Mendelson Joe Fonds

Biographical History

Mendelson Joe (b Birrel Josef Mendelson, often known as Joe Mendelson) was born and raised in Maple, Ontario. He is an active writer, musician, painter, and political activist.
After graduating from the University of Toronto, Joe worked as a blues musician, playing guitar. At this time, he performed using the name Joe Mendelson. By 1968, he had joined fellow Canadian guitarist Mike McKenna and formed the band McKenna Mendelson Mainline. As a band, they entertained fans till 1972 when they split, though they briefly reformed in 1975.

Joe’s music career continued as he performed as a solo artist. It is also then when he adopted the reversal of his names, opting for Mendelson Joe, instead of the previous Joe Mendelson. Since becoming a musician, he has released many titles, including the hit “Dance with Joe”. As a musician he has appeared on Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show. Albums released include: Women Are The Only Hope, Buried Treasure, Art Is the Healer, Humans, and Canuckian.

1975 was an important year for Joe. Not only did he begin his solo career as a musician, but he also began to paint. After finding some old paint in the garbage, he tried his hand at the visual medium. He is now an internationally recognized contemporary Canadian artist. His work has been shown internationally, and some is housed in the government run Art Bank. Since 2000, he has lived in the Almaguin Highlands north of Muskoka, Ontario.