Craig Martin, the Toronto musician who founded Classic Albums Live, has died.
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The company announced his death in a tribute shared with its community, describing Martin as its friend and founder and remembering his passion, leadership, and determination.
Publicly available reports do not establish Martin’s cause of death or provide confirmed details about the circumstances of his death.
“It is with a collective sadness that we announce the passing of our friend & founder: Craig Martin,” they wrote. “He was immensely proud of his family & friends and made no secret of his belief in them. In turn, we all believed in Craig and shared in his incredible pursuit of connecting people through the music that we all love.”
“He was a true original, a born leader, and an undeniable force of energy,” they continued. “His vision of bringing people together through iconic sounds will live on in the hands of his family & the musicians he loved.”
“We vow to honour Craig with years of great performances to come.”
Craig Martin Built Classic Albums Live
Martin created Classic Albums Live in 2003 after years of performing and producing music. He built the company around a simple concept: musicians would recreate classic albums live, note for note and cut for cut, while keeping the focus firmly on the music.
He spoke to Financial Times in 2023, where he said, “I sell nostalgia, and I am not ashamed of it.”
“Music takes us back to the prime of our lives and, for a lot of us, those memories can be pretty golden.”
The approach rejected the costumes, impersonations, and theatrical elements that often define tribute shows. Instead, Martin assembled professional musicians who could reproduce the arrangements and performances that audiences knew from the original recordings.
Classic Albums Live grew substantially under Martin’s leadership. The company’s official biography says it presents more than 200 shows each year.
Martin leaves behind the concert organization he created in 2003 and a distinctive legacy in live music. Classic Albums Live continues to present celebrated albums onstage, preserving the performance model that Martin developed.