Laurie Bower

Laurie Bower (Lawrence Wayne Bower) was a distinguished Canadian musician, singer, trombonist, vocal arranger and bandleader whose career spanned more than three decades. Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, in 1933, Laurie became an important part of Toronto’s vibrant jazz, recording and broadcasting community.

A graduate of the University of Toronto, Laurie studied music and choral technique before establishing himself as a versatile professional musician. As a trombonist, he performed and recorded with many of Canada’s leading musicians, including Peter Appleyard, Guido Basso and Jim Galloway, while also working extensively in radio, television and recording studios.

In 1969, Laurie founded the Laurie Bower Singers, a highly respected professional vocal ensemble that became a familiar sound throughout Canadian broadcasting. Under his direction, the group recorded numerous albums and singles, performed on radio and television, provided backing vocals for other artists, and contributed to countless commercial recordings and jingles.

Among Laurie’s most memorable recording achievements was his participation as a singer in the original 1967 recording of the iconic Spider-Man television theme. The session was recorded in Toronto and featured vocalists associated with the Laurie Bower Singers and Billy Van Singers. The theme went on to become one of the most recognizable television themes in popular culture.

Laurie was also involved in the Young Canada Singers during the era of Canada’s 1967 Centennial celebrations, further connecting his career with an important moment in Canadian musical history.

His passion for big-band jazz continued throughout his career. In 1981, Laurie co-founded The Spitfire Band, an 18-piece orchestra featuring leading Canadian musicians and dedicated to preserving the music of legendary bandleaders such as Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Harry James. The band performed extensively across North America and internationally.

Laurie Bower’s legacy is one of remarkable versatility and dedication to music. Whether performing on trombone, singing, arranging, leading a vocal ensemble or recording in the studio, he helped shape the sound of Canadian music and broadcasting during a formative period in the country’s cultural history.

His work continues to be heard through recordings preserved in Canadian music archives, and his voice lives on in one of television’s most enduring musical signatures—the original Spider-Man theme.