Bernie LaBarge

Bernie LaBarge (born March 11, 1953) is a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is known for his work as both a solo artist and session musician, and for collaborations with a wide range of Canadian and international performers.^[1][2][3]

LaBarge has performed as a guitarist and frontman for acts including Rain, Sweet Blindness, Zwol, Stem, Stingaree, The Irish Rovers, Cassandra Vasik, and The Dexters. As a session musician, he has recorded and toured with artists such as Ian Tyson, David Clayton-Thomas, Long John Baldry, Ronnie Hawkins, Kim Mitchell, and Alex Lifeson of Rush.^[2]

LaBarge was born in Ottawa, Ontario, and raised in Burlington.^[2] He grew up in a musically inclined household and was exposed to a wide range of music, including show tunes and Motown.

Although he briefly studied music formally, he was largely self-taught on guitar, learning by listening to records and observing local musicians. The British Invasion of the 1960s, particularly The Beatles, had a significant influence on his early development.^[1]

LaBarge began performing professionally in 1967.^[1][3] A formative influence was guitarist Domenic Troiano, whose work with Mandala inspired him to pursue a career in music.

In the late 1970s, he moved to Toronto to expand his opportunities as a professional musician. One of his early projects there was the band Stingaree, which emphasized dual guitars and original material.

By 1980, LaBarge was performing at El Mocambo in Toronto with Kearney, King, McBride and LaBarge. Around this time, he shifted his focus toward studio work, influenced in part by artists such as Steely Dan.

In 1981, he released the single “Dream Away,” produced by Daniel Lanois. He later signed with Sony Records and released the album Barging In in 1983, which earned him a Juno Award nomination in 1984 for Most Promising Male Vocalist.^[2][3]

During this period, LaBarge became an in-demand session musician. He recorded extensively with producer Jack Richardson and contributed to numerous commercial recordings and advertising jingles.^[1]

He also performed on music for television productions including Smith & Smith, Party with the Rovers, Danger Bay, Fraggle Rock, and The Doodlebops.

In the 1990s, LaBarge performed with The Irish Rovers, Cassandra Vasik, The Danny B Blues Band, and other artists.^[1] In 1994 Bernie became lead guitarist for The Dexters, a Toronto-based band that held a long-running residency at The Orbit Room, a venue co-owned by Alex Lifeson of Rush. LaBarge performed there in more than 1,000 shows over two decades.

In 2026, LaBarge's 1983 album Barging In was reissued by MelodicRock Classics as Barging In, Volume 1 and Barging In, Volume 2. The second volume consists of bonus material and previously unreleased tracks.

He has also been featured in broadcast and podcast interviews, including an appearance on JAZZ.FM91's Session Notes alongside Alex Lifeson in 2021,^[4] and interviews on the Talkin' Blues podcast hosted by Mako Funasaka.^[5]

Following an injury in 2015 that temporarily prevented him from playing guitar, LaBarge returned to performing in 2020 after several years of recovery.

LaBarge has cited guitarist Domenic Troiano and producer Jack Richardson as significant influences on his career.^[1] His musical influences also include Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison, Curtis Mayfield, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Albert King, Jeff Beck, and Steve Cropper.

• Barging In (1983)
• Barging In, Volume 1 (2026, :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1})
• Barging In, Volume 2 (2026, :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2})
• “Dream Away” (1981, single)
• “Can't Hold On Forever” (1983, single)
• “Overnight Sensation” (1984, single)
• “Listen to a Boy in Love” (1985, single)
• “Turn On the Lights Before You Leave” (1987, single)

• Long John Baldry – Long John Baldry (1980)
• Zwol – Effective Immediately (1981)
• Christopher Ward – Time Stands Still (1981)
• The Irish Rovers – No More Bread and Butter (1981)
• Gowan – Gowan (1982)
• King Biscuit Boy – Two Hound Blues (1982)
• Ronnie Hawkins – Ronnie Hawkins (1987)
• Kim Mitchell – Aural Fixations (1992)
• Cassandra Vasik – Feels Like Home (1995)
• The Dexters – Hip to the Tip (1995)
• Ian Tyson – All the Good’uns (1996)
• David Clayton-Thomas – multiple releases (2000s)
• The Irish Rovers – The Unicorn (50th Anniversary remake, 2019)

• The Underground Taxi Service (1967)
• The Royal Banke (1968–1969)
• Stem (1969–1972)
• Rain (1972–1973)
• The Jax 'n Lynda (1973–1974)
• George Olliver's Blue-Eyed Brotherhood (1974)
• Hot Dog (1974–1975)
• Whizz (1975–1976)
• Stingaree (1976–1977)
• Bond (1978–1979)
• Sweet Blindness (1979)
• Zwol (1980)
• Kearney, King, McBride & LaBarge (1980–1981)
• The Irish Rovers (1983–1990)
• Mind Over Matter (1987)
• The Danny B Blues Band (1989–present)
• Cassandra Vasik (1992–1994)
• The Dexters (1994–2014)
• The Incontinentals (1999–2000)
• Off The Record (1999–2002)
• The Stickmen (2002–2006)
• David Clayton-Thomas (2005–2009)
• Rhinoceros (2009)

• Official website