Glenn-Copeland, Beverly

Websites:  https://beverlyglenncopeland.com/
Origin: Philadelphia, 🇺🇸 - Montréal, Québec - New Brunswick, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Beverly Glenn-Copeland is a visionary singer, composer, and storyteller whose work transcends genre and time. Born in Philadelphia in 1944 to a classically trained musical family, Glenn-Copeland was immersed in music from an early age, often listening to his father practice piano for hours each day. This early exposure laid the groundwork for his lifelong devotion to music as both a craft and a spiritual calling. Though born in the United States, Glenn-Copeland has spent the majority of his life and career in Canada, where he became a naturalized citizen and a beloved figure in the country’s cultural landscape.

In 1961, Glenn-Copeland moved to Montreal to study classical music at McGill University, becoming one of the first Black students accepted into the program. He focused on the European song repertoire but quickly realized that his creative instincts were pulling him beyond the confines of classical tradition. Drawn to a more intuitive, spiritually guided approach to composition, he began to fuse his deep knowledge of classical form with jazz, blues, folk, and global influences.

His self-titled debut album, Beverly Copeland (1970), issued on CBC Records, introduced audiences to a unique and emotionally resonant sound—rich with baroque-inspired arrangements and folk-jazz vocal phrasing. Though the album remained relatively obscure for decades, it has since been reissued and celebrated as a hidden gem of 1970s Canadian music.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Glenn-Copeland worked quietly but prolifically, contributing vocals and instrumental work to recordings by artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Kathryn Moses, Ken Friesen, Gene Martynec, and Bob Disalle. He also composed extensively for film and television, becoming a fixture in Canadian households through his two-decade tenure as a writer and performer on Mr. Dressup, the iconic CBC children’s show. He was also a contributing songwriter to Sesame Street, further deepening his impact on multiple generations of Canadian youth.

In 1986, while living in the quiet town of Huntsville, Ontario, Glenn-Copeland self-released an album that would change his life decades later: Keyboard Fantasies. Recorded in isolation using a Yamaha DX7 and Roland TR-707, the album was a deeply personal exploration of sonic and emotional landscapes—melding the minimalist warmth of new age, the precision of early electronic music, and his own transcendent vocal melodies. At the time, the album received little attention, but following its rediscovery and vinyl reissue in the 2010s, Keyboard Fantasies became an underground sensation. It has since been hailed as a masterpiece of electronic and ambient music, inspiring a new generation of listeners and musicians alike. The album was even included in The Stranger’s list of the 70 greatest recordings by women—before Glenn-Copeland publicly shared that he is a transgender man.

Since coming out as trans, Glenn-Copeland has become an outspoken and celebrated voice for trans rights and spiritual unity. He speaks candidly about his journey through gender identity and creativity in interviews and public appearances, embracing his visibility as part of a broader mission of healing and self-discovery.

In recent years, Glenn-Copeland has returned to the stage with Indigo Rising, a multigenerational band that embodies the joy and openness of his musical philosophy. His late-career renaissance includes worldwide tours, documentary features (such as Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story, 2019), and collaborations with contemporary artists across genres. His first new studio album in decades, The Ones Ahead (2023), affirmed his enduring artistry and was met with widespread acclaim.

Now in his late 70s, Glenn-Copeland continues to create music and share his message of hope, love, and resilience. A timeless artist whose work bridges past and future, Beverly Glenn-Copeland remains a singular force in Canadian and global music—a testament to the power of authenticity, transformation, and the boundless spirit of song.
-Robert Williston