Bio 2025 Wikipedia


The only good thing about not shopping in record stores like we used to is that you don’t have to figure out what genre to look for Danny under. If that were the case, you could try searching under rock, pop, folk, world, or even classical. His own self-described musical A.D.D. has kept his music fresh for decades.

Maybe it has something to do with being born next to a candy factory, but his thoughtful lyrics and charming performances have earned him a devoted fan base, multiple Juno nominations, Polaris Prize nominations, CBC’s Heart of Gold award, and wins for the CFMA’s Producer of the Year and Oliver Schroder Pushing the Boundaries awards.

His adventurous musical spirit has led him on unique journeys, from recording and touring with The Garifuna Collective (from Belize) to recording an album aboard a Soviet-era icebreaker in the Arctic while on an expedition with astronaut Chris Hadfield. Albums like Matadora and Khlebnikov explore themes of human connection, the environment, and the cosmos.

Beyond music, Danny is passionate about social causes. He founded the DM Ocean Academy Fund to support a non-profit high school in Belize. His charm, creative performances, and wide-ranging interests have made him a beloved figure not only in music but also in charitable and environmental circles. This has led to unique performances, including playing at Jane Goodall’s 85th birthday, David Suzuki’s 75th, and touring with Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe.

His latest album, Ghost Town, is a deeply personal and vulnerable collection of songs born from the pandemic, showcasing his most introspective work to date.

“one of the most engaging storytellers you’ll ever see live – both in his songs, and his onstage conversation” Howard Druckman - SOCAN “WORDS & MUSIC”

"Danny Michel has reached a point where his musical vocabulary is so broad,
his songwriting/arranging chops so sharp, his guitar playing so distinctive
and his taste for the right sonic touch so impeccable that he can do whatever he wants and make it compelling" 
EYE MAGAZINE 5/5 *****

“When you need to restore your faith in humanity, just go to a Danny Michel show. Who else gets you to sing along to a song about what your meaningful purpose is on this earth? STICKY MAG, TORONTO

”By this point, singer/songwriter Danny Michel must be a bit weary of being ranked as one of this country's undiscovered musical treasures. But it's true" THE TORONTO STAR

Michel is too old now to care about being cool, and more power to him. Not an ounce of his talent or curiosity or songwriting has faded in the least.
THE KW RECORD

“What sets Danny Michel’s music apart is the way he’s able to shake off the malaise of his subject matter - of today - and replace it with an overwhelming sense of emotional possibility. “White & Gold” is medicine”
EXCLAIM!@# MAGAZINE

”Mr. Michel’s phrasing is raw and raspy; the rhythm of his lyric is greatly dramatized by this. He sings with a burnished glow inflecting the odd, emphasised word; his lines—featuring inner rhymes—are long and loping, always underscoring the epic nature of the story he is telling” 
THE WORLD MUSIC REPORT.COM

”In this remarkable collection of songs to give voice to the beautiful and the mundane, to thereal and the ideal.
Matadora is vital and should be required
listening for anyone in need of a bit of hope”
EXCLAIM MAGAZINE

”Poetic gold” 
THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

“Blackbirds Are Dancing Over Me” is one of the finest musical works of our time.
LARRY LeBLANC / BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

(Speaking on Danny’s cover of Young Americans) “The maracas are a beautiful thing, out of nowhere they come and the backup voices are really moving and intimate. This is a good, good cover - db" 
DAVID BOWIE

"Wicked singer. Wicked songs. Wicked kisser" 
ALAN DOYLE

"Just fabulous. He's kind of like Paul Simon in the Rhymin' Simon days" 
STUART MCLEAN

"I really fell in love with his records." 
ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, HARP MAGAZINE

"Criminally overlooked”

THE WINNIPEG SUN