Liona Boyd

Boyd was born in London and grew up in Toronto.{{cite web|last1=Cummings|first1=Robert|title=Liona Boyd {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/liona-boyd-mn0000145864/biography|website=AllMusic|accessdate=9 December 2016|archive-date=21 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221020317/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/liona-boyd-mn0000145864/biography|url-status=live}} Her father grew up in Bilbao, Spain, and her mother in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Her grandmother was from Linares, Spain, the birthplace of the "king of the classical guitar", Andrés Segovia. During her family's first of two ocean voyages to Canada she made her debut performance playing "Bluebells of Scotland" on a treble recorder in a talent show on the ship.

When she was thirteen, she was given her first guitar, a Christmas present which her parents had bought in Spain seven years earlier.{{cite web|title=Liona Boyd Interview|url=http://www.guitarhoo.com/interviews/liona-boyd-72|work=Guitarhoo!|publisher=Guitarhoo.com|accessdate=7 March 2013|date=19 May 2004|archive-date=7 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107050302/http://www.guitarhoo.com/interviews/liona-boyd-72|url-status=live}} She took lessons from Eli Kassner, Narciso Yepes, Alirio Díaz, Julian Bream, and Andrés Segovia.

Boyd received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto in 1972, graduating with honours. After graduation she studied privately for two years with Alexandre Lagoya in Paris. [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0000401 "Liona Boyd"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208115216/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1ARTU0000401 |date= 8 December 2008 }}, The Canadian Encyclopedia

In 1975, she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Andrés Segovia sent her a note that said "through your beauty and talent you will conquer the public, philharmonic or not."{{cite book|author=Liona Boyd|title=In My Own Key: My Life in Love and Music|publisher=Stoddard Publishing|year=2008|page=65}} During the same year, she toured northern British Columbia and Yukon.{{cite book|author=Liona Boyd|title=In My Own Key: My Life in Love and Music|url=https://archive.org/details/inmyownkeymylife0000boyd|url-access=registration|publisher=Stoddard Publishing|year=1998|page=[https://archive.org/details/inmyownkeymylife0000boyd/page/100 100]|isbn=9780773731219}} She also toured as the opening act for Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot.

In 1974, Boyd released her debut album, The Guitar. It was produced by Eleanor Koldofsky[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/eleanor-koldofsky-emc/ "Liona Boyd"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105180334/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/eleanor-koldofsky-emc/ |date=5 January 2017 }}, The Canadian Encyclopedia. and was released on Boot Records. The record was distributed internationally by London Records. In 1976, Boyd joined Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, and established her own publishing company, Mid-Continental Music. In 1989, her album Christmas Dreams appeared on the RPM 100 Top Albums chart. To date she has three platinum and four gold albums in Canada.[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=4952& "RPM Top 100 Albums"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205180743/http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=4952& |date=5 February 2015 }}. RPM Magazine Volume 50, No. 24 14 October 1989.

As of 2018, she has recorded 26 studio albums, made a live recording from Tokyo, created over 25 music videos, and produced three compilation recordings.

During her career, Boyd has recorded with Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, Al Di Meola, Rik Emmett, David Gilmour, Alex Lifeson, Steve Morse, the Canadian Brass, André Gagnon, Yo Yo Ma, Frank Mills, Strunz & Farah, Roger Whittaker, Gheorghe Zamfir, Pavlo, Jesse Cook, and Olivia Newton-John.{{cite web|title=Awards & Collaborations|url=http://lionaboyd.com/awards/|website=Liona Boyd|accessdate=9 December 2016|archive-date=20 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220083210/http://lionaboyd.com/awards/|url-status=live}}

In 1995, Liona contributed to the Canadian Windows 3.1 computer game The Music Game.

In 1988, Stoddard Publishing of Toronto, Canada published Boyd's autobiography In My Own Key: My Life in Love and Music.{{cite news | url=http://amicus.collectionscanada.gc.ca/aaweb-bin/aamain/itemdisp?sessionKey=999999999_142&l=0&d=2&v=0&lvl=1&itm=18263631 | title=In My Own Key: My Life in Love and Music | publisher=AMICUS: The Canadian National Catalogue | accessdate=29 November 2009 | archive-date=7 January 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107050302/http://amicus.collectionscanada.gc.ca/aaweb-bin/aamain/itemdisp?sessionKey=999999999_142&l=0&d=2&v=0&lvl=1&itm=18263631 | url-status=live }} In it she revealed her eight-year romance with former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In 1992, Boyd moved to Beverly Hills, California, where she married John B. Simon, a real estate developer.

Following a diagnosis of musician's focal dystonia after the release of Camino Latino, Boyd was compelled to change how she plays guitar. She reinvented herself by developing her songwriting and singing skills and playing less demanding guitar arrangements.{{cite news | url=http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/TV_Shows/The_National/ID=1335056560 | title=Liona Boyd: Singer | work=The National | date=15 November 2009 | accessdate=29 November 2009 | archive-date=20 January 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120105840/http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/TV_Shows/The_National/ID=1335056560 | url-status=live }}

After divorcing in 2004 she relocated to Miami and started a guitar duo with Srdjan Gjivoje. In 2007 she moved to New Canaan, Connecticut, to make a record with him called Liona Boyd Sings Songs of Love. They subsequently toured together. She released a new age album titled Seven Journeys which was co-written with her producer Peter Bond. In 2010, she lived in California once more. In 2011, she purchased a house in Palm Beach, Florida but made her home base in Toronto where she recorded 3 more albums produced by Peter Bond. She and accompanist Michael Savona toured Canada extensively. In 2016, Liona formed a new touring duo with Andrew Dolson.{{fact|date=June 2024}}

In August 2017, Dundurn Press reissued Boyd's first memoir In My Own Key and published her second memoir, No Remedy for Love.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thatericalper.com/2017/07/20/liona-boyd-releasing-new-cd-autobiography-no-remedy-love-august-17/|title=Liona Boyd releasing new CD and autobiography, No Remedy For Love on August 19|date=20 July 2017|website=That Eric Apler|access-date=21 August 2017|archive-date=21 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821211741/http://www.thatericalper.com/2017/07/20/liona-boyd-releasing-new-cd-autobiography-no-remedy-love-august-17/|url-status=live}}

One of the many revelations in his book was that Boyd claims to have played a private concert for jurors at the murder trial of O. J. Simpson in the mid-1990s. This was at the request of judge Lance Ito who Boyd says was a big fan of her music.[https://www.cochranetoday.ca/local-news/first-lady-of-guitar-to-play-bragg-creek-and-cochrane-1448121 "'First Lady of Guitar' to play Bragg Creek and Cochrane"]. Cochrane Today

In 2017, Liona filmed "A Winter Fantasy", a live Christmas special that was broadcast in December 2018 on several PBS stations including WNED-TV in Buffalo, New York.{{fact|date=June 2024}}

In 2018, Blackstone Publishing released an audiobook of Liona reading her autobiography In My Own Key.

• Instrumental Artist of the Year, Juno Awards, five times
• Gallery of the Greats, Guitar Player Magazine
• Classical Guitar Musician of the Year, Guitar Player, five times
• Order of Canada, Member: 1982, Officer: 2021
• Order of Ontario, 1991
• Vanier Award, 1978
• Prix Esprit du Ciècle
• Diamond Jubilee Award, 2013
• JoAnn Falletta competition Lifetime Achievement, 2018
• National Guitar Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, 2019

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Liona Boyd}}

• [http://www.lionaboyd.com Official site]
• [http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Boyd-Liona.htm Liona Boyd: Biography]
• [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/liona-boyd-emc Article at thecanadianencyclopedia.ca]
• {{discogs artist|Liona Boyd}}
• {{imdb name|0101842}}
• [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/liona-boyd-five-years-of-healing-two-new-albums-one-rebirth/article1354005/ "Liona Boyd: five years of healing, two new albums, one rebirth"] The Globe and Mail

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, Liona}}

Category:1949 births

Category:Living people

Category:Canadian classical guitarists

Category:Canadian women guitarists

Category:Members of the Order of Canada

Category:Members of the Order of Ontario

Category:University of Toronto alumni

Category:English emigrants to Canada

Category:Musicians from London

Category:Juno Award for Instrumental Album of the Year winners

Category:Canadian people of Spanish descent

Category:Women classical guitarists

Category:Columbia Records artists

Category:RCA Records artists

Category:London Records artists

Category:Officers of the Order of Canada

Category:Musicians with dystonia