Jian Ghomeshi

Jian Ghomeshi was born on June 9, 1967, in London, England, to Iranian parents. His family moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1974, eventually settling in Thornhill, Ontario. He attended York University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in women’s studies in 1995. His early career was rooted in music; in 1983, he co-founded the new wave band Tall New Buildings. Later, alongside Murray Foster, Mike Ford, and Dave Matheson, he formed the folk-pop band Moxy Früvous in 1989. The band achieved significant recognition, releasing eight albums and selling over 500,000 copies in Canada and the United States. Their debut independent EP in 1992 sold over 50,000 copies, achieving gold status in Canada. The debut album, “Bargainville,” went platinum in Canada in 1994. Ghomeshi also released a solo EP, “The First 6 Songs,” in 2001.

Ghomeshi transitioned into broadcasting in 2002, becoming the host of CBC Newsworld’s “Play,” an arts program that ran for three seasons and won a Gemini Award. He also hosted CBC Radio One programs, “50 Tracks” (2004), “50 Tracks: The Canadian Version” (2005), and “The National Playlist” (2005–2006). His most notable broadcasting role was as the host of “Q” on CBC Radio One, which he co-created and hosted from April 16, 2007, to October 26, 2014. Under his leadership, “Q” became the highest-rated program in its time slot in CBC history, reaching over 2.5 million listeners weekly in Canada and 550,000 in the U.S. by 2013. He interviewed numerous high-profile figures, including Woody Allen, Paul McCartney, and Jay-Z.

In 2012, Ghomeshi published his memoir, “1982,” which became a Canadian bestseller. He also managed musical artists through his company, Wonderboy Entertainment, notable among them being Lights, who won a Juno Award for Best New Artist during their collaboration. His career at CBC ended in October 2014, amidst allegations that led to his arrest and trial on sexual assault charges, of which he was acquitted in 2016. Since 2020, he has been the executive producer and host of “Roqe,” an English-language podcast for the Iranian diaspora.