John Stephen Stohn, (born May 8, 1948) is an American-born Canadian entertainment lawyer and television producer. He is best known for his involvement with the Degrassi teen drama franchise, particularly as an executive producer on .
Career
Stohn's work in the entertainment industry commenced with part-time appearances as a performing artist, continuing with active work as a songwriter (including two songs that reached the Canadian Top-10,
Maybe Your Heart and
Once In A Long Time,
co-written with Christopher Ward), and a primary career as an entertainment and copyright lawyer since he was called to the Ontario Bar in 1979.
Trent University had barely been built when Stohn attended there starting in 1966. He helped found, and named, Trent's student newspaper Arthur.
Stohn also helped found the radio station at Trent,
Book
A book of stories from Stohn's life was published by
Dundurn Press in March 2018. Entitled
Whatever It Takes: Life Lessons from Degrassi and Elsewhere in the World of Music and Television, the book has been written by Stohn with Christopher Ward, and includes a foreword by
Martin Gero.
Degrassi
In early 2000,
Linda Schuyler and
Yan Moore were developing a new teen TV series with the working title
Ready, Willing and Wired, based on the already success. One day Yan came up with the brainstorm that baby Emma, who was born to the then 8th-grade student Spike Nelson in
Degrassi Junior High, would be the right age now to be attending high school, and why not make her a main character in
Ready, Willing and Wired thus turning the new series into a sequel to the original
Degrassi. Inspired by his love for the original
Star Trek sci-fi TV series, which had spun into
, Stohn suggested as the title for the new sequel series. By autumn 2001 the title remained, and
made its first appearance on air.
Stohn co-wrote the opening theme music for with Jim McGrath and Jody Colero.
Other work
For nearly 20 years, until 2009, he was executive producer of the telecast of Canada's music awards show,
Juno Award, and during that period was a director and then Chair of Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization responsible for
The Juno Awards.
He was also Chair of
MusiCounts, a charity associated with
The Juno Awards, which among other things distributes musical instruments to schools in need.
From 2004 to 2008 Stohn executive produced the teen drama television series Instant Star about a young woman (played by Alexz Johnson) who wins a singer/songwriter contest.
His recent projects have included the family mystery series Open Heart for YTV in Canada and TeenNick in the U.S.
He has also recorded music as a songwriter and producer for GTA Rhythm Section, an orchestral pop band which Stohn has described as strongly influenced by Brian Wilson and which features Al Jardine's son Matthew on vocals. The band's debut EP, The Orange Sessions, is slated for release in early 2025.[Nick Krewen, "Former ‘Degrassi’ producer on becoming a recording artist at 76 and what Drake’s really like". Toronto Star, December 7, 2024.]
Legal background
Stohn's industry experience includes being a partner for 10 years in Canada's largest law firm, McCarthy Tétrault. He graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law (J.D. 1977) and
Trent University (B.A. 1969).
He is a founding partner in the Canadian entertainment law firm Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Richmond LLP, where he provides strategic legal advice to performers, advertising agencies, merchandisers, recording artists, songwriters, multimedia/internet creators, broadcasters and film and television producers.
He and two other partners in the firm constitute three of the fourteen entertainment lawyers named in the 2014 Lexpert American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada.
Personal life
Stohn was born in Denver, Colorado. He is married to
Degrassi creator
Linda Schuyler; they have one son, Max.
Awards
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Stohn has been nominated 28 times in Canada's national television awards ceremony, the Canadian Screen Awards (formerly the ), and has won 14 times.
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In August 2005, Stohn received a commendation from the Government of Ontario reading in part: "You are no stranger to Canadian show business, having worked, and excelled, in nearly all facets of the industry. You seem to have worn every possible hat—from performing artist to accomplished entertainment lawyer—and, in doing so, have amassed an incomparable wealth of knowledge and experience. Your skills and expertise have stood you in good stead, propelling you from success to success. Whether producing the internationally acclaimed television series or playing a key role in the development of Epitome Pictures, you take on challenges in a manner appropriately echoed by the words of the legendary Samuel Goldwyn: All opportunities in the world are waiting to be grasped by people who are in love with what they are doing.''
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On March 10, 2011, he was inducted into the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame.
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On June 4, 2015 Trent University awarded him an honorary doctorate, Doctor of Letters (D.Litt. honoris causa).
Stohn was appointed to the Order of Canada in June 2023.
External links
