2004 Presenter Full Presenter List

Jimmy Bowskill

Guitarist / Singer / Songwriter

He’s the recipient of the 2004 Indie Award for Best Blues Artist and has played with legends Jeff Healey and the Downchild Blues Band. Colin James called him “the most natural singer I’ve ever heard.” His debut CD, Old Soul, received rave reviews, and in the past year and a half, he’s played a whirlwind of gigs and festivals, from The Montreal Jazz Festival to the Mike Bullard Show. The most amazing thing about Bowskill though, is his age – he’s only 13.

Bowskill started busking outside Healey’s (the Toronto nightclub owned by Jeff Healey) at the age of 11. He was invited in to jam, and the rest is history. As The Globe and Mail wrote recently, “…when you watch Bowskill perform you will feel that he has been down and out before, worked on a chain gang or two, maybe busted out of jail.” Inspired by the late, great Robert Johnson, Bowskill is a self-taught musician. As well as being a singer, songwriter and guitar player, Bowskill also plays the harmonica, penny whistle and Hammond B3 organ.