Derek Christie

Born and raised in Montreal, now based in Richmond Hill, Derek Christie’s music travels the spaces between rock and roots, garage and gospel. Neil Diamond meets Patti Smith, with insinuations of songwriting and performing legends David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen and Warren Zevon.
Late night FM album rock stations like CHOM FM, which celebrated music out of the mainstream, and the advent of punk rock in the late 1970’s, while artists like Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, The Clash and Marianne Faithful tuned his psyche for things ahead. If there were a term for his music it would be ‘Torch Roots Rock’. His early Toronto bands were a mainstay of the 80’s Queen Street clubs, and his solo work became part of a songwriter trend that evolved in the city in the 1990’s. He currently has three albums available, the most recent being ‘Secrets’, with his next on the way in late 2019. His song, ‘What Makes You Run’ was inspired by the courage of Canadian hero, Terry Fox. It was performed in September 2015 at the 35th anniversary of his cross country run at the unveiling of a statue and park dedication in Richmond Hill, and presented as a gift to Terry’s siblings.