It’s a long way from the raucous halls of Adam Scott Collegiate to the strict formality of Rideau Hall in Ottawa, but Greg Wells has bridged that gap with his appointment as a member of the Order of Canada.
On Monday (June 30), the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, appointed 83 Canadians to the Order of Canada, the Peterborough-raised Adam Scott alumnus among them.
In a release listing each appointee, Wells is described as “a Grammy-winning record producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has worked on best-selling albums for the likes of Adele, John Legend, Rufus Wainright and Céline Dion, and on blockbuster soundtracks for Wicked and The Greatest Showman. He also funds music scholarships in Canada and donates instruments to students around the world.”
Speaking from his Los Angeles home and recording studio, Wells, 56, told kawarthaNOW that even though he knew of his appointment well ahead of the official announcement, he remains in awe of the simple fact that it has been bestowed upon him.
“I can’t believe that a crazy musician like myself would ever qualify for something like this,” he said, adding quickly “It’s the weirdest thing in the world, but it’s truly the biggest honour of my life.”
That’s quite a statement considering the record producer, songwriter, musician and audio engineer has won two Grammy Awards — in 2019 for the original motion soundtrack records for The Greatest Showman and, in 2023 for his work on Michael Buble’s album Higher — and has been nominated for two Producer of the Year Juno Awards. Closer to home, Wells was inducted into Peterborough’s Pathway of Fame back in 2023.
Wells says a “very cryptic email” he received a few months ago gave him his first inkling that something was up.
“It was from a Canadian government email address and it said something like ‘Can you please call this number? We have something highly confidential to speak with you about.’ That’s kind of all it said. I thought ‘Oh no.'”
Wells called the number provided and was told, in no uncertain terms, that he couldn’t share details of what he was about to hear with anyone.
“I was like ‘OK,’ and then they spilled the beans,” he recalled.
“They explained the whole process, which is very forensic. I don’t know exactly what the machinations are, but they come up with some kind of short list, and then they do their due diligence on each. I know that people from coast to coast have written and answered questions about me.”
There’s much in Wells’ closet, with his having working with many of the biggest names in pop music, but apparently there was nary a skeleton to be found.
“The Order of Canada is a recognition provided to those who are doing something to help Canada,” noted Wells.
“It’s not just a recognition of a career, or of someone lining their own pockets. It’s (bestowed upon) someone who is trying to make Canada a better place. In that sense, it became incredibly meaningful and really moving. I was kind of blown away that anyone was paying attention to anything that I was doing.”
Wells said answering the initial email required some careful thought.
“People like me, who work with some of the world’s most famous people, get emails from a lot of crazy fans who have figured out how to impersonate celebrities,” he said, admitting to his “having been fooled once or twice in the past.”
“They (the email writer) weren’t asking for anything from me, like the new Wicked songs that haven’t been released yet. All they wanted to do was talk about something, but they wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
Once he was informed of his pending appointment, Wells’ keeping-a-secret skills were put to the test.
“They said it’s OK to tell family and friends but you can’t go public with it. Don’t post anything online. Don’t tell somebody in the media. They said the Governor General will announce it on the morning of June 30th and, once that happens, you can go public.”
Besides his family, one of those Wells shared the news with was Peterborough resident and fellow Adam Scott grad John Crown. A longtime musician, Crown partnered with Wells in October 2019 to launch the Don Skuce Memorial Music Collective which, over the next few years, saw judged winning songs by local artists recorded by Wells at his LA studio.
What makes the Order of Canada the biggest honour of all, said Wells, is it’s presented in recognition of work done “outside the music business.”
“I get so much personally out of giving back,” said Wells. “It’s more rewarding for me to help imbue in other people the taking the risk to be creative or believe in themselves, or just improve quality of life, however that’s achieved.”
“Having done music forever, I’m lucky, because I haven’t quit, to get jobs like (producing and mixing) Wicked and working with people we’ve all heard.”
“But it’s more exciting for me to go to Newfoundland where we’ve turned that little church in Winterton (Trinity Hall) into a non-profit centre and have young Newfoundland musicians come there and perform. I work with a bunch of them, and record them produce them for free and any money that comes in from that goes to charity. That just feels so good. It’s wealth of a different kind.”
Wells’ appointment comes just six months after the toughest of times, both personally and professionally.
Back in January, the devastating wildfires that ravaged much of Los Angeles’ neighbouring counties saw Wells’ home and studio destroyed.
“The last six months have just been the most exaggerated highs and lows for me and my family,” he said, adding “We lost everything. We didn’t lose any lives, but we were financially destroyed.”
“It reminds me of my father who helped a Somali family emigrate (to the Toronto area) in the ’90s when Somalia was getting ripped apart by warlords. He helped a doctor’s family; a well-to-do, very successful family. They had to start all over again as janitors. This reminded me of that. This very big, hard reset.”
“Right now, we’re in the middle of Wicked 2, which will be out in November. I’m working hard on that every day. But then thinking Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell have been appointed to the Order of Canada, it makes no sense to me that I’m receiving that same honour.”
The date of the induction ceremony will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile, Wells anticipates being “scared and slightly nauseous” when his name is called and he approaches the Governor General.
“There’d be something wrong if I felt ‘Of course I belong on that list (of appointees).'”
Since the Order of Canada’s creation in 1967, more than 8,200 people from all sectors of society have been appointed.
Another June 30th appointee to the Order of Canada with a Peterborough connection is Gilbert Donald Walsh, better known as Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh, co-founder and leader of The Legendary Downchild Blues Band. The 78-year-old Walsh currently lives in Burleigh Falls, north of Peterborough.
Recognized as the father of Canadian blues music, the harmonica player and guitarist was the inspiration for Dan Aykroyd’s character of Elwood Blues in The Blues Brothers, with John Belushi’s character Jake Blues modelled in part after Donnie’s younger brother, the late Richard “Hock” Walsh, who was Downchild’s lead singer.
“It’s the greatest honour I’ve ever received in my life,” Donnie Walsh said in a statement. “It makes me even more proud to be Canadian, especially with Canada Day coming up tomorrow. I’ve always played the music that moved me, the blues. Who knew it would lead all the way to the Order of Canada. I am forever grateful.”
Other well-known appointees on the June 30th list are Canada’s outgoing chief public officer of health Dr. Theresa Tam, B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Marc-André Blanchard (who is about to become Prime Minister Mark Carney’s chief of staff), lawyer and author Maureen McTeer, and novelist Miriam Toews.
For the full listing of 2025 Order of Canada appointments, visit www.gg.ca/en/order-canada-appointees-june-30-2025.
