Blab Music
Canadian Country Music Icons Larry Delaney and Al Brisco, RCA Executive Bob Jamieson, and Singer Peabo Bryson Pass Away
On a quiet June morning, Ottawa’s music community felt a double blow: the city lost two of its most beloved figures on the same day. Larry Delaney, the publisher who helped shape Canadian country music, died at 83 on June 4, 2026, and the day before, steel‑guitar legend Al Brisco passed away at 81. Earlier in the month, the industry mourned the loss of former RCA Records chairman Robert Jamieson, who died on May 27, 2026, and on June 2, 2026, Grammy‑winning vocalist Peabo Bryson died at 75.
Delaney’s legacy began with Country Music News, a magazine he co‑founded in 1980 that became “the ultimate authority for the Canadian country music industry.” The Ottawa‑based publication chronicled the careers of established stars and emerging talent until its final issue. His influence earned him induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989, eleven CCMA Person of the Year awards, and the CCMA Stan Klees Hall of Honour Builder Award in 1996. After the magazine folded, Delaney continued to write obituaries for Billboard Canada and maintained a monthly column on Canadian country pioneers for the Country Music Association of Ontario’s newsletter.
Brisco, a native of Appledale near Renfrew, Ontario, carved a niche as a prolific steel‑guitar player. He worked with Frank Zappa, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, and Ronnie Hawkins, and he turned down a touring offer from Zappa, citing discomfort with the Los Angeles scene. In 1979 he founded Steel Guitars of Canada, offering seminars and conventions worldwide. He was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994, toured with the Plowboys until 2023, and recorded on Pure Prairie League’s 1972 album Bustin’ Out.
Jamieson’s career spanned nearly four decades. Beginning at Columbia Records in 1968, he held senior positions at Epic, CBS, PolyGram, and BMG Canada. In 1991 he became president and general manager of BMG Canada, transforming the label into a major‑label‑level operation. He was named chairman of BMG North America in 1996 and of RCA Music Group in 1999. Under his leadership, RCA reclaimed chart dominance with acts such as the Dave Matthews Band, Christina Aguilera, and Foo Fighters. His tenure is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study on the digital revolution in the music industry.
Bryson, born in 1950, achieved 12 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including Disney duet recordings that earned him two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1993 and 1994. His most celebrated collaborations were “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle (1993) and “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion (1992). Bryson’s representatives confirmed his death after a stroke and hospitalization.
Tributes poured in from across the industry. Billboard Canada and the Country Music Association of Ontario’s Facebook page posted memorials, while artists such as Celine Dion highlighted Bryson’s influence on her early English‑language career. Colleagues remembered Delaney as “the revered voice of Canadian country music” and a champion of home‑grown talent, Brisco as “one of Canada’s most influential steel‑guitar players,” Jamieson as a transformative executive who reshaped major‑label operations in Canada, and Bryson as a vocalist whose smooth voice bridged pop and country.
No official memorial services have yet been announced, but the losses have left a palpable void in the Canadian country scene, the Canadian and U.S. label executive community, and the broader pop‑country crossover market. Fans and colleagues continue to share memories and underscore the lasting impact of each figure’s career.
Delaney’s legacy began with Country Music News, a magazine he co‑founded in 1980 that became “the ultimate authority for the Canadian country music industry.” The Ottawa‑based publication chronicled the careers of established stars and emerging talent until its final issue. His influence earned him induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989, eleven CCMA Person of the Year awards, and the CCMA Stan Klees Hall of Honour Builder Award in 1996. After the magazine folded, Delaney continued to write obituaries for Billboard Canada and maintained a monthly column on Canadian country pioneers for the Country Music Association of Ontario’s newsletter.
Brisco, a native of Appledale near Renfrew, Ontario, carved a niche as a prolific steel‑guitar player. He worked with Frank Zappa, The Band, Kris Kristofferson, and Ronnie Hawkins, and he turned down a touring offer from Zappa, citing discomfort with the Los Angeles scene. In 1979 he founded Steel Guitars of Canada, offering seminars and conventions worldwide. He was inducted into the Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994, toured with the Plowboys until 2023, and recorded on Pure Prairie League’s 1972 album Bustin’ Out.
Jamieson’s career spanned nearly four decades. Beginning at Columbia Records in 1968, he held senior positions at Epic, CBS, PolyGram, and BMG Canada. In 1991 he became president and general manager of BMG Canada, transforming the label into a major‑label‑level operation. He was named chairman of BMG North America in 1996 and of RCA Music Group in 1999. Under his leadership, RCA reclaimed chart dominance with acts such as the Dave Matthews Band, Christina Aguilera, and Foo Fighters. His tenure is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study on the digital revolution in the music industry.
Bryson, born in 1950, achieved 12 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including Disney duet recordings that earned him two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1993 and 1994. His most celebrated collaborations were “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle (1993) and “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion (1992). Bryson’s representatives confirmed his death after a stroke and hospitalization.
Tributes poured in from across the industry. Billboard Canada and the Country Music Association of Ontario’s Facebook page posted memorials, while artists such as Celine Dion highlighted Bryson’s influence on her early English‑language career. Colleagues remembered Delaney as “the revered voice of Canadian country music” and a champion of home‑grown talent, Brisco as “one of Canada’s most influential steel‑guitar players,” Jamieson as a transformative executive who reshaped major‑label operations in Canada, and Bryson as a vocalist whose smooth voice bridged pop and country.
No official memorial services have yet been announced, but the losses have left a palpable void in the Canadian country scene, the Canadian and U.S. label executive community, and the broader pop‑country crossover market. Fans and colleagues continue to share memories and underscore the lasting impact of each figure’s career.
