Twenty-five years ago, when The Rankin Family disbanded, Jimmy Rankin walked out of one of the most successful chapters in Canadian music and stepped into the unknown…

After ten years as principal songwriter, player and vocalist with one of Canada’s most beloved groups — with multi-platinum albums, international tours and six Junos behind them — the songs were still coming. But they were different now: a little rougher around the edges, more personal, raw and edgy.

“I had all this creative energy bottled up,” says Rankin. “After a decade with The Rankin Family, I was writing for myself, playing with new sounds, and finding my own voice.”

That grand experiment became Song Dog.

Recorded in 2000 at Great Big Music in Toronto with producer Tim Thorney, the album drew from everywhere Jimmy had been — Cape Breton, Nashville, the road, the Rankin years — and turned it into something fresh. Folk, country, Celtic, Americana and rock all found their way into the mix, but the result was unmistakably Jimmy: gritty, melodic, deeply rooted, and completely his own.
Released in 2001 on EMI, Song Dog quickly became a defining moment in Rankin’s career. “Followed Her Around” lit up country radio, the video found heavy rotation, and Jimmy hit the road with the Song Dog Band, building a new following while bringing longtime Rankin Family fans with him.

The album went on to rack up serious recognition: an ECMA Album of the Year win, a CCMA win, two Juno nods, a SOCAN #1 radio play award, and multiple ECMA wins for singles and videos.
Now, for the first time, Jimmy is bringing Song Dog back to the stage and performing the album live in its entirety. The Song Dog 25th Anniversary Tour celebrates the landmark album that launched his solo career, performed front to back, along with favourites from across Jimmy’s celebrated catalogue. For longtime fans, it’s a chance to hear the record that changed everything. For new fans, it’s the perfect introduction to the voice, songs and stories that have made Jimmy Rankin one of Canada’s most enduring artists.