EMSDALE, ON (CelebrityAccess) – Canadian singer/songwriter, activist, and painter Joe Mendelson passed away Thursday (February 7) at his home in Emsdale, Ontario Canada. The news of his death was confirmed via his wife Karen Robinson. Mendelson chose a medically assisted death following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 78.
Mendelson’s friend Robert Priest posted on Twitter this message he received from Robinson. “Sincere condolences to his partner Karen Robinson … She sent me an email that said this. ‘Joe had a peaceful ending yesterday just as planned. He was fittingly surrounded by a bevy of warm and compassionate women. And now Joe is released from the worsening imprisonment of his body by Parkinson’s… Thank goodness for the version of MAID (Track 2) that allows the person themselves to determine their own threshold for insufferable reduced quality of life.'”
Born Birrell Josef Mendelson in Toronto in 1944, Mendelson was a self-taught guitarist at age 11. He began his career as a blues musician in the early 1960s, performing as Joe Mendelson before joining up with guitarist Mike McKenna to form McKenna Mendelson Mainline. Along with bassist Mike Harrison and drummer Tony Nolasco, they released their first album, Stink in 1969. After three more releases with the band, Mendelson left to pursue a solo career.
In 1979 he released Not Homogenised under the moniker Mendelson Joe. During this 80s era, he recorded with the likes of Colin Linden (guitar), Bruce Moffett (drummer) of Prairie Oyster, and the Shuffle Demons, among others. 1988 saw the release of Born to Cuddle with the first single and video “Dance With Joe,” getting some airplay on MuchMusic.
In the mid-1970s Mendelson began painting, which according to his website, was “just to see what it was like.” According to exclaim.ca, his paintings are housed by the Canada Council Art Bank and the Portrait Gallery of Canada.
Additionally, Joe was a proud to be a co-founder of the advocacy group Artists Against Racism and helped to bring aboard some of the organization’s first artist supporters such as the late Rush drummer Neil Peart, and Canadian children’s music icon Raffi.
“Like Frank Zappa, Mendelson Joe was an original,” said CelebrityAccess senior writer Larry LeBlanc. “I knew him for over 50 years from his days performing in Yorkville Village clubs in Toronto as a solo act and with the blues-styled band Mainline – to him being recognized as a leading Canadian painter. My wife owns one of his iconic asshole art pieces in a plain wood frame.
Over the years I worked with him many times, often hiring him when I was a CBC Radio producer in the ‘70s. We discussed politics and current affairs and we argued and laughed and often separated frustrated with the other. But Joe was a true Canadian craftsman. So damn gifted and he made so many lives better,” added LeBlanc.
In Joe’s obituary, which he wrote himself, he said Parkinson’s was a “dead end” for him and thanked Canada for allowing medical assistance in dying, saying it was a “sign of a civilized society.” He concluded by saying, “To be born Canadian is a great blessing. We have free speech. We have healthcare. We have MAID. Thank you, Canada.” You can read his obituary in full HERE.
Please see below the tributes to Joe from the Toronto community. RIP.
RIP Mendelson Joe. How I treasure the hours we spent talking while you painted and I earned Joe Bucks. You taught me what true artistic integrity meant and how it came with benefits and burdens. Do you have a #MendelsonJoe painting? #showyourjoe pic.twitter.com/xFltQ97Zvu
— Laurie Brown (@lauriebrown) February 8, 2023
Mendelson Joe has passed away. An effortlessly vibrant singer-songwriter, guitarist, painter, political activist and letter writer to the newspapers during the 70s, 80s, and 90, he was a leader in making Toronto exciting and great, and will be missed. pic.twitter.com/ZxpRPev75g
— Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) February 8, 2023
Artist/musician/iconoclast Mendelson Joe has died. Spoke to him recently, asked how he was doing. “I’m dying,” he said, “that’s how I’m doing.”
Asked if he was afraid of dying. “I drove a motorcycle for over 40 years, all year around, including winters. What does that tell you?” pic.twitter.com/UHb5Bk1rm4— Brad Wheeler (@BWheelerglobe) February 8, 2023
