Dan Kanter was Justin's guitarist and musical director.
Relationship[]
“We hit it off right away. I think one of the reasons we had such great chemistry was because at that time he’d been living in Atlanta for so long, and I was the first person in a while he could chat with about hockey and Tim Hortons and The Tragically Hip. So we really had that connection.”[1]
Dan Kanter got married in October 2010, and Justin came and performed with the wedding band.[2]
On 7 March 2011, Justin pranked his fans by announcing that Dan Kanter had quit and he would never forgive him for what he did and five minutes after that happened TMZ called Scooter asking for the exclusive scoop on what Dan did to quit.[3]
Advice Dan has given to Justin is to put the music first. They talked about how it's so important for him to remember the kid in his bedroom posting videos on YouTube and dreaming about this.[4]
“Whenever we do these acoustic shows, he goes on without a set list,” Kanter explains. “I don’t know if we’re going to play 40 minutes or three hours. And I don’t know the song we’re going to play literally until he tells me.”[1]
Career[]
Dan Kanter was contacted in summer 2009 by Universal Music to join up with Justin Bieber after a stint promoting Shiloh, a Canadian progressive techno duo. “It was the summer of 2009. Justin was appearing on MuchMusic and they were looking to bring in a second guitar player to thicken up the sound, but also someone who could join the team as a musical mentor who would eventually become musical director.”[5][1] Dan Kanter met Justin in a hotel in Toronto.[6] When he started with Justin, a lot of the musical directing that he was doing was coaching him: working with him on his blocking and his singing, and even on just holding a microphone properly.[1]
Dan is a big Phish fan and played their songs during the very James Bond-esque chase video for “She Don’t Like the Lights” at the Believe Tour.[7]
In 2016 they ended their long-term cooperation for the time being. Dan said about it: "Thx to everyone for asking. It’s true I won’t be on this tour. JB, the team, & I will always be family & support each other.".
Trivia[]
- Dan threw guitar picks away every concert to someone in the audience.
- Fans written and performed a song for Dan called Dan Kanter Song.
Credits[]
My Worlds Acoustic (2010)
- One Time (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- Baby (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- One Less Lonely Girl (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- Down to Earth (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- U Smile (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- Stuck in the Moment (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- Favorite Girl (Live) [Acoustic Version] (producer)
- That Should Be Me (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- Never Say Never (Acoustic Version) (featuring Jaden Smith) (producer)
Believe (2012)
- Be Alright (writer / producer)
Believe Acoustic (2013)
- Boyfriend (Acoustic Version) (producer / guitar)
- As Long As You Love Me (Acoustic Version) (producer / guitar)
- Beauty and a Beat (Acoustic Version) (producer / guitar)
- She Don't Like the Lights (Acoustic Version) (producer / guitar)
- Take You (Acoustic Version) (producer / guitar)
- Be Alright (Acoustic Version) (writer / producer)
- All Around the World (Acoustic Version) (producer)
- Fall (Live) (producer)
- I Would (producer)
- 2009: One Time (My Heart Edition) (guitar)
- 2018: Hard 2 Face Reality (co-writer / co-producer)
- 2020: Lean on Me (producer / guitar)
Unreleased
- 2014: Raise the Bar (writer / producer)
- 2014: Bella's Sister (Ship To Shore) (writer / producer)
- 2014: Guarded (writer / producer)
Gallery[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Krewen, Nick (June 15, 2012). "Dan Kanter on the mad life at Bieber’s side". Toronto Star.
- ↑ Doyle, Patrick (February 17, 2011). "Justin Bieber’s Guitarist Dan Kanter Speaks About Working With the Teen Phenom". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ "Dan Kanter and I Talk Justin Bieber, The Next Star And Egg Rolls". MSN. July 27, 2014.
- ↑ Shea, Courtney (August 14, 2014). "The secrets behind Dan Kanter’s un-Beliebable success". MuchMusic.com.
- ↑ Verner, Amy (September 10, 2010). "Pulling the strings for Justin Bieber". The Globe and Mail.
- ↑ "Dan Kanter, the man beside the Biebs". MuchMusic.com. November 25, 2010.
- ↑ Halperin, Shirley (November 19, 2012). "Meet Justin Bieber’s Musical Director and Guitarist: A Phish Fanatic With a Pop Palette". The Hollywood Reporter.