 The Guess Who - Florida |  crushed car |
|---|---|
 Carl's rescue |  Post coma 2008 |
 Firefest UK 2014 |
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"Strange Way To Live"
Carl Dixon's autobiography
Carl Dixon''s journey through the twists and turns of a music performer''s life began in Northern Ontario, where his boyhood dreams, shaped by the 1960s, collided with a new musical culture.
Though Carl''s road was rocky, it was still paved with gold. It has led from his early days with hard-rockers Coney Hatch to tours and lasting friendships with huge acts like Iron Maiden. The ups and downs were meteoric, as Carl became a member of the legendary bands The Guess Who and April Wine and then faced the greatest test of all: a horrific auto collision in Australia that left him in a coma, barely clinging to life.
CARL DIXON
50 MINUTE KEYNOTE ADDRESS
#LEADERSHIP #RESILIENCE #RECOVERY
Carl Dixon takes the audience on an emotional journey with humour, insight and poignancy that focuses on leadership and HOW to make good decisions. Carl shares stories from his rock star journey across three decades to the tale of his body-mangling car accident and his incredible recovery from brain injury against all odds.
"One of the greatest comebacks since Team Canada '72" - Ron MacLean, Broadcaster
"You may have achieved in just a few speeches, what we would be proud to achieve in months, or years. So, thank you, for helping to keep my people safe." - Dale Harris, CRSPSr. Supervisor, Safety & Security. Nutrien, Canada
How does a rock star become an expert in leadership and decision-making? Carl now THRIVES and has returned to touring across Canada, the US and Europe. The car accident in 2008 was a turning point. Carl analyzed what led to his incredible survival from 50 serious injuries including traumatic brain injury. As a young rock star opening for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest (67 shows), he was featured on MTV and yet Carl made key decisions that would later save his life. His will to survive turned his life around post-accident. Carl's presentation includes his S.T.A.R.T. formula - to help people build mental strength, resilience, commitment and focus. Presented in story, videos and music- it's an inspiring hour full of important take away lessons.
S: STOP T: THINK A: ACCEPT R: RENEW T: THANK
S.T.A.R.T. is the central philosophy of Carl’s presentation. Carl sustained 52 serious injuries including traumatic brain injury from his 2008 accident. Rescuers and surgeons believed IF he survived the accident he'd likely never walk or talk again and he'd likely be blind. Carl was assessed as having a 75% loss of ability following his accident and brain injury. Seventeen years on Carl sings, performs better than ever. He plays in Europe, USA and Canada and shares his story with a compelling openness full of vital lessons.
The aim of Carl's presentation is to inspire your team to MAKE GOOD DECISIONS through the peaks and valleys. "S.T.A.R.T. is a helpful acronym to fall back on every time there is a challenge".
"Survival of the organism is paramount. I'm going to teach you about survival, revival and how to thrive after a smackdown." - Carl Dixon 2025
"Carl also showed how a few seconds of not focusing on the right thing can result in a life changing experience. I highly recommend him."
- Michael Angemeer, President and CEO.
Veridian Corporation
Teach your audience with a keynote from Carl Dixon
"From standing in front of 20,000 to barely being able to walk, Carl's turn-around to success is such a compelling presentation" Attendee UHN Brain Injury Conference, Toronto 2025
The Audience
Carl's presentation works best for audiences who are keen to build team LEADERSHIP and SAFETY.
- Workplace Safety conferences
- Health and Wellness events
- Groups that are facing change
- Workplaces looking for a “lift” of inspiration for their team.
- It also plays well to a convention simply looking for something “different” this year!
At just 22 Carl was signed to his first international record deal with CONEY HATCH. Opening for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest's North American tours was "like rock music university" but along the way Carl made significant personal choices that would later prove to be the difference between life and death. He also befriended NHL great Pat Stapleton - his key mentor - so when Carl's biggest smackdown came, in the form of a catastrophic car accident in rural Australia, Carl had the resolve to find a way back to life. In spite of heartbreaks and setbacks, Carl Dixon has the wisdom and experience to share lessons on getting through hard times. His showmanship and open candour bring a compelling energy to the speaker platform.
Books & music
Carl Dixon is a published author of "Strange Way to Live". Copies of his book can be obtained for your event and Carl will be available for signings. He still performs with CONEY HATCH (40 years together) and also plays as a solo artist and in various bands (Northern Strum, Wild North Rock) that can be incorporated at your event.
Carl's voice and natural warmth, his connection to an audience make him a compelling keynote speaker.
"BEING A LEADER DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN BEING THE BOSS - IT'S ABOUT EACH OF US MAKING GOOD DECISIONS."
CARLS PRESENTATION INCLUDES:
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LIVE MUSIC
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SHORT VIDEO CLIPS
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BREAKOUT SESSIONS
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PLAYS AFTER PARTY SOLO OR WITH BAND
TESTIMONIALS
"Carl did a wonderful job of sharing his message and opening our employees minds to a new way of thinking"
MUSTANG RANDALL, TRANS CANADA PIPELINE
"One of the hardest things we do as safety professionals, is try to deliver a message that sticks. For us the hallmark of achievement, is when we hear that people have adopted the information we have given them, at home. Even better, shared it with their families. This tells us that they have truly started to develop a safety culture of their very own, one that could likely last generations. Achieving this is understandably quite rare. Carl, after your run of shows here I received feedback from DOZENS of people that they went home and shared your message, story, and learnings, with their families."
Dale Harris, CRSPSr. Supervisor, Safety & Security. Nutrien, Canada
ENQUIRIES
TEXT 1-705-455-3800
