Gary Borden is in the house!! I knew Gary was an amazingly talented musician with a hustle like no other. What I didn’t know about Gary was what an incredibly kind soul he is. From our first conversation on the phone, I knew we were going to have a great discussion on creativity, the entertainment industry, process, and matters of the heart.
One of my favourite moments of the interview was listening to Gary talk about his brother and how he valued their relationship and considered him to be his mentor as a musician. Truly inspiring and heartwarming episode on Cue To Cue this week!
Come join the conversation! Have a listen!
A little About Gary:
Born in Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada, Gary was the youngest of three children. His family later moved to Dryden Ontario, where he attended Dryden High School. His parents were both musicians and started the family band “The Bordens”.
Being the son of musicians, music was one of Gary’s earliest passions. By the time Gary was 8 years old he was drumming in the Borden band and a few years later they released their first album. Gary started playing guitar at age 15. Some of his early influences include Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Jeff Beck, Brian May, and Albert Lee.
His formal education included studies at G.I.T. in Hollywood, California and after graduating, Gary moved to the Toronto area, where he began to establish a career as a freelance musician. Gary is a talented songwriter and producer. He has written music for many film and t.v. shows and has produced songs and albums for indie artists to Sony Nashville Songwriters.
Gary won second place in an international guitar playing contest sponsored by Fender/G.I.T./Eric Clapton.
He has also hosted instructional seminars supported by Boss/Roland and Charvell Jackson Guitars.
Gary has played live with artists such as TORONTO, Sass Jordan, HELIX, The Guess Who, Ray Lyell And the Storm. He has also shared the stage with Johny Lang,Tanya Tucker, Humble Pie, Rascal Flatts, Barbara Mandrell, Loverboy, Eddie Money, Gowan, Lonestar ,Brian White, LeAnn Rimes, Nazareth, April Wine, Peter Frampton, Honeymoon Suite, Headpins, Platinum Blonde, David Wilcox, Stampeders, Doc Walker, The Roadhammers, Grand Funk, Lee Aron, Lighthouse, Harlequin, The Kings,Sloan,Trooper, and Phil Naro.
Gary's original project Blood of VanGogh (BOVG) is named after his great-great-uncle Vincent VanGogh.
BOVG received incredible reviews from around the world after their debut album was released in 2013.
After a lineup change, Blood of VanGogh has been releasing their second album one song at a time, with video.
In 2018, the first video single “LIES” featuring Ronny Munroe (Metal Church, Trans Siberian Orchestra) was selected by ten Film Festivals, receiving Gold, Silver, Award of Acknowledgement. Expect to hear more special collaborations on the next singles…
The instrumental album “Chasing A Dream” on which he collaborated with Nashville drummer Rory Faciane was released in 2015 by Tangerine Music Group. The album consists of 8 tracks and is available on itunes.
Gary continues to be an in-demand studio and live musician and is currently recording and writing for numerous projects.
Connect with Gary!
Facebook: Gary Borden
Instagram: @vangoghblood
Twitter: @vangoghblood
