
Awards & Nominations:
2019 - Hamilton Fringe Festival : Winner:
Audience Choice Award : "Diamond in the Rough"
2019 - Hamilton Spectator :Readers Choice : Nominee : Best Live Theatre : Chasing Shadows Productions
2017 -Hamilton Fringe Festival : Winner: Best of Venue : Hamilton Theatre Incorporated "Swingin' in St. John's"
2016 - Hamilton Music Awards : Nominee : Contemporary Folk Recording : "Chasing Shadows"
2008 - Sudbury's Musical Playground - Grand Prize Winner (Best Children's Song) : "Swords & Dinosaurs"
Raised in the small gold-mining town of South Porcupine, Northern Ontario, Will Gillespie is a Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Producer, Poet, Playwright, Finger-Pickin' Folk Troubadour, Raconteur, Band Leader and Actor now living in Oshawa, Durham Region, who has lived in many parts of Ontario.
His latest project "MINE! True Stories and Legends of the Porcupine Gold Rush" is a 12-song Campfire Cabaret song-cycle written in historically-inspired styles from Bluegrass to Ragtime, Concert Hall, Hot Jazz, Barrelhouse Blues, Polka, Waltzes and MORE! celebrating the lives of the unsung local heroes behind the legends of the Porcupine Gold Rush of 1909, taking the listener on a musical journey back in time to a lost world of prospectors, settlers, bootlegger-bandits, high-graders, dog-sledders, and moonshiners, telling real-life harrowing tales of adventure and perseverance from a forgotten chapter of Canadian history.
Will Gillespie is now the coordinator and facilitator of the "Music at the Museum" Emerging Artist Music Series at Theatre on the Ridge in Port Perry. He also wrote the award-winning musicals "Swingin' in St. John's" and "Diamond in the Rough" and was the lead singer and guitarist for the SALTCOATS, Old World Romance, Static & Snow and the Will Gillespie Band.
Will Gillespie is a singer-songwriter, musician and entertainer.
The classic Canadian finger-pickin' Folk troubadour, another unique, original Artist performing his own songs, in his own snazzy, jazzy, classic, timeless way.
Following in the footsteps of other great Canadian Folk Artists like Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Valdy, Gordon Lightfoot, Stan Rogers and Leonard Cohen, Will has an expansive and eclectic repertoire of his own unique original songs: from whimsical ditties to foot-stomping rockers, heart-breaking ballads and catchy singalongs, exploring Folk, Folk-Rock, Jazz, Cabaret, Blues, Waltzes, Old-Time, Rockabilly, Rock & Roll and other timeless, classic musical styles.
2008 - Northern Lights Festival Boreal Meltdown Winner
2008 - Northern Ontario Music Development Program
2020 - Hamilton Arts Awards : Nominee :
Theatre (emerging)
2024, 2023 & 2021 - Community Votes Hamilton : Platinum Winner: Best in Theatre : Chasing Shadows Productions
2024 & 2023 - Hamilton Arts Awards Nominee Short List : Creator Category
2022 - Community Votes Hamilton : Silver Winner :
Best in Theatre : Chasing Shadows Productions


Bio:
2020 - Gilded Hammer Awards : Nominee :
Groundbreaker Emerging Artist
2024 - Community Votes Hamilton : Silver Winner :
Best Entertainer: Will Gillespie

Dancing with the audience at Northern Lights Festival Boreal in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Playing "Voyageur" the famous six-string nation guitar built out of pieces of Canadian history.

The original cast of his first musical "Swingin' in St. John's" on the cover of View Magazine.

Getting the crowd moving at the Dakota Tavern in Toronto

At the Westdale Theatre in Hamilton.

At the Capitol Centre in North Bay.

In front of his "MINE! True Stories and Legends of the Porcupine Gold Rush" play poster at the Westdale Theatre in Hamilton.

TV interview in North Bay

Performing MINE! at the Westdale Theatre

At River & Sky Camping & Music Festival Beach Stage

At River Valley Bluegrass Park.

At the William Dawson Auditorium in Timmins.

Will Gillespie and Susan Robinson talking about their cross-Ontario MINE! True Stories and Legends of the Porcupine Gold Rush tour.

Another shot from the Dakota Tavern.

About to play at the Bluebird in Nashville.

At the Sound of Music Festival in Burlington.

At the Cobourg Waterfront Festival

On CHCH TV

Rockin' out at an official showcase at North By North East at the Supermarket in downtown Toronto.

Will Gillespie (second from right) at a workshop called "On the Sunny Side of the Street" at NLFB with Jackie Washington (left) and Sheesham and Lotus (centre).

Speaking of Canadian Jazz legends named Jackie that Will had the pleasure and good fortune to sing with...

The Mark Lalama Trio featuring Will Gillespie and Jackie Richardson gratefully receiving a standing ovation at BPAC.

Serenading with not one but TWO accordion players.

At the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.

Will Gillespie performing MINE!

At Northern Lights Festival Boreal

In his "Off to the Races" music video Shoot

Crooning and swooning at the Folk Music Ontario conference
Press Quotes:
"From songwriter to crooner and cabaret man to power pop genius,
Will Gillespie is always evolving his artistry"
- (Paul Loewenberg, Former Artistic Director, Northern Lights Festival Boreal)
"...Will Gillespie has a particular knack for telling imaginative Canadian stories... "
- (Steel City Girl Reviews)
"If you weren’t watching him live, you’d probably think Gillespie was playing with somebody. He slaps the strings for percussion, plucks out walking baselines, hits some beautiful riffs and arpeggios, and sometimes even manages solos – plus singing or playing harmonica."
- (Beyond James)
"Will Gillespie is a one-of-a-kind, finger-picking, old-time crooning, genuine songwriter you absolutely MUST see perform"
- (Matt Thompson)
"the soul of a modern folk jazz troubadour... a true master artist..."
- (Audio Reckoning)
"His music has the ability to speak deeply to absolutely ANYBODY"
- (Jeremy Brazeau)
-

The original Cast of "Swingin' in St. John's" in the Hamilton Spectator