Paul Mason

(Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals)

Paul played his first professional gig at the age of 11, in a dancehall in West London, England, not far from where he was born. At the age of 13, he was banished to a boarding school. There he joined the school "jazz" band Aftermath, which played at school concerts and dances, including the regular dance with neighbouring girls’ school Benenden (where Princess Anne was a student at the time). In his mid teens, Paul sang with Club Med dance bands in various villages in Europe during the summer holidays – here pictured with Les Showmen at Al Hoceima in Morocco. On leaving school (to no one’s surprise he was expelled), he joined a project called Julian Kirsch which released a single called “Clever Little Man” and was featured on Top of the Pops. 

There followed a hiatus of almost eight years in which Paul rarely picked up a guitar. He became involved in the family insurance brokerage business and travelled to the US to take an MBA at Cornell, where he sang in the University barbershop group Cayuga's Waiters. He then immigrated to Canada, and started to study at the Royal Conservatory of Music with teachers Rick Summers for guitar and Art Levine for musicianship. His return to a musical career took the form of a full season with a Club Med dance band, followed by a stint as a single folk artist playing downtown Toronto bars, with a residency at The Gregory at Bay and Adelaide.

Paul then entered the Jazz program at Humber College, where he majored in guitar, voice and composition, and supported himself by giving private lessons in classical and folk guitar. There followed several years of playing with Top 40 bands such as Impact and Sound Policy, touring the province and reaching as far east as New Brunswick. However, life on the road with a large sound system and light show quickly palled and Paul formed Barnaby Rudge, a duo with fellow Humber alumnus Jan Albert. The duo stayed in town and played local bars – and made much more money! A second duo followed: Full House with Steve McCullough.

Handling lead vocals as well as lead guitar, Paul fronted New Toys (the caricature is by Disney artist Peter Emslie), as well as the One-Step Dance band with Christian Bechard, which played R&B standards on the Chick'n Deli circuit, and fielded a seven-piece "Hollywood" version of the band for gigs like the Sheraton's Sky Lounge. He also began to take on music theatre roles, being featured in David Warrack's childrens' musicals at the Limelight Theatre and Stage West, and playing the lead role of Fredrik in Sondheim's A Little Night Music, for which he received a THEA award. The swashbuckling picture is from Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance.

By now he had begun to study classical voice, and teacher Mark DuBois encouraged him to accept a job as tenor section lead at St. George's United Church, where he sang for several years. During this period he also performed with Tafelmusik. Royal Conservatory Examiner Paul Coates was his most significant vocal influence, guiding him through the Singing Teacher's ARCT. 

Paul now spends his time teaching voice, guitar, theory and ear training to more than 30 students at his private studio, covering styles from rock to opera and everything in between – mirroring his own performing career. His website is www.paulmason.com. He loves playing bass, loves singing harmony, loves being with Fossil Fuel – and hopes you like it too!