{{short description|Canadian musician and businessman}} '''Jason Sniderman''' is a Canadian musician and businessman. He was one of the chief executives of Sam the Record Man.<ref name="Sams closes">{{cite news|title=Sam the Record Man to shut its Yonge St. doors|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/219283|accessdate=10 January 2011|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=May 29, 2007}}</ref> He also played keyboards on a number of rock music albums, performed with the band Blue Peter, and later released several albums under the name Ensign Broderick. He is also the father of Canadian musician Cos Sylvan, who has been the live bassist for Swedish rock band Ghost since 2018.
==Early life== Sniderman grew up in Toronto, Ontario, the son of businessman Sam Sniderman.<ref name="Sams closes" /> He was involved in the music industry from childhood through the family record store.<ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-sep-25-2012-p-26/ "Sam 'The Record Man' Sniderman dies at 92"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', via Newspaper Archives, September 25, 2012 - Page 26</ref>
==Music career== Sniderman was a keyboard player in the new wave band Blue Peter, joining towards the end of their run in 1983, in time for the recording and release of their final album, ''Falling''.<ref name="Jam!">{{cite web|title=Artist: Blue Peter|url=http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/B/Blue_Peter.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223024202/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/B/Blue_Peter.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 23, 2015|work=Jam! Showbiz - The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia|publisher=canoe.com|access-date=10 January 2011}}</ref><ref>[https://newspaperarchive.com/winnipeg-free-press-aug-10-1983-p-31/ "Blue Peter bounces back with stylish new album"]. ''Winnipeg Free Press'', via Newspaper Archives, August 10, 1983 - Page 31</ref> He has appeared as a guest musician on albums by other Canadian artists, including contributing keyboards on Randy Bachman's album ''Any Road'',<ref name="Bachman">{{cite web|title=Any Road|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,46840,00.html|work=Bachman|publisher=artistdirect.com|accessdate=10 January 2011}}</ref> Chalk Circle's recording of 20th Century Boy,<ref name="greatlake">{{cite web|title=credits|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-great-lake-r204852/credits|work=The Great Lake - Chalk Circle|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=10 January 2011}}</ref> and recordings produced by fellow Blue Peter member Chris Wardman.<ref name=Bachman /> He played keyboards on the albums ''Presto'' and ''Clockwork Angels'' by Rush and ''Don't Cry Too Hard'' by Leslie Spit Treeo, and played piano on ''6 Blocks'' by Meryn Cadell.
Sniderman is an Advisory Board Member of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame<ref name="CSHOF">{{cite web|title=People|url=http://www.cansong.ca/en/about/people.aspx|work=About|publisher=Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame|accessdate=10 January 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216023325/http://www.cansong.ca/en/about/people.aspx|archivedate=16 February 2011}}</ref> and plays shows with Blue Peter a few times a year.
In March 2018, Sniderman released the album ''Feast of Panthers'' under the pseudonym Ensign Broderick, a musical alter ego he had first created in childhood.<ref name="ensign">{{cite web |last1=Ottenhof |first1=Luke |title=It's taken 47 years, but Ensign Broderick's debut album is here |url=https://nowtoronto.com/music/features/ensign-broderick-jason-sniderman-feast-of-panthers/ |website=NOW Magazine |accessdate=4 October 2018 |language=en-us |date=9 March 2018 |archive-date=5 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005030958/https://nowtoronto.com/music/features/ensign-broderick-jason-sniderman-feast-of-panthers/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://nationalpost.com/pmn/entertainment-pmn/jason-snidermans-glam-rock-persona-ensign-broderick-unleashed-at-60 "Jason Sniderman's glam-rock persona Ensign Broderick unleashed at 60"]. ''National Post'', David Friend, November 22, 2018</ref> By November, Sniderman had released three more albums of music recorded decades earlier, and one album of new material, ''Bloodcrush''.<ref>[https://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2018/11/28/jason-snidermans-glam-rock-reinvention-ensign-broderick "Jason Sniderman's Glam-Rock Reinvention As Ensign Broderick"]. ''FYI Music News'', Nov 28, 2018 by Kerry Doole</ref><ref>[https://exclaim.ca/music/article/ensign_broderick-bloodcrush "Ensign Broderick BloodCrush"]. ''Exclaim!'', By Paul Blinov, Nov 08, 2018</ref>
==Sam the Record Man== Sniderman's father, Sam Sniderman, started selling records in his brother's radio store in the 1930s.<ref name="Signs off">{{cite news|last=Black|first=Debra|title=Sam the Record Man finally signs off|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/219252|accessdate=10 January 2011|newspaper=The Toronto Star|date=May 30, 2007}}</ref> His company grew into a national chain, with a flagship store on Yonge Street in Toronto.<ref name="Goodbye">{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Adam D|title=Goodbye, Sam The Record Man|url=http://torontoist.com/2007/06/sam_the_record_1.php|accessdate=10 January 2011|newspaper=Torontoist|date=June 29, 2007}}</ref> In the 1980s and 1990s, the chain was operated by Roblan Distributors with Jason Sniderman as Vice President.<ref name="Inc.1997">{{cite book|author=Larry LeBlanc|title="Changes at Sam the Record Man Shake Market" - Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eg4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44|date=12 July 1997|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|page=44|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> Sam retired in 2000,<ref name=Goodbye /> and the majority of the chain was closed in 2001 after filing for bankruptcy.<ref name="Signs off" /> Jason Sniderman and his brother Bobby saved the store's iconic neon signs, and re-opened the Yonge St. location in 2002.<ref name=Goodbye /> An attempt at building the Sam's brand with online sales was not enough,<ref name="it">{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Robert|title=Parking cash in Net ventures |url=http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=9320|work=News|publisher=itbusiness.ca|accessdate=10 January 2011}}</ref> however, with the rise of mp3 downloads and competition from chains such as HMV down the street, Sam's was forced to close in 2007.<ref name="jerk">{{cite news|last=Ursi |first=Marco |title=Whither the record store jerk? |url=http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070704_162826_12108&page=1 |accessdate=10 January 2011 |newspaper=Maclean's |date=July 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523232005/http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20070704_162826_12108&page=1 |archivedate=23 May 2012 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://bluepeterband.com/ BluePeterBand.com]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sniderman, Jason}} Category:Businesspeople from Toronto Category:Canadian music industry executives Category:Canadian new wave musicians Category:Canadian rock keyboardists Category:Jewish Canadian musicians Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Toronto Category:Year of birth missing (living people)