Hamilton musician and record label earn Grammy nominations

Stony Plain Records in Waterdown is up for three blues and roots awards, including two involving local guitarist Steve Strongman and his work with The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Great news just leapt into the music world when the Grammy Awards announced two nominations that involve Hamilton’s own Steve Strongman. The Grammy nominations are for the album Struck Down by The Fabulous Thunderbirds, nominated as Best Traditional Blues Album and Best American Roots Performance.

Strongman co-produced the album, co-wrote the songs, and is featured on the opening track “Struck Down By The Blues.” Geoff Kulawick, president of Waterdown-based Stony Plain Records, signed Strongman to an album deal and also a publishing deal. Strongman’s involvement with the iconic band started with a phone call from Kulawick asking him if he would like to work with Kim Wilson, the leader of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Strongman jumped at the opportunity and flew out to California and they wrote 17 songs together.

Wilson thought the music was special, so he started calling artists to participate. The result was a stellar lineup of stars who wanted to participate. The album is blessed with such great guests as Billy F. Gibbons, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo, Taj Mahal, Mick Fleetwood, Elvin Bishop and Terence Simeon of Zydeco fame. 

This year’s Grammy nominations also included another star Canadian blues musician on the Stony Plain label. Sue Foley garnered a nod for her album One Guitar Woman. 

“I’m deeply honoured to be nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album,” said Foley. “One Guitar Woman is a true labour of love, created as a tribute to the pioneering women of guitar whose legacies inspire me every day. Simply making this album was an incredible journey, and seeing it so warmly embraced is a blessing beyond words.”

This isn’t the first Grammy nod for Stony Plain Records, which dates back to its founding in Edmonton in 1975, but three in a year is special, says Kulawick. 

“It has been a highlight of my career in the music business to work with such outstanding and dedicated musicians as Steve Strongman, Sue Foley and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and to see their work recognized by the Recording Academy with these three Grammy Award nominations for our local Hamilton-based label.”

We chatted with Strongman and put several questions to him:

How did you find out the album was nominated for two Grammys?

I was picking up my daughter from school, and I received a text message from Stony Plain president Geoff Kulawick, saying ‘Congratulations, you've got two Grammy nominations!!’ 

What was your first reaction to the news?

I was thrilled…working with Kim Wilson and the Thunderbirds has been an incredible experience, and the fact that our work is being recognized by the Grammys is icing on the cake.

Any interesting stories you’d like to tell about the recording sessions?

I approached the studio with the idea of capturing what a great live band the Thunderbirds are.  Kim and I wanted the focus to remain on the “live feel of being in the room with the band, and I think we captured that. We had done weeks of preparation in pre-production in New Jersey, so by the time we entered the studio the band was firing on all cylinders. We were able to focus on performance-based takes, rather than getting caught up in songwriting aspects or arrangements. Kim and I had already written all the songs and rehearsed the band, so that was a fantastic place to start from.

Going forward do you feel a Grammy nomination might have an impact on your career? Could it lead to more songwriting or producing? More co-operative pursuits?

I certainly hope so. I have a new publishing deal with a Nashville-based company, RoundHill Publishing, so the fact they can set up writing and recording sessions with a Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter will certainly help.

You opened for the Thunderbirds on their Ontario tour. What was that like?

It was amazing! I opened as a solo acoustic act, and then joined the band on stage, so it was really the best of both worlds for me. It was very rewarding to hear the songs that Kim and I wrote in a live setting with such receptive audiences. Playing these songs live with the band after writing them with an acoustic guitar and Kim on harmonica was awesome!

When you joined them on stage, what did that feel like?

After travelling to California and writing songs with Kim, I went to see the band in New York to meet the guys and listen to them in that setting. Kim invited me onstage to sit in with the band, and it was obvious there was a synergy between us that carried into a live setting. I felt that when we toured in Ontario together as well.

Anything else you’d like to add?   

As a musician, any time your work is recognized in such an impactful way, it is special. I’m very proud of the songs that Kim and I have written, and the production work I’ve done with the Thunderbirds. Thank you to the Recording Academy for such an honour.

The 67th Grammy Awards ceremony will be held Feb. 2, 2025 in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast on CBS and available to stream on Paramount+.