Les Stroud the Survivorman biography!
Les Stroud, known primarily for his role on the new Discovery series Survivorman, is more than just a television host. Although the show Survivorman does depict Les as an outdoorsman, how much he is interested in the outdoors and adventure is not limited to this show or this style of survival. He has done many other things in his life that attest to his interest in, and desire to be involved in, the great outdoors. He also has many other interests, including music and film.
Les Stroud was born in Mimico, Ontario, Canada in 1962, and graduated from high school in this same town in 1980. He followed up with an education in the Music Industry Arts at Fanshawe College in London (Ontario). He was also involved in two bands—one called New Regime, acting as songwriter and lead guitarist (the band went on to be signed by RCA records the day after he left the band in the largest up-front deal by this record company at the time) and the other a cover band for David Bowie called Diamond Dogs. While in this band, he worked as an associate producer at MuchMusic, a music channel based in Ontario and as assistant director of music videos for artists such as Rush and Corey Hart. He did this up until a hockey accident that broke his wrist in eight places, and caused his musical drive and creativity to take a backseat. After a canoe trip that sparked an inordinate interest of the outdoors, he went to work for Black Feather Wilderness Adventures in 1987, and he met is wife (a photographer) during a survival course while working there.
His marriage began with adventure, as he and his wife Sue Jamison immediately left for a honeymoon that would last a year in a remote part of Ontario. This trip was part of the documentary Snowshoes and Solitude, and it won many awards including Best Documentary at the Muskoka Film Festival and Best Film at the Waterwalker Film Festival. Les Stroud then lived and worked in several areas in Canada, typically working as an outdoor instructor, in some cases catering to locals with special needs. It was in Huntsville, Ontario that Les and his wife began their own outdoor instruction company and media company. They were called Wilderness Voice and Wilderness Spirit Productions, respectively. It was during this time that Les began watching the popular reality show Survivor, and he decided to pitch a more realistic version of the show. Les found a way to combine his love of film and the outdoors when he spent a week surviving in the wild and filmed it.
He went to Discovery Channel in Canada and pitched two shows—one called One Week in the Wilderness and the other called Winter in the Wilderness. These were filmed in 2000, aired in 2001 as two one-hour episodes titled Stranded. They had such success, the series Survivorman was born (with these two shows becoming the pilot episodes), and is now produced by Survivorman Productions, Inc, which includes Les Stroud and producer Dave Brady. It began in 2004, with nine episodes for the first season. Not only does the series air on the Discovery Channel Canada, but it is also shown on OLN Canada, the Science Channel in the US, and Discovery Channel International. As sole host, writer and producer of Survivorman, Les Stroud has made history many times over. Not only is it the only show produced in this manner, but it has become the highest rated show on the Science Channel and OLN, and is headed in that same direction for the Discovery Channel.
Aside from making music videos, being an outdoor guide and instructor, and filming Survivorman, Les has many more accomplishments to his credit. He has participated in adventure racing, and went to the Canadian championships. He has been involved in the production of many shows, and he acted as host for many, such as Shark Feeding Frenzy, I Shouldn’t Be Alive, Surviving Urban Disasters and Expedition Everest, all for Discovery Channel. He also created Off the Grid with Les Stroud which was created as two one-hour episodes for OLN Canada. This is a show which follows Les and his family throughout the process of building and living in an off-the-grid home. They are taking an old property containing a farmhouse and converting it into a home with solar and windpower, and they do rain harvesting and toilet composting. The show not only watches the changes being made, but it also details the difficult adjustments his family has to make in doing so.
Les didn’t abandon his love of music for the film and outdoors industry, however. After an eleven year hiatus from music, he began playing the harmonica at a local blues bar in 1996, and then became part of a blues duo with Ridd Sorrensen. He then teamed up with Ian Auger, and together they traveled the festival circuit, winning awards and leading Les to begin writing and performing songs again. He recorded his self-titled debut album in Ian’s Ogeriff Studio. After that, he teamed up with Jake Thomas and played the festival circuit for another 18 months. It was the show Survivorman that led to his being a part of his most recent band, Les Stroud and The Pikes (renamed from the original The Northern Pikes after the singer/guitar player contacted Les to join forces), and they composed the Survivorman theme. They recently released an album, as well, and Les takes his harmonica with him on all his excursions. He is also working on another solo release album, which is dictated by much of the signature blues harmonica playing that can often be seen and heard on Survivorman episodes.
He will soon be working on a new series tentatively titled Stroud’s Legends. This show will chronicle the world’s greatest explorers and their accomplishments.
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