Jackie
Findlay

Jackie Findlay — Biography

Award-winning singer-songwriter Jackie Findlay has always had music at the heart of her life. Her songs are shaped by experience — by joy and loss, love and change, and by the quiet moments of understanding that often reveal themselves only with time. With an expressive voice and a natural gift for storytelling, Jackie creates music that is deeply personal while still finding a connection with the lives of others.

Born and raised in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, Jackie began studying classical guitar at the age of fourteen. She later continued her studies with the highly respected Eli Kassner of the Guitar Academy in Toronto. During those early years, she also began singing and performing at local venues, drawing inspiration from artists who would leave a lasting influence on her musical life, including Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Shawn Phillips, and classical guitar master Andrés Segovia.

Music quickly became much more than an interest. Wanting to understand it from every direction, Jackie expanded her studies to include piano and opera and later attended the music program at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She participated in songwriting workshops, continued developing her own material, and eventually attracted interest from major music publishers in Nashville with her songwriting and distinctive voice.

Jackie later had the opportunity to tour with singer-songwriter Donna O’Connor and the band Hostage. Her musical journey appeared to be gathering momentum, but life had other plans. She stepped away from what had been a promising young career, and for many years music moved into the background.

It never disappeared.

The years that followed brought experiences that would eventually become an important part of the artist Jackie is today. There were moments of great happiness, but also periods of loss, sorrow and challenge. Over time, those experiences gave her something that could never have been learned in a classroom: a deeper understanding of life and of the emotions that connect us to one another.

Eventually, Jackie found her way back to her first loves — the guitar, singing, songwriting and performing.

The return felt less like starting over and more like coming home.

With a renewed desire to share the songs she had carried with her for so long, Jackie began what she considers the second chapter of her musical life. She returned to recording and performing, bringing with her not only everything she had learned as a musician, but everything she had experienced as a person.

That life experience can be heard throughout her music today. Her songs are thoughtful, melodic and honest, often exploring love, loss, resilience, healing, hope and the unexpected turns that shape a life. Rather than trying to fit neatly into one musical category, Jackie allows each song to tell its own story.

Returning to the music world only five years ago, Jackie sometimes describes herself as a late bloomer. But she now sees the years and experiences that came before her return very differently:

“I’ve always known I was meant to create and share music in my own unique way. What once seemed like setbacks along the journey have really been precious gifts of understanding, healing, awakening and grace.”