Richard Flohil heads a small, but extremely busy, music publicity and promotion company. After more than three decades of work in the music industry in Canada, he is understandably quite well known. Despite that, some people want to know more about him.
Here's the resume:
1934 Born in the UK (Dutch and English parents)
Private school education
1950-1953 Trainee apprentice reporter, Yorkshire Evening Press
1954 Winner: Westminster Press Junior Reporter of the Year
1953-1957 Feature writer: Bradford Telegraph & Argus, Yorkshire Observer; chief reporter, Selby Gazette & Herald
1957 First publicity work: John Barry Seven
Emigrated to Canada, April
1957-1965 Editor, Canadian Woodworker, Electrical Contracting &
Maintenance, Furniture & Furnishings Daily, Industrial Sales
Promotion, freelance trade paper writing
1965-1970 Partner: Concept Associates Public Relations (clients included NCR Business Machinery, Chubb Safe, Mariposa Folk Festival)
1970 Formed Richard Flohil & Associates
Richard Flohil & Associates handles publicity/PR for a variety of music industry clients, including record companies, events, concert tours, individual artists. It also handles concert promotions and club gigs, and Flohil continues to undertake writing and editing work. Among dozens of clients over more than 30 years, one could include the following:
Record company publicity - Stony Plain Records 1980 - present, Evolver Records (Stacey Earle, Sarah Jane Morris projects), NorthernBlues/Borealis Records (Lightfoot tribute project), Isadora Records (Serena Ryder), Alert Records (Roxanne Potvin)
Concert promotions - Muddy Waters, Ry Cooder, Miles Davis, Stephane Grappelli, Benny Goodman, John Prine, k.d. Lang, B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and countless others. Currently promotes some 20 shows per year in various clubs, most notably Hugh's Room, The Rivoli, and Jeff Healey's Roadhouse.
Tour publicity - Nana Mouskouri, Eric Idle, Billy Connolly, David Crosby, Ian Tyson, James Keelaghan, Martyn Joseph, Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart
Public relations clients - Canadian Country Music Association, 1990-2000
Events - Southern Comfort Blues Featival, 1990-1993, JVC Jazz Festival 1996-2001, Mariposa Folk Festival (1965-1962, 1988-1992), CMW 2000, 2001, 2002,Watershed Festivals 1999-02
Previous publicity clients - k.d. Lang, Colin James, The Irish Descendants, Laura Smith, James Keelaghan, and countless others.
Ongoing publicity clients include - Downchild Blues Band (37 years), Stony Plain Records (27 years), Loreena McKennitt (20 years), Serena Ryder (four years), Justin Rutledge (three years), Paul Reddick (four years), Roxanne Potvin (three years).
Memberships - Toronto Blues Society, North American Folk Alliance, Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, SOCAN, CARAS.
1980 - 1997 Founding Editor, review editor, feature writer, The Record
2002 - 2007 Editor, writer, Applaud! magazine
There's no quick way to sum up so much - and so varied - work and experience. Flohil has also contributed sleeve notes to more than 100 albums/CDs released in Canada and/or the United States; written dozens of bios for artists; been a guest lecturer both at Trebas and, more frequently, the Harris Institute for the Arts; acted as keynote speaker/panelist at dozens of industry events from Vancouver to St. John's. He was, briefly, a radio DJ (Q107 Toronto, until he played an Anne Murray record), and is frequently heard/seen on radio and TV as an "expert" with a quick sound-bite. With graphic designer Michael Wrycraft, he presents an interactive "trivia quiz and game show" at folk festivals in Canada, and, in 2005, the United States. As an ongoing resource, he has 11,000 vinyl and CD recordings in his living room, his office, the bedroom, and the bathroom....
