Headlining the Beat Goes On Gala comes from the heart for Canadian rock legend Steven Page

Fame hasn’t protected Canadian Music Hall of famer Steven Page from being touched by heart disease and stroke.

In fact, the singer and guitarist made famous as a member of the multi-Juno Award winning Barenaked Ladies has been personally affected, as have many of us.

“Several close family members have had heart disease and heart attacks … it has run pretty deep in my family,” says Page. “Everybody ends up getting touched by cardiovascular illness.”

Page will appear onstage alongside the Vancouver-based Odds at the fifth annual The Beat Goes On Gala, to be held on Sept. 8 in the Palomino Room at Stampede Park. He is pleased to be involved in an event that will raise funds for local cardiovascular research.

“Despite the great progress in [cardiovascular care], there is still such a long way to go,” says Page. “Anything I can do to lend a hand is great.”

Singer's next album out on Sept. 14

Gala attendees can expect to hear Page’s signature voice belt out some Barenaked Ladies hits along with tunes from his solo career, which began after he left the band in 2009. Page hinted that guests may also hear a few selections from the singer’s next album, Discipline: Heal Thyself, Pt. II, to be released Sept. 14. 

Page’s career began with an early love of music fostered by his parents. “Music was always around,” says Page of his childhood in Scarborough, Ont. “There were always records playing or the radio was on in the car. My parents took me to concerts and my dad was a drummer in a band.”

Page befriended and began making music with Ed Robertson — who later became his bandmate — while the two were teenagers. The duo formed the band in the late 1980s, and Page, a university English major at the time, said they approached making music “lightly.”

It wasn’t long before the Barenaked Ladies acquired a following, and members realized a music career was possible. Page said although he received many rejections, he wasn’t dissuaded from promoting the band. “Singing together was a joy, and the audience response was so amazing that we thought ‘we have something here.’”

Audience support an encouragement

His love of music and belief in the band was strong enough to carry him through. The Ladies went on to produce numerous hits, sold over 15 million records, earned multiple Juno Awards and two Grammy nominations, and was recently inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Page said the induction became real when he visited Calgary alongside his former bandmates and saw the Barenaked Ladies plaque displayed amongst other great Canadian acts, such as Glen Gould and Rush. “We are in such rarified company … that is pretty humbling.” 

Page is excited to return to Calgary to perform alongside the Vancouver-based Odds on Sept. 8, explaining he has fallen in love with the city.

Dr. Todd Anderson, MD, the director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, is looking forward to welcoming Page as this year’s gala headliner.  

“We are thrilled to be hosting Canadian musician Steven Page to our fifth annual the Beat Goes on gala, and thank the Calgary community for its inspiring support of our efforts,” he says. “We have raised more than $3.6 million over the past four years, which has been used to recruit and support the very best cardiovascular scientists, clinicians and educators.”

A cardiologist and researcher, Anderson shares Page’s affinity for hard work and tackling problems head on. These skills, coupled with a commitment to collaboration, are common amongst the Institute’s 175 members.

“Our researchers and clinicians are working tirelessly to improve cardiovascular health care in Calgary,” he says. “We have created a world-class institute with expertise in many areas.”

To find out more about The Beat Goes On Gala, visit Libinbeat.ca.

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta co-ordinates cardiovascular science research, education and patient care as an entity of both Alberta Health Services (Calgary) and the University of Calgary. It provides education and training of health-care professionals, offers world-class treatment using new technologies and access to clinical care. Our more than 175 scientists and clinicians serve two million people in Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Eastern B.C. For more information, visit libininstitute.org or follow @LibinInstitute on Twitter or on Facebook at @LibinInstituteAB.