Musical career
He was initially active in music as leader of the band Chester Knight and the Wind, in which he was the sole constant member; other supporting musicians over the band's lifetime included his brother Vernon Knight on backing vocals, [3] bass player Darryl Ross, [3] lead guitarists Malcolm Pooyak [3] and Todd Duncan, [7] and drummers K.K. Nogada, [3] Robin Turner [7] and Hal Schrenk. [8]
In 1996 the band released its debut album Freedom, [9] which was shortlisted for Best Aboriginal Recording at the Juno Awards of 1997. [10] Falling Down followed in 1999; [11] in addition to its Juno Award win, the album won a Prairie Music Award [12] and an Aboriginal Music Award. [13] The following year, Falling Down was reissued in the United States with the alternate title Windfall. [14]
Knight released the album Standing Strong in 2002 as a solo artist, [15] although he still toured under the band name. [16] Guest musicians on the album included Brandon Friesen, Lucie Idlout, Derek Miller and Paul Carrack. The album was again a Juno nominee for Aboriginal Recording at the Juno Awards of 2003, [17] and Knight won Songwriter of the Year for "Cochise Was a Warrior" at the Aboriginal Music Awards. [18] In 2004, his music video for "Love Fades Away" won the award for Best Music Video at the American Indian Film Festival. [19]
With his band now consisting of his sons Lancelot and Daniel, a new album was in the planning stages in 2004. [16] The album did not materialize, although Knight continued to perform selected festival tour dates in Western Canada. [20] [21]
In 2013, he released "Idle No More (Tomahawk)", a song inspired by the Idle No More activist movement which was his first new release since Standing Strong. [22] He followed up in 2015 with the single "Indian Girl". [23]
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