Carl Dixon

Carl Dixon’s powerful vocals and songs have put him at the forefront of the Canadian rock industry for three decades. He’s renowned as both a solo artist and band member of groups such as CONEY HATCH, THE GUESS WHO, APRIL WINE After barely surviving a shocking car crash in 2008, Carl is now an inspirational speaker, MC and After Dinner Speaker.

Carl’s early music career saw him in Coney Hatch opening for Iron Maiden and Judas Priests North American Tours – a impressive training ground for the young Canadian rockers. Hatch also opened for Triumph, Ted Nugent, Accept and Krokus. Carl scored a staff songwriting deal with Rondor Music (Universal) in New York in 1990. Carl wrote “Taste of Love” with Brett Walker for Jimi Jamison. That version was featured on an episode of “Baywatch.”  and in the feature film “Jersey Girl”

Born in Sault Ste Marie (“The Soo” Ontario, Canada) Carl Dixon first came to prominence as a young musician featured on MTV with Canadian rock band Coney Hatch when he joined Andy Curran, Steve Shelski and Dave Ketchum for a career that was a hallmark of the 1980s Canadian rock scene. Coney Hatch’s 1982 debut album was produced by the legendary Kim Mitchell. Eight of the ten songs from Coney Hatch’s 1982 debut album were written or co-written by Carl. Tracks such as Hey Operator, Devil’s Deck, Girl From Last Night’s Dream, Fantasy and Monkey Bars still have audiences pumping. Their most album “Four”, released in 2013 (28 years after their last album), received excellent reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. Coney Hatch featured in the UK and European festivals including Sweden Rock 2023, Hamburg Summer Festival 2023 to rave reviews. They’ve returned to the El Mocambo twice and have a new album out “Postcard From Germany.”

Carl Dixon showed his versatility recording and touring with April Wine and The Guess Who in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Carl became lead singer for Canada’s world-chart toppers The Guess Who for eight years, until his shocking car crash in Australia in April 2008 where he was hospitalised for five months.

As a result of that horrific incident, Carl lost his gig with The Guess Who. Eight years in recuperation, with continuing ongoing treatment, Carl has extensive titanium bone replacements and a cleverly crafted glass eye, and post traumatic stress syndrome and literally a hole in his head. Thanks to the brilliant work of emergency teams at the Epworth and Alfred Hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, he managed to keep his left leg, which took years to adjust to the graft. His remarkable come back from his car crash, rebuilding his personal life and business to enter the happiest and busiest phase of his life is part of Carl’s corporate inspirational keynote address.

A child of the sixties, from a young age Carl was enchanted with the sounds of the Beatles, Creedence, the Stones, The Guess Who, Sly, Motown, “and all the magic rock and pop music that climbed the charts in those early days”. The next heavier wave of bands like Free, Humble Pie, Grand Funk, Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Faces, Mick Taylor-era Stones and of course Led Zeppelin crystallised Carl’s desire to be a player, not just a fan. “For me, being a musician was never about trying to get girls or be popular; it was always about trying to re-create that thrill that great music gave to me.”

At 16 he started playing underage in bars with older musicians through the rest of school days. Carl moved to Montreal in 1979 to continue his career with a band called Firefly, which already included a guitarist/singer named Brian Hughes (Beau Geste, Brian Hughes band).

Early 1981, Carl moved closer to home to Toronto. Barely settled, he answered a newspaper Classified ad from a band seeking a guitarist/singer. That band was Coney Hatch, and Carl was quickly hired, that’s where it all began.