They were iconic players many looked up to. They were music titans larger than life. And so they shall be again.
Toronto's Downtown Yonge BIA announced plans for a 70-metre high mural that will celebrate the strip's musical heritage of the 1950s and '60s, with the likenesses of Oscar Peterson, Muddy Waters, Gordon Lightfoot, Glenn Gould, Ronnie Hawkins, Jackie Shane, B.B. King and Club Bluenote notables Shirley Matthews and Dianne Brooks.
The totem mural will be painted by artist Adrian Hayles, whose proposal was enhanced with a smartphone application that will allow for melodious interaction by passersby. The 22-storey fresco will also include images of fabled venues Massey Hall and Le Coq d'Or, and is expected to be completed by November, just in time for Lightoot's four-night stint at Massey.