Dallas Good

Dallas Good
Dallas Good (right) performing at South By Southwest 2008
Dallas Good (right) performing at South By Southwest 2008
Background information
Born(1973-05-22)May 22, 1973
Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
DiedFebruary 17, 2022(2022-02-17) (aged 48)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresIndie rock
Occupation(s)Musician, producer
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals

Dallas Good was a Canadian musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist of the alt-country rock band The Sadies. Good was a pivotal figure in the Canadian music scene, contributing to a wide range of genres, including country, rock, punk, and psychedelic music.

Early life

Good was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario into a musical family. His father, Bruce Good, was a member of the Canadian country band The Good Brothers, which influenced Dallas's musical upbringing. Dallas, along with his brother Travis Good, grew up surrounded by music, which played a significant role in shaping his future career.

For a time, Good attended Toronto's Parkdale Collegiate Institute and spent his teenager years playing in a series of punk band in and around Toronto with names like Rat Crushers and Blibber. Leaving home at 17, Good moved in with Jeff Beardall of the punk band Guilt Parade.[1]

Good soon joined that band and later, Beardall and Good formed popular Toronto indie band Satanatras, who found an audience in Toronto’s Queen Street indie rock scene in the early 1990s.[2]

The Sadies

In 1994, Good co-founded The Sadies with his brother Travis, bassist Sean Dean, and drummer Mike Belitsky. The band quickly gained a reputation for their distinctive blend of alt-country, surf rock, and garage rock, becoming a staple in the North American indie music scene. The Sadies were known for their energetic live performances, intricate musicianship, and ability to seamlessly blend genres.

The band released numerous albums throughout their career, earning critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase. Some of their most notable albums include Favourite Colours, New Seasons (album) and Darker Circles, the latter of which was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. [3]

Collaborations and Side Projects

Good was a member of several other bands outside his time with the Sadies. This includes Phono-Comb, a band he joined in the mid 1990s playing alongside members of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Half Japanese and Fifth Column (band). Good also joined Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet when the band decided to reunite in 2012, replacing the late Reid Diamond.[4]

Good had a deep friendship and musical connection with Rick White (musician), formerly of Eric's Trip. White lived with Good during the early 2000s after moving from Moncton to Toronto. Good also played with White in his band Elevator. [5] Good and White were also members of The Unintended, a band that also featured Good's three bandmates from the Sadies (Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky) plus Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo.[6] The Unintended released a set-titled album in 2004 and the Constantines Play Young / Unintended Play Lightfoot split album in 2005. The latter featured the Unintended playing four Gordon Lightfoot covers and Constantines playing four Neil Young covers.

Good was also known for his extensive collaborations with other artists across various genres during his time in the Sadies. He worked with notable musicians and bands such as Neil Young, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Gord Downie, Garth Hudson, Kurt Vile, Neko Case, Andre Williams (musician), Jad Fair, Jon Spencer and John Doe (musician). [7][8]

Good also played and recorded with Toronto hardcore legends Career Suicide (band).[9]

Shortly after Good's death in 2022, Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire announced via Instagram that he and Good had been working on an album on and off since 2008 with the working title The Watchtower. Unfinished at the time of Dallas Good's death, Parry plans to finish the album.[10]

Death and legacy

Good died unexpectedly on February 17, 2022, at the age of 48.[11] In a statement from the Sadies' label Yep Record Records, it was stated that Good died of "natural causes while under doctor’s care for a coronary illness."[12]

His death was a significant loss to the Canadian music community and to his fans worldwide. Many musicians paid tribute to Good on social media, including Patti Smith, Steve Albini, Robyn Hitchcock, Randy Bachmann, and Ron Sexsmith plus members of Billy Talent, Barenaked Ladies, The Jayhawks, Arcade Fire, Blue Rodeo, and Junkhouse.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ Barclay, Michael (2022). "Hearts on Fire: Six Years That Changed Canadian Music 2000-2005 (book)". Google Books. ISBN 978-1-77305-904-4. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  2. ^ Khanna, Vish (2022-02-17). "Remembering Dallas Good of the Sadies: The Heart of a Music Scene". Exclaim.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  3. ^ "Polaris Music Prize - Your 2010 Short List". PolarisMusicPrize.ca. 2010-06-27. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  4. ^ Morgan, Jacob (2012-07-03). "Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Perform "Musical Interlude". Exclaim.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  5. ^ "Ep. #889: Rick White and The Sadies". Kreative Kontrol. July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Schneider, Jason (2012-07-03). "The Unintended Take Elevator To The Country". Exclaim.com. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  7. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (2022-02-18). "Dallas Good, the Sadies' Singer-Guitarist, Dead at 48". RollingStone.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  8. ^ Doole, Kerry (2022-02-20). "Dallas Good, Singer and Guitarist of The Sadies, Dies at 48". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  9. ^ Khanna, Vish (2013-08-25). "Watch Dallas Good Join Career Suicide Onstage in Toronto". Exclaim.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  10. ^ Hudson, Alex (2022-02-18). "Richard Reed Parry Confirms He Produced a New Sadies Album, Due Out This Spring". Exclaim.com. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  11. ^ Glasner, Eli (2022-02-18). "Dallas Good of The Sadies dead at 48". CBC.ca. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  12. ^ "Remembering The Sadies' Dallas Good". YepRockRecords.com. 2012-02-18. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  13. ^ Doole, Kerry (2022-02-20). "Dallas Good, Singer and Guitarist of The Sadies, Dies at 48". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2024-07-31.