Biography

Brian Cook is a Canadian musician. He was born in Winnipeg in 1953 and grew up in Vancouver, Canada. He studied classical piano from age 6, but after hearing pop and rock music on the radio at age 13 he got an electric guitar and with a few friends from high school started a local rock band. However, by age 16 he had fallen in love with acoustic guitar music, particularly the music of British folk artists Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and American blues artists Mississippi John Hurt and Ry Cooder. A few years later Brian was writing and performing his solo guitar music at coffee houses throughout Vancouver.

Throughout the 1970s Brian taught acoustic guitar at Bill Lewis Music, a well-known music school in Vancouver while continuing to write and perform solo guitar music. In 1979 he recorded an album of guitar music, titled “Solo Guitar #1”. This recording blended his love of classical music with his love for acoustic folk and blues.

In 1981 A&M Records Canada invited Brian to record the album, “Spring Celebration” in Toronto, combining his guitar pieces with orchestra. Throughout the ‘80s playing guitar took him to Toronto, New York and London. In 1993, while in London, he wrote and recorded an album of quiet, introspective acoustic guitar music, titled “Solo Guitar #2”.

In 1999 Brian became a father, and his music shifted to writing songs for his kids. In 2023 he recorded an album of his children’s songs, titled “Songs for Kids”. Brian lives in Vancouver, where he currently performs regularly at Family Centres and events for children.