Bob Hallett

A founding member of Great Big Sea, Hallett performed vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, banjo, fiddle, whistles, bagpipes, accordion, and concertina with the band.[4] Hallett, Darrell Power, and Séan McCann began playing together in a Celtic band called Rankin Street in 1989, with Alan Doyle joining in 1993.[4] Rankin Street built a following playing at local St. John's pubs, including Bridget's and Greensleeves, and released one recording on cassette titled "Rankin Street". As Great Big Sea, the group played its first official gig on March 11, 1993, opening for the Irish Descendants at Memorial University, and focusing on playing traditional instruments. Great Big Sea released nine albums between 1993 and 2010, including several platinum and gold titles. Touring intensively, the band and band members gained acclaim across North America prior to retiring in 2013 following a 20th anniversary tour. Highlights include reaching the top ten of the Canadian RPM pop chart in 1997 with "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)", a cover of a song by the British folk group Oysterband;[5][6] winning the Entertainer of the Year award at the East Coast Music Awards every year between 1996 and 2000;[5] and receiving nominations for several Juno Awards[7] including Group of the Year in 1998, 2005, 2009, and 2011.

See Great Big Sea discography.

Since 2015, Hallett has served as the Newfoundland Music Consultant for the Tony Award-winning Broadway theater production Come from Away.[8][9] The show is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein; the Rock music-feel of the musical has been attributed to Hallett's contributions.[10] Set in the week following the September 11 attacks, the musical tells the true story of what transpired when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. At the 71st Tony Awards, the production was nominated for seven awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Jenn Colella, ultimately winning for Best Direction of a Musical. In November 2017, plans for a Mark Gordon Company feature film adaptation were announced.[11]

In 2015, Hallett served as Musical Composer and Arranger for the Stratford Festival production of Shakespeare's As You Like It, directed by Jillian Keiley.[12] In this adaptation, the play was set in Newfoundland in the 1980s, and audience members were encouraged to participate in the performance, incorporating props that the audience selected when entering the lobby. All music was composed by Hallett and played by a roots band.[13]

Hallett is the author of four books.

• Writing Out the Notes, Hallett's reflections on life in the band Great Big Sea and the Canadian music industry
• The Ten - Most Decisive Battles on American Soil (juvenile nonfiction)
• The Ten - Greatest Pop Stars (juvenile nonfiction)
• The Art of Managing Your Career in Music and Sound Recording. A guide for musicians and recording artists, this book is part of the online learning curriculum offered by the Cultural Human Resources Council of Canada (HRDC)

Nominated for the East Coast Music Association Manager of the Year award in 2015, 2016, and 2017, Kilbride Music is a music management and production firm operated by Hallett and business partner Michelle Robertson.[14][15][16]

With Chris Andrews (of the band Shanneyganock), Hallett co-owns Erin's Pub, a traditional Newfoundland bar known as a kitchen party place. The establishment was the first Irish pub in Newfoundland, has played a role in launching bands, and was featured in a 2014 Cody Westman documentary (That LITTLE Room - The Story Of Erin's Pub) that aired on all Air Canada flights in 2014.[17]