Lori Yates

Early career:
Lori Yates early music career was with Toronto-area bands such as The Last Resorts (new wave/punk) and Rang Tango (cowpunk/alternative country).


Yates became a Nashville-based artist on the Columbia Records Nashville label. Her debut album Can't Stop the Girl was released worldwide in 1989. She was nominated for a Juno Award in 1990 as Best Female Country Vocalist, and was also nominated for a CCMA Award. She toured with such artists as Big Sugar, Steve Earle, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Dwight Yoakam. Co-writers during this time included Guy Clark, Don Schlitz and Matraca Berg.

Yates recorded the duet "Brother To Brother" with Gregg Allman for his album No Stranger to the Dark: The Best of Gregg Allman and on the soundtrack to the Patrick Swayze film Next Of Kin.

She later signed with Virgin Music Canada and released her second album Breaking Point in 1994, a collection of roots, rock and soul. Rick Danko (The Band) and Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo) appeared as guest vocalists. The album was produced by Colin Linden and John Whynot. She later toured with Blue Rodeo, Jann Arden, Colin James and Faith Hill. In 1996, Yates released her second Virgin Music Canada album Untogether, a complete musical departure into melodic trip-hop with Toronto's Opium Concepts.

During this time period, she also contributed vocals to numerous songs for the gothic-oriented sci-fi television show Forever Knight, eight of which later appeared on the series' two soundtrack volumes.

In 1998, Yates formed Hey Stella! with bassist Bazil Donovan of Blue Rodeo, David Baxter and Michelle Josef. The band remains active following the released of their 1999 self-titled CD.

She moved to Hamilton, Ontario with her family 5 years ago, where she produced the 2007 album The Book of Minerva with artists such as Bazil Donovan, Justin Rutledge and Tom Wilson.

She won "Songwriter of the Year" and Alternative Country Recording of the Year" at the 2007 Hamilton Music Awards on 18 November 2007.[1]

She currently plays with Brian Griffith,(Daniel Lanois) and Pete Sisk (Good Brothers), and honky-tonk band The Nashville Rejects (Steve Miller, Ted Hawkins). She runs a songwriting workshop - Mystic Salon. Yates is working a novel and a stand-up routine.