Tom Jackson (actor)
Tom Jackson | |
|---|---|
 Tom Jackson, 2012 | |
| Born | 27 October 1948 One Arrow Reserve, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Occupation | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
Thomas Dale Jackson, OC (born 27 October 1948), is a Canadian-born actor and singer perhaps best known for the annual series of Christmas concerts, called the Huron Carole, which he created and starred in for 18 years. He was the Chancellor of Trent University from 2009 until 2013. His best known television roles are Billy Twofeathers on Shining Time Station and Peter Kenidi on North of 60.
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Life and career[edit]
Tom Jackson was born to Rose, a Cree, and Marshall, an Englishman, on the One Arrow Reserve, Saskatchewan near Batoche. He moved with his family to Namao, Alberta at age seven. They moved again to Winnipeg, Manitoba when he was fourteen. A year later, he dropped out of high school and lived on the streets for several years.
As an actor, he has starred in television shows such as North of 60 and Shining Time Station where his character Billy Twofeathers debuted in its Halloween episode Scare Dares, and made a guest appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation in the season seven episode Journey's End. His films include The Diviners. He also starred in Grizzly Falls, in 1999. His film career remains active with his appearance in the 2007 horror thriller, Skinwalkers. He is set to appear in acclaimed director Sidney J. Furie's next feature, Pride of Lions, as Sergeant Robinson.[1]
He has also released several albums of country and folk music.[2]
He now resides in Calgary with his wife Alison (née Jones) and four children.
Philanthropy[edit]
A well-known philanthropist, Jackson created an annual series of Christmas concerts called the Huron Carole. Featuring Jackson and numerous other Canadian singers and performers, the Huron Carole troupe travels across the country each year, raising money for the Canadian Association of Food Banks. An album of Christmas songs recorded to tie-in with the tour is an annual best seller in Canada. After 17 years, Jackson retired the Huron Carole and in its place launched Singing for Supper, a cross-Canada tour that plays smaller community venues raising money and gifts of food, during the 2005 Christmas season.
After "North of 60" cast member Mervin Good Eagle committed suicide in October 1996, Tom started the Dreamcatcher Tour.
In the spring of 1997 Jackson's home town was bracing for "the flood of the century" that had already put towns south of the US/Canada border under water. Jackson was instrumental in organizing flood relief concerts across the nation (Calgary, Winnipeg).[citation needed]
Honours and decorations[edit]
Jackson has been honoured several times for his life's work. Most notably, in 2000, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and is a former member of the Order of Canada Advisory Council. He has been nominated for Juno Awards and Gemini Awards. He has also received honours from several Canadian universities, including honorary degrees from the University of Calgary, Trent University and the University of Lethbridge. He also received the Humanitarian Award at the 2007 Juno Awards due to his charitable efforts.[3] In May 2014, Jackson received a Governor General's Performing Arts Award (GGPAA) for his lifetime contributions to Canadian broadcasting. At the Gala honouring GGPAA recipients on May 10, Jackson took to the National Arts Centre stage to perform one of his songs.[4]
On 14 April 2009, Jackson was announced as the tenth chancellor for Trent University.[5] Jackson held this position until 2013.
| Canadian medals, orders, and decorations | Ribbon Bar | Year bestowed |
|---|---|---|
| Officer of the Order of Canada | _ribbon_bar.png){kind=small} | 2000 |
| 125 Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal |  | 1992 |
| Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |  | 2002 |
| Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal |  | 2012 |
| Saskatchewan Centennial Medal |  | 2005 |
| Alberta Centennial Medal |  | 2005 |
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Spirit Bay | Will | TV Series (1 Episode) |
| 1986 | Loyalties | Eddy | Nominated–Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role |
| 1988 | Martha, Ruth & Edie | Morrie | |
| Street Legal | Geordie Roberts | TV Series (1 Episode) | |
| 1989–1990 | The Campbells | Five Claws | TV Series (2 Episodes) |
| 1991–1995 | Shining Time Station | Billy Twofeathers | Main role; TV Series |
| 1991 | Clearcut | Tom Starblanket | |
| 1992–1997 | North of 60 | Peter Kenidi | Main role; TV Series Nominated–Gemini Award for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1995, 1996, 1998) |
| 1993 | Spirit Rider | Albert St. Clair | TV Movie |
| Medicine River | Harlen Bigbear | TV Movie | |
| The Diviners | Jules | TV Movie Nominated–Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series | |
| 1994 | Street Legal | David Cormier | TV Series (2 Episodes) |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation | Lakanta | TV Series (1 Episode) | |
| 1995 | Great Canadian Ghost Stories | Host | |
| 500 Nations | voice | TV Miniseries | |
| 1996 | The Adventures of Shirley Holmes | Mac | TV Series (1 Episode) |
| 1999 | Grizzly Falls | Joshua McTavish | |
| 2000 | Trial by Fire | Peter Kenidi | TV Movie |
| Longhouse Tales | Hector Longhouse | Main Role; TV Series | |
| 2001 | Dream Storm | Peter Kenidi | TV Movie |
| 2002 | Tom Stone | Ray Swiftwater | TV Series (1 Episode) |
| Relic Hunter | Bobby Green | TV Series (1 Episode) | |
| 2005 | Mee-Shee: The Water Giant | Custer | |
| Distant Drumming: A North of 60 Mystery | Peter Kenidi | TV Movie | |
| 2006 | Skinwalkers | Will | |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Chief Johnson | TV Series (1 Episode) | |
| 2007 | Little Mosque on the Prairie | Professor Crakle | TV Series (1 Episode) |
| 2011 | Befriend and Betray | Guy Poirier | TV Movie |
| 2012 | Deadfall | Old Indian Hunter | |
| 2014 | The Dependables | Sgt. Robinson | |
| The Best Laid Plans | George | TV Series (2 Episodes) | |
| 2018 | Cardinal | Lloyd Kreeger | TV Series (4 Episodes) |
| 2019 | Cold Pursuit | White Bull |
Discography[edit]
Albums[edit]
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Sally Ann |
| Love, Lust and Longing | |
| 1994 | No Regrets |
| 1997 | Home This Christmas |
| That Side of the Window | |
| 2001 | I Will Bring You Near |
| 2006 | Singing for Supper on Tour |
| 2011 | ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime |
| 2015 | Ballads Not Bullets |
| 2018 | The Essential |
Singles[edit]
| Year | Single | CAN Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "No Regrets" | 43 | No Regrets |
| 1995 | "Few and Far Between" | 47 | |
| "Humble Me" | |||
| 1997 | "Dance with the Devil" | That Side of the Window | |
| 1998 | "Before the Owl Calls My Name" | ||
| "That Side of the Window" | |||
| 2002 | "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" | I Will Bring You Near | |
| 2011 | "The Gift" | `Twas in the Moon of Wintertime | |
| 2015 | "Blue Water" | Ballads Not Bullets |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
 | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (March 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) |
- ^ "Pride of Lions". at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Brown, Jane. "Aboriginal Faces of Saskatchewan - Tom Jackson". Saskatchewan Sage - April 1998 - pg. 6. Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre. Archived from the original on 24 February 2001. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
- ^ "[1]". External link in
|title=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help)"Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2009.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link) (46.2 KiB) - ^ "Tom Jackson". Governor General's Performing Arts Awards. Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
- ^ "Admissions Content".
External links[edit]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Roberta Bondar | Chancellor of Trent University 2009-2013 | Succeeded by Don Tapscott |
- 1948 births
- Canadian male film actors
- Canadian male television actors
- Canadian folk singers
- Canadian male singers
- Canadian humanitarians
- Chancellors of Trent University
- First Nations male actors
- First Nations musicians
- Living people
- Officers of the Order of Canada
- Métis musicians
- Cree people
- Canadian people of English descent
- Male actors from Calgary
- Male actors from Winnipeg
- Male actors from Saskatchewan
- Musicians from Calgary
- Musicians from Saskatchewan
- Musicians from Winnipeg
- Canadian Métis people
- Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners
- Indspire Awards
- 20th-century Canadian guitarists
- 21st-century Canadian guitarists
- 20th-century Canadian singers
- 21st-century Canadian singers
- Canadian country guitarists
- Canadian folk guitarists
- Canadian male guitarists
- Canadian country singers
- 20th-century male singers
- 21st-century male singers