Tom Wilson (singer) Biography: Age, Partner, Net Worth, Height, Junkhouse, Mohawk, Children, Career, Books

Tom Wilson (also known as tehohåhake) is a Canadian musician, songwriter, visual artist, and storyteller whose work traverses rock, folk, roots and Indigenous identity.

He first came to prominence in the late 1980s when he founded the rock band Junkhouse, whose raw energy and lyrical edge made them a notable act in the Canadian music scene.

Over time he diversified his creative output, forming Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond, releasing solo work, writing a bestselling memoir, and exploring visual art.

Profile

• Full name: Thomas Cunningham Wilson
• Nickname: tehohåhake (“two roads”)
• Date of birth: 1959
• Age: 66 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
• State of origin: Ontario
• Nationality: Canadian
• Profession: Musician, songwriter, visual artist, storyteller, author
• Height: 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
• Weight: 95 kg (210 lbs)
• Eye color: Blue
• Hair color: Dark brown (now partially grey)
• Parents: Birth parents – Louis Beauvais and Jane Lazare; Adoptive parents – Bunny Wilson (great-aunt) and George Wilson (great-uncle)
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: None (divorced)
• Children: Son – Thompson Wilson Shaw; Daughter – Madeline Wilson Shaw
• Relationship status: In a relationship with Margot Burnell (since ~2015)
• Religion: Christianity
• Ethnicity: Mohawk (Indigenous), French-Canadian, and Irish-Canadian heritage
• Net worth: $5 million USD

Early Life and Education

Thomas Cunningham Wilson was born in 1959 and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, by his great-aunt Bunny Wilson and great-uncle George Wilson, both of whom adopted him as part of what would later be understood as the Sixties Scoop.

His biological parents, Louis Beauvais and Jane Lazare, were Mohawk from the Kahnawake Reserve in Quebec.

He grew up unaware of his Indigenous identity, discovering the truth as an adult—a revelation that profoundly shaped his artistic and personal journey.

Personal Life

In the mid-1980s, Wilson met Sandy Shaw, with whom he later married and had two children: Thompson Wilson Shaw (also a musician) and Madeline Wilson Shaw.

The marriage ended in the early 2000s, but the two remain friends and collaborators in parenting and music.

In 2006, Wilson was briefly engaged to comedian Cathy Jones of This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Since around 2015, he has been in a long-term relationship with Margot Burnell, an arts advocate and educator.

Career

Tom Wilson’s career began in Hamilton’s gritty underground scene in the late 1980s.

He formed the band Junkhouse in 1989, which signed to Sony Music Canada in 1993.

Their albums — Strays, Birthday Boy, and Fuzz — achieved critical acclaim and earned multiple radio hits.

Wilson later co-founded Blackie & the Rodeo Kings (with Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing), blending country, blues, and rock to become one of Canada’s most respected roots bands.

He also created Lee Harvey Osmond, a “psychedelic folk” project recognized for its haunting soundscapes and introspective lyrics.

The project’s 2020 album Mohawk won a Juno Award for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year.

As a solo artist, Wilson released Planet Love in 2001.

His songwriting credits span a wide range of collaborators, including Sarah McLachlan, Jason Isbell, Lucinda Williams, Colin James, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Mavis Staples.

His 2017 memoir Beautiful Scars became a Canadian bestseller, chronicling his late discovery of his Indigenous heritage.

The book inspired a CBC documentary and a stage adaptation that toured Canada.

Wilson’s visual art—notably “Beautiful Scars: Mohawk Warriors, Hunters and Chiefs” and “The Mystic Highway”—has been exhibited at the Art Gallery of Burlington, McMaster Museum of Art, and other national venues.

His art explores identity, reconciliation, and the legacy of displacement.

In 2020, Wilson launched the Tom Wilson Indigenous Bursary in Honour of Bunny Wilson, supporting Indigenous students pursuing higher education.

In June 2023, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, one of the nation’s highest honors.

Awards

• Juno Award – Contemporary Roots Album of the Year (for Mohawk, 2020)
• Multiple Juno Award nominations with Blackie & the Rodeo Kings
• Order of Canada (2023) – Companion rank
• Hamilton Music Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award
• SOCAN Songwriting Honours (multiple years)

Net Worth

Tom Wilson’s estimated net worth is approximately $5 million USD.

Derived from a multi-decade career in music, songwriting, book sales, visual art exhibitions, and public commissions.

Social Media

• Instagram: @tomwilsonartist
• Twitter (X): @TomWilsonArtist
• YouTube: Tom Wilson

Filmography

• Beautiful Scars (CBC Documentary, 2018)

Discography

Solo:

• Planet Love (2001)

With Junkhouse:

• Strays (1993)
• Birthday Boy (1995)
• Fuzz (1997)

With Lee Harvey Osmond:

• A Quiet Evil (2009)
• The Folk Sinner (2013)
• Beautiful Scars (2015)
• Mohawk (2020)

With Blackie & the Rodeo Kings:

• Multiple albums (1996–2023), including Kings and Queens and O Glory (2023)

Books

• Beautiful Scars: Steeltown Secrets, Mohawk Skywalkers and the Road Home (2017)
• How to Rebuild Your Volkswagen Air-Cooled Engine (early co-authored technical book)