With his rare gift of communicating “good-getting-older” life experiences into memorable songs and humorous stories, Bill Usher creates an evening in the theatre that brings the generations together in a head-nodding appreciation of those universal truths that happen in families as some grow up while others grow old.

Bill Usher has played on stage and recorded with several festival’s worth of well-known artists including Bruce Cockburn, Ronnie Hawkins, Valdy, Marc Jordan, Irish Rovers, and Stan Rogers. Along the way he’s produced 60 albums and received numerous Gold and Platinum records for his efforts.

He won his third Juno in the mid ‘80s for his musical story album DRUMS!, performing it hundreds of times in every Canadian province. Then along came Lover, Father, Husband, Son, Baby Boomer with a Drum! a theatrical musical of family life that toured the Fringe circuit.

Over the years, Bill emerged as a songwriter, releasing two albums with his band The Space Heaters while performing at Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD festival and big and small communities across Canada. He has developed a rare gift of communicating an elder’s perspective that is not common in today’s indie folk/pop music by crafting lyrics that are direct in expressing matters of the heart sung upon melodies that are simply beautiful.

Bill put together the original Space Heaters in the late 1980s. Many fine Canadian musicians including Phil Dwyer, Don Francks, Kevin Breit have been a Space Heater! The current version features:

Steve Briggs Steve has played with Bill for over 20 years and with Canadian greats like Russell de Carle, Sylvia Tyson and Quartette, Carol Baker, Murray McLauchlan. Steve leads his own band The BeBop Cowboys and is in high demand as a session guitarist in Toronto.

Holly Hyatt hailing from Winlaw in the Slocan Valley, Holly is a regular on the West Kootenay music scene with her own bluesy band and Holly & Jon. https://www.hollyhyatt.com/

Paul Pigat: aka Cousin Harley, Paul’s been named by one guitar magazine the greatest rockabilly guitar player! Hailing from Vancouver Paul not only tours with his own bands but with many other singer songwriters, folks like Jim Byrnes. http://paulpigat.com/

Moving west in the early 2000s, Bill paused touring in 2006 to devote his time to developing Kicking Horse Culture and making community in Golden, BC. In 2024, he’s coming back out with The Space Heaters with his “Good-Getting-Older Songs & Stories” show.