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Ron Sexsmith: Love Shines

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

04/03/2011

BBC Four - Ron Sexsmith: Love Shines

Portrait of singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith as he strives for a commercial breakthrough.

Portrait of Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith as he strives for a commercial breakthrough, featuring contributions by Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Feist, Daniel Lanois.

47-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is a songwriter's songwriter admired by Elvis Costello, Steve Earle, Feist, Daniel Lanois, all of whom contribute tellingly to this intimate portrait of a writer approaching middle-age and still striving for his commercial breakthrough. 

Although his songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Michael Buble and Rod Stewart, Sexsmith has never found mainstream fame. In Douglas Arrowsmith's touching full-length film, some eight years in the making, we trace Sexsmith's life and career and join him in the studio as he enlists big-league producer Bob Rock (Metallica etc) and together they struggle with Sexsmith's diffidence and ambition to record an album that can help him move forward in his career and even 'cross over'. 

This is the story of a wonderfully gifted songwriter and singer and his long and often painful struggle not only for recognition but also to make some proper money.

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