Rik Emmett

Richard Gordon Emmett, born on July 10, 1953, in Toronto, Ontario, began his musical journey at an early age, learning guitar as a left-handed individual taught right-handed. His professional career commenced in 1973 with the glam-rock band Justin Paige. Following this initial experience, he moved to form the progressive rock trio Act III. A pivotal moment occurred in the summer of 1975 when Emmett co-founded the high-octane rock trio Triumph, where he served as lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist. This period saw Triumph achieve significant commercial success, including multiple platinum albums and securing Emmett’s position in the Canadian Rock Hall of Fame.

After a successful tenure with Triumph, Emmett left the band in 1988 to pursue a solo career. His debut solo album, “Absolutely,” released in 1990, yielded moderate hits like “When a Heart Breaks,” “Big Lie,” and “Saved by Love.” Throughout his career, Emmett has demonstrated a broad musical range, incorporating rock, blues, jazz, classical, bluegrass, and flamenco into his playing and songwriting. He continued to release solo projects, including a guitar trilogy featuring classical, jazz, and blues influences. His albums from this period include “Invitations,” “Swing Shift,” and “Raw Quartet.” In 2005, he received the Canadian Smooth Jazz Award for Guitarist of the Year, further highlighting his versatility.

Beyond his performance career, Emmett has been involved in music education and journalism. He was a long-time columnist for Guitar Player magazine and is an instructor for songwriting and music business at Humber College in Toronto. He also co-launched the Songstudio Songwriting Workshop with Blair Packham. In 2007, Emmett, along with former Triumph bandmates Gil Moore and Mike Levine, was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. The following year, Triumph was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2008 JUNO Awards. He formed the duo Strung-Out Troubadours with guitarist Dave Dunlop, earning ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Group/Duo of the Year’ at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards in 2007. In 2024, Emmett publicly shared that he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. He plans to embark on “The Rock & Roll Machine Reloaded” tour with Triumph in April 2026 for their 50th anniversary.