Dawn Tyler Watson and Paul Deslauriers Duo Music: Bio

Dawn Tyler Watson - Vocals

In the past decade, Singer/Actor/Songwriter Dawn Tyler Watson has become a major force on the Canadian Blues scene. Born in England and raised in Ontario, she has adopted Quebec as her home and been dubbed “Montreal’s Queen of the Blues.” An accomplished and dynamic performer, Dawn’s style incorporates her many influences of Jazz, Soul, Folk and good old Rock & Roll into a fresh new sound that’s more than the old, "Ma Mama Done Told Me." "Watson, in a nutshell, smokes. She has a kit bag full of smooth moves, and a personality that lifts off the page." Blues Review Magazine.

A multiple nominee of the prestigious Canadian Maple Blues Award’s in numerous categories including Best New Artist, and Entertainer of the Year, Dawn earned herself the title of Female Vocalist of the Year in 2005 & in 2007. Her original debut CD, "Ten Dollar Dress," with her group the Dawn Tyler Blues Project, is as multi faceted as the artist herself and spotlights an exceptional songwriting talent as well. Often funny, sometimes poignant, but always moving, the release also earned her MBA nominations in Best Album and Best Producer categories, and her songs have appeared on numerous compilations.

Dawn’s other accomplishments include four-time consecutive winner of the Quebec Lys Blues Award for Best Female Artist. And a 2007 Canadian Folk Music Award nod for Best Contemporary Vocalist. She has garnered International recognition with the Screaming Jay Hawkins Award for Live Performance, and a Trophées France Blues for International Female Artist of the Year. In addition to numerous theatre, television and screen credits, in 2004 she earned herself the lead role of Jazz singer Curly Brown in the movie Jack Paradise where she starred opposite famed Quebec heartthrob, actor Roy Dupuis. Dawn’s big-screen debut received as much critical acclaim as her stage and studio performances, as did the films Jutra nominated soundtrack on which she was the featured vocalist.

Dawn continues to tour across Canada, the US, and Europe, and has recently returned from festivals in Moscow and the Middle East.

Paul Deslauriers - Vocals & Guitar

A virtuoso on both electric and acoustic guitars, Paul Deslauriers (pronounced “day-loree-ay”) is part of Canada’s guitar elite and is considered one of Quebec’s overall best guitarists; but it doesn’t stop there, he’s also a powerful singer with a wide range of expression. Winner of the Lys Blues Award for Best Artistic Performance in 2011, Album of the Year in 2008 (En Duo), and Best Musical Performance in 2005, he was also a nominated at the Canadian Maple Blues Awards for Acoustic Act of the Year along with Dawn Tyler Watson for their album "En Duo". In 2010 Deslauriers was musical director, producer, and performer on the “Nos Stars Chantent Le Blues à Montréal” CD for L’équipe Spectra and the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Paul's 2006 solo release Ripping Into Red garnered rave reviews in the April 2007 issue of Guitar Player Magazine. Editor in Chief Michael Molenda had this to say about him: "Deslauriers really knows how to grab your ears from note one... He's also a gifted songwriter and vocalist, and his solos, especially the slide lines, are short, but thrilling!" Since 1997 he has fronted the Paul Deslauriers Band, and proudly showing his rock colors and his true to the blues roots. With over two decades of experience in the music industry (began his career in his early teens!!!), seven albums under his belt, and a list of fans that extends into Europe and the US, this guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer has truly mastered his art!

Paul first gained acclaim in the 1990s as a founding member of Black Cat Bone, deemed by many critics at the time to be “one of Canada’s hottest blues-rock bands.” Over the years has been called upon to share his guitar and vocal talents on tour with the likes of The Respectables, Amanda Marshall, France D’amour, Garou and Nicola Ciccone, to name only a few. Today he continues to electrify audiences with his live performances and give workshops at Festivals and concerts on both sides of the Atlantic.