Randy’s love of music started before he was born. His mother was working in the Canadian music industry and left when she was pregnant with Randy.

While his peers were using their spending money on cigarettes, Randy spent his on records. The downtown record stores, Massey Hall, O’Keefe Centre, The Masonic Temple (The Rock Pile), Maple Leaf Gardens and any and all the free concerts at City Hall or High Park… these were his paradise. Before he was out of his teens, he had more albums and had attended more concerts than most adults.

His summer jobs were in the music industry, as was his first job after school, and he never left until he retired. The expression “follow your passion and you will never work a day in your life” describes his career perfectly.

The common thread in all his relationships was music. He had no greater pleasure than sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of music with his friends. If you couldn’t remember a song title or artist, he was your guy.

The Randy Sharrard Band Aid Fund was established in 2017 to pass on Randy's love of music and provide ongoing support and inspiration for years to come. As we move in to 2024, the fund continues to grow thanks to the generosity and support of many people who cared deeply for Randy. The fund has now raised $170,155. This impact is nothing short of incredible.

MusiCounts is Canada's music education charity and just like Randy, MusiCounts understands how music transforms people's lives. Music gave Randy so much, providing him with a soundtrack to life's celebrations and encouragement through its toughest times. Sharing music with others was always such an important part of Randy's life.

Randy loved to share his passions with others, with no passion stronger than his love of music. He was always excited to share an album or a fact or a piece of memorabilia related to something he cared about.

In the afterglow of the Olympics, I would like to share a story about how this continues to this day.

Randy was a collector and Coca-Cola items were one of the things he collected. He had a Coca-Cola 1996 Atlanta Olympics tracksuit that he’d kept for years. This year, a friend who works for CBC Sports was part of a team working at the Paris 2024 Olympics. They were asked to wear their best hip hop tracksuit in honour of the new sport of "breaking." Yep, she brought out the jacket from the tracksuit that I’d passed along to her. She was the envy of her co-workers, most of whom are younger than the jacket.

This wasn’t just an example of Randy sharing his passions, it was also an example tied to music, which made it even more meaningful.

Let’s honour Randy by supporting music education that is inclusive, sustainable, and accessible for youth across Canada.

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