Q with Tom Power

Grammy-nominated neo soul singer Glenn Lewis is considered one of the forefathers of R&B in Canada. Born in Kitchener and raised in Toronto, he broke through in the early 2000s with his debut album, World Outside My Window. Now he's back with his first new album in more than a decade, Overture. Glenn joins Q guest host Garvia Bailey to look back on the early days of his career, reflect on his relationship with his father and their shared love of Stevie Wonder, and tell the unforgettable story of meeting his musical hero for the first time.

From an early age, violinist Vijay Gupta seemed destined for classical music greatness. He performed at Carnegie Hall at just eight years old, studied at Juilliard and Yale, and joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at 19. But behind his success, he was struggling with anxiety, addiction and burnout. In his new memoir, Restrung, Vijay reflects on how an experience on Skid Row in Los Angeles changed his life, and why music’s true purpose is human connection — not technical perfection.

DerRic Starlight is best known for his puppetry, taking his “Nuppets” (Native puppets) across Canada, mostly to Indigenous communities. But about a decade ago, he set his puppets aside to embark on a different kind of storytelling project: writing a book about homeless communities in Alberta in an effort to explore the root causes of Indigenous homelessness. DerRic tells Q guest host Gill Deacon why he chose an immersive approach, living alongside the people whose stories he wanted to understand and share. His memoir, See-Me Street: My Indigenous Homeless Journey, is out now.

Maddy Kelly is a Canadian-born stand-up comedian, writer, actor and producer based in New York City. Named a “Rising Star” by Toronto’s Future of Film Showcase, she’s built a successful career performing in comedy clubs across North America and recently made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She’s also written for the political satire series This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Following her keynote appearances at the Future of Film Showcase and Just For Laughs, Maddy joins Q guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about comedy, growing up in Vancouver, and what sets Canadian humour apart.

If you don’t know Dawoud Bey’s name, chances are you’ve seen his work. One of the most influential photographers working today, Dawoud rose to prominence through his powerful portraits of Black Americans and young people. In 2017, he shifted his focus from portraiture to landscape photography, exploring the history and legacy of African Americans in the Southern United States. Ahead of his new solo exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Dawoud joins Q guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about his artistic practice, his fascination with history, and the stories embedded in the landscapes he photographs.

When Meegwun Fairbrother first got wind of Netflix’s Little House on the Prairie reboot, the Ojibwe Scottish actor initially wasn’t hopeful. In his experience, historical dramas didn’t have room for mixed-heritage Indigenous characters who looked like him. Plus, the original series erased the Indigenous perspective entirely. But Meegwun quickly realized this production was doing something different. He tells Q guest host Garvia Bailey about his character, William Mitchell (an Osage family man, homesteader, and the bridge between two communities), and the deep pride he felt in working with Osage cultural consultants to finally get the story right.

Canadian actor, writer and musician Rebecca Auerbach has turned her acclaimed one-woman show into a new CBC podcast called Discount Dave (and the Fix). Based on a true-ish story, it starts with a chance encounter with a man claiming to be Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth, before spiraling into a deeper story about addiction, trauma and recovery. Rebecca sits down with Q guest host Gill Deacon to talk about blending memoir with fiction, and why telling this story was essential to her healing. Episode 1 of Discount Dave (and the Fix) is an official selection of the 2026 Tribeca Audio Festival. 

Reneltta Arluk grew up on a trapline in the Northwest Territories, living off the land with her grandmother and the legendary Arctic dog team guide Archie Larocque. Those nomadic early years shaped a career that took her from founding the first professional theatre company in the Northwest Territories to becoming the first Indigenous woman to direct at the Stratford Festival. Now a leader at the National Gallery of Canada, she joins guest host Gill Deacon to talk about carrying stories forward from the trapline to gallery walls. 

When Sarah Leavitt’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she began documenting everything she could through drawings and writing. Those records became Tangles, her acclaimed 2010 graphic memoir, which was the first graphic narrative to be named a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. Now, more than 15 years later, Tangles has been adapted into a film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) and Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine). Sarah co-wrote the screenplay, and the film premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it received a lengthy standing ovation. Q guest host Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe caught up with Sarah to talk about it.

Common is an award-winning rapper, actor and activist known for his socially conscious lyrics and roles in films like Selma and the TV show Silo. Common joins Tom Power to talk about season three of Silo, growing up in Chicago, and what it was like to be a ball boy for the Chicago Bulls as a kid and witness Michael Jordan’s first season in the NBA.