Murray Lightburn

{{short description|Canadian musician}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Murray A. Lightburn

| image = The dears by kk2.jpg

| caption = Lightburn performing with The Dears in London, July 13, 2007.

| image_size =

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name =

| alias =

| birth_place = Montréal, QC

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}

| origin =

| instrument = vocals, guitar

| genre = indie rock

| occupation = singer-songwriter

| years_active = 1995–present

| label =

| associated_acts = The Dears

| website =

}}

Murray A. Lightburn is a Canadian musician and composer, best known as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for The Dears.[https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Murray+Lightburn+embraces+loneliness/8799082/story.html "Murray Lightburn embraces the loneliness"]. Montreal Gazette, August 16, 2013.

Lightburn has been called "the black Morrissey" due to his vocal similarity (and shared penchant for somewhat dark lyrics) to the former The Smiths lead singer.[https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/music/the-dears-hark-back-to-warm-and-sunny-days "Beyond Black Morrissey: The Dears hark back to warm and sunny days"]. National Post, October 2, 2015. Incidentally, The Dears toured as Morrissey's opening act during Morrissey's solo tour in 2006.[https://www.stereogum.com/3795/the_dears_divanize_morrissey/wheres-the-beef/ "The Dears Diva-nize Morrissey"]. Stereogum, October 25, 2006.

In 2013 he released the solo album Mass: Light.[https://exclaim.ca/music/article/murray_lightburn-mass_light "Murray A. Lightburn – MASS: LIGHT"]. Exclaim!, August 19, 2013. His second solo album, Hear Me Out, was released in 2019.{{Cite web |title=Exclaim! {{!}} Canada's Authority on Music, Film and Entertainment |url=https://exclaim.ca/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=exclaim.ca |language=en}}

His album Once Upon a Time in Montreal was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.[https://www.cbc.ca/music/2023-polaris-music-prize-long-list-feist-jessie-reyez-and-more-1.6871592 "2023 Polaris Music Prize long list: Feist, Jessie Reyez and more"]. CBC Music, June 13, 2023.

As a composer, Murray has produced original music for films including Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-02-13 |title=Two Canadian documentaries heading to Austin's prestigious film showcase. World premieres of Yuqi Kang's 7 Beats Per Minute and Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee's Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story at SXSW. |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/national-film-board/news/2024/02/two-canadian-documentaries-heading-to-austins-prestigious-film-showcase-world-premieres-of-yuqi-kangs-7-beats-per-minute-and-michael-mabbott-and-lu.html |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=www.canada.ca}} I Like Movies, and Too Much Sleep. Other credits include scores for TV series Near or Far (to be released in 2024 on CBC Gem), Black Life: Untold Stories, and original soundtrack for We Happy Few including the theme for the Lightbearer DLC.

At the 13th Canadian Screen Awards in 2025, he won the award for Best Original Music in a Documentary for his work on Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story.