Juno award-winning band, filmmaker newest additions to Arts Walk of Fame in Brampton
Published March 12, 2024 at 10:00 am
A platinum-record-selling band and an award-winning filmmaker are the latest to artists to get the gold star treatment in Brampton.
This Friday marks the first half of the 2024 Brampton Arts Walk of Fame ceremony at City Hall, with both The Carlton Showband and filmmaker Vinay Virmani making this year’s list.
Made up of Irishmen living in Brampton, The Carlton Showband was a three-time Juno Award-nominated act formed in 1963 that went on to have regular appearances on TV and had a platinum-certified record in 1977.
The band was a mainstay on CTV’s The Pig and Whistle program. The Carlton Showband also won a Juno Award for Country Group or Duo of the Year in 1975, and was nominated two more times in the same category in 1980 and 1981.
With a career spanning more than 30 years, the band hasn’t regularly performed in more than a decade as most of the founding members are deceased.
“Our journey throughout our music career started in the place we all call home, and we are grateful for the support and inspiration that this city has provided,” Showband member Mitch McCoy said in a release. “This induction is not just a personal achievement but a celebration of the artistic spirit that defines our beloved community.”
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The second addition to the Walk of Fame this year is actor and filmmaker Vinay Virmani, who studied at New York’s Lee Strasberg Institute. Some of his work has a decidedly Canadian and Brampton bent, including WICK: The Hayley Wickenheiser Story (a documentary about the Brampton-born Olympic hockey champion) and Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story (following the Toronto Raptor’s super fan’s inspiring journey to becoming a local celebrity).
He is also a partner and CCO at Uninterrupted Canada, and founder of First Take Entertainment, allowing Virmani “to connect global audiences with captivating narratives that transcend cultural barriers.”
“Diversity and diverse stories are synonymous with Brampton,” Virmani said. “I hope that my induction into the Arts Walk of Fame is a source of inspiration for other creators from diverse backgrounds to continue pursuing their passions in the arts and empower them to keep telling their stories.”
While the Showband will be inducted on Friday, the city will celebrate Virmani’s addition to the Walk of Fame for National Film Day on April 17.
Virmani and The Carlton Showband will join 23 past inductees including Rupi Kaur, Russell Peters and Denise Jones when they are inducted into the Brampton Arts Walk of Fame on Friday. And as part of Brampton’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the city will also unveil a Brampton Arts Walk of Fame exhibit at The Rose Theatre later in the year for Brampton residents and visitors to see.
For more information about events for the 2024 Brampton Arts Walk of Fame visit www.brampton.ca.
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