The Globe And Mail reported last week that Alexander Mair, co-founder of Canadian label Attic Records, has passed away at 82 years of age.
According to the report, this summer, the Canadian music business titan was appointed to the Order Of Canada as a Companion Member. On Tuesday, Ontario Lieutenant-Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell awarded him the medal in his room at Sunnybrook Hospital. On Friday, Mair died of cancer.
The Toronto-born entrepreneur and music industry mentor was an influential figure in the growth of independent record companies in Canada. In 1974, he and Tom Williams founded Attic Records, which became one of the largest and most successful indie labels in Canadian history.
Attic helped launch the careers of dozens of homegrown artists, including Anvil, Lee Aaron, Teenage Head and Triumph. They also released titles from Goddo, Killer Dwarfs, Razor, and many more.
Lee Aaron has paid tribute to Mair with the following message:
"It’s with a heavy heart I post this. Alexander Mair, Attic Records head, and champion of many, many, Canadian talents over the years, has left this world. It feels like the end of an era.
Al was one of the true, great 'record men' of his time. He steadfastly believed in the artists he signed and worked closely with them to nurture and cultivate their artistry and their music. He never gave up on his talent - he’d be more inclined to let an employee go than one of his artists - and always strove to find new and innovative ways of doing things. He built a model for independent labels to model after.
He saw something in me when I was an insecure 20 year old kid trying to figure myself and my music out... I went on to have gold and platinum album successes with Attic. When we didn’t see eye to eye on an issue, he trusted me, and let me do it my way. That’s extremely rare. The result was the album below. This past summer he, deservedly so, was awarded The Order Of Canada for his contribution to the Canadian music industry. He was equally a kind and compassionate human as he was a titan of the industry. He will be missed. My sincerest condolences go out to his loved ones."
From 1968 to 1976, Mair looked after Gordon Lightfoot’s business affairs.
“Al Mair was a great record man,” said Bernie Finkelstein, founder of True North Records. “Not only did he put out some great music, but behind the scenes, he made a great contribution to the Canadian music business as we now know it.”
Read the full report at The Globe And Mail.
