', 27 October 2005. Jon-Rae later moved and founded the original River band with a collective of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

friends, but disbanded the group when he moved east. The River was reformed with like-minded

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

musicians in 2003, and they grew into a popular cult band with an ever-expanding audience. Combining country, gospel, rock, and soul, Jon-Rae & The River created a unique blend of music, sometimes complemented by an on-stage choir. In 2006, ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' labeled Fletcher "one of Toronto’s most captivating front-men, thanks to his impassioned performances and his glorious alt-gospel songs. Fuelled by alcohol and a fervent belief in the songs they're playing.""Smells Like Holy Spirit"
. ''

'', October 2006. Their critically acclaimed album '' Knows What You Need'' was released in 2006, but the band broke up soon afterward. Fletcher moved back out west, settling in

Brentwood Bay Brentwood Bay is a small village in the municipality of Central Saanich, on the Saanich Peninsula in British Columbia, Canada. It lies north of the city of Victoria, east of the community of Willis Point, and south of the town of Sidney. Situate ...

, British Columbia.Kate Carraway
"Jon-Rae Fletcher"
''

'', 11 March 2009. He released the full length ''Oh, Maria'' on (

weewerk Weewerk, stylized as (weewerk), is an independent folk, roots, bluegrass, country record label and artist-management company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 2002 as an art-and-music salon series in the apartment of Teenage USA ...

) in 2009 and toured to promote the album with a new band lineup. Several of his former backing musicians in The River later re-emerged with the

alternative country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

band One Hundred Dollars. Rayner, Ben
"One Hundred Dollars: Show us the money"
''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...

'', 11 December 2008.

Discography

* ''Now Then'' (2000), Deerandbird Records * ''Then Again'' (2001), Deerandbird Records * ''The Road'' (2003), Hive-Fi Recordings * ''Just A Closer Walk'' (2004), Blocks Recording Club * ''Jon-Rae Fletcher & The River'', Live Series (2005), Deerandbird Records * ''Old Songs for the New Town'' (2005), Permafrost Records * '' Knows What You Need'' (2006), We Are Busy Bodies * ''Oh, Maria'' (2009), Weewerk

References

Canadian guitarists Canadian rock singers Canadian country singer-songwriters Living people Musicians from Kelowna Year of birth missing (living people) Canadian male guitarists Canadian male singer-songwriters {{Canada-singer-stub