David Farrell Passes

We regret to announce the passing of David Farrell. He passed away quietly Thursday, December 19, 2024 at the age of 73 in the home of Joan Ralph, his loving partner

Farrell had a long and influential career in music media. After contributing as a journalist and editor to a variety of publications in Canada and the United States, in the early 1980s he co-founded The Record. It became a crucial trade voice for the music industry in Canada over the next two decades. Shortly after founding The Record, Farrell and his collaborators The Record Conference, an annual gathering of the music industry that later became Canadian Music Week.

The Record also established the first authoritative Canadian music charts, which were also published in the Hits of the World section of Billboard. Farrell also served as a Canadian editor for Billboard and maintained a relationship with the magazine, a role that would come full circle decades later. In 2008, David Farrell founded FYI Music News, a trade newsletter supported by Farrell’s longtime friend and benefactor, music industry mogul Gary Slaight.

FYI was acquired by Billboard Canada in 2023, preserving its archives in a new home. Farrell stayed on as an editor, returning to Billboard after nearly 50 years.

“Known for his bold voice, keen insight and unrelenting dedication to storytelling, David brought authenticity and heart to every piece he wrote,” says Billboard Canada President Mo Ghoneim. “His work and influence have left an enduring legacy in Canadian media, touching the lives of many and shaping the industry he loved so deeply.

“David first joined Billboard as Music Editor in 1977, and we were fortunate to welcome him back in 2023 as part of the Billboard Canada family. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege to know him.”

Richard Trapunski, Billboard Canada’s National Editor, echoes that sentiment.

“I first met David Farrell in 2023 after Billboard Canada acquired FYI, and we became quick friends,” he says. “It could not have been easy sharing the publication he established, but you would not have known it from talking to David. He was a generous collaborator and a dedicated journalist. He was unwaveringly principled and authentic, he hated empty hyperbole, and he was never afraid to share his opinions on the Canadian music industry or its sacred cow institutions.

“Over long phone conversations, David would share his wisdom and humour, offering advice along the way. He had an unending wealth of juicy and hilarious music industry stories, but he just as often took an interest in my life. When we finally got to meet in person shortly after last year’s Billboard Canada Power Players this summer, it felt like a reunion of old pals. I’ll miss him a lot, and will work to keep his spirit alive within Billboard Canada.”

Farrell’s sister Mary Ann Farrell shared this tribute

“I've known David all my life, and he's been a big brother, a mentor, a huge pain in the ass sometimes, and one who has a unique and sometimes bizarre sense of humour… His strength was a one-on-one conversation, or a meeting of the minds; he was not one to stand on a stage and spout messages. He led by example, by interest and passion, and a belief in new voices and ideas. He was by no means perfect, but he was committed, and he made a difference."

David Farrell crossed paths with countless music industry movers and shakers over the years, and maintained decades-long friendships with many of them.

Gary Slaight offered this tribute:

“David was a good man. Not only did we have a friendship for over 50 years, but our love of music and more importantly, championing Canadian artists and our industry is what bound us together. As a matter of fact, precluding Canadian Music Week there was The Record Conference which germinated over a long extended lunch David and I had at the Spotted Dick!! We had some good laughs and occasionally some feisty conversations along the way, but my respect for him never wavered. I will miss him.”

Derrick Ross, the President of Slaight Music, also traces his friendship with David Farrell back through the years.

“I met David in 1982 when I was a musician promoting our music when he ran The Record,” he says. “Time passed and I got to know him much more during our FYI Music years. It was David's self-deprecating humour that I loved most about him. The stories he would tell and how he was placed in them always made me laugh !! It was an honour to join Gary Slaight and Neill Dixon this year with his induction into The Canadian Music Week Hall of Fame. This recognition was so deserving for all he has done to promote Canadian music.”

As Ross notes, Farrell earned the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Radiodays North America conference as part of Canadian Music Week.

“I consider myself fortunate to have had the luxury of working in a sector of the Arts that has attracted so many bright, imaginative, driven and generous individuals,” he said in his speech. “It’s been a ride the likes of which I could never have imagined.”

Farrell also wrote his own epitaph, which was published by his family:

“I lied.
There is no free buffet at the Zanzibar.
So, no free stuff, but my friends, it’s been one helluva ride!
Thank you all for the memories.
One final request, pay it forward, and do something nice for someone you don’t know!
Your best friend. DF”