Ryan, Tim

Websites:  No
Origin: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Tim Ryan was a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist best remembered for his expressive vocals, melodic pop-rock songwriting, and wide-ranging musical career spanning from 1960s garage rock to 1980s adult contemporary. Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Ryan began his music career in 1966 as the lead vocalist for a local band called The Amen.

Originally a five-piece featuring Ed Schryer (lead guitar), Nick Scali (rhythm guitar), Dave Wilson (bass), and Bob Clarke (drums), The Amen were regular performers at the city’s Teen Centre, known for their original songs and Clarke’s 15-minute drum solos. After eight months of local gigs, the band traveled to Toronto in late 1966 to record their only single, "Carnivals and Cotton Candy" b/w "Peter Zeus", released in early 1967 on Algoma Productions. According to a Sault Daily Star article, Ryan composed the A-side, while the more psychedelic B-side was co-written with Clarke. The record was produced by John Holt.

Throughout 1967, The Amen gigged extensively across northern Ontario—including Thunder Bay, Nipigon, and Espanola—before becoming regular performers at Toronto’s Yorkville coffeehouse circuit, appearing frequently at Boris's, including its Red Gas Room. Their momentum continued with a hometown headline show at the Sault Memorial Gardens in July 1967, and a high-profile support slot for The Guess Who at the Princess Theatre in Toronto that September. Despite their growing acclaim, The Amen never released another record and quietly disbanded by the end of the year.

Listen to The Amen here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/265156-amen-the-carnivals-and-cotton-candy-b-w-peter-zeus

In 1974, Ryan released his debut solo album, The Runner, on Good Noise Records. It featured a mix of introspective folk-rock and melodic storytelling, with contributions from longtime collaborator Bob Yeomans and musicians like Don Habib, Tom Malone, John Lissauer, and Laurel Massé. Highlights included the title track “The Runner”, “Sold Out,” and “In the Night.”

Later that decade, Ryan and Yeomans co-founded Jackson Hawke, a pop-rock group signed to CBS Records. The band released two albums and scored a notable hit with “You Can’t Dance” in 1976—a track later covered by Ricky Nelson and England Dan & John Ford Coley. Jackson Hawke also represented Canada at the Tokyo World Song Festival in 1973, gaining international exposure.

Listen to Jackson Hawke's first album here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/284418-jackson-hawke-forever
Listen to Jackson Hawke's second album here: https://citizenfreak.com/titles/284419-jackson-hawke-st

Following Jackson Hawke’s breakup, Ryan released his second solo album, On Purpose, in 1984 through Duke Street Records. The album included “Two Days, Three Nights,” co-written with Yeomans and featuring performances by Bruce Cockburn and members of the pop group The Front, including Joel Feeney and Paul Henderson. The strength of this album earned Ryan a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Male Vocalist in 1985.

In addition to his recording career, Ryan was active in the Canadian music industry as a commercial jingle singer and continued to write and perform well into the 2000s.

Tim Ryan passed away on June 2, 2016, at the age of 67. In 2022, both Ryan and Bob Yeomans were posthumously inducted into the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame, a fitting tribute to two musicians whose songs captured the voice and spirit of Northern Ontario.
-Robert Williston