This backup singer went from small-town Ontario to sharing the stage with Celine Dion, Bonnie Tyler

He sang with Meat Loaf, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor and Air Supply. Remember that duet of Total Eclipse of the Heart with Bonnie Tyler? He sang that, too. Rory Dodd made a career out of singing with the stars, and now he's being honoured in his hometown of Port Dover, Ont.

Rory Dodd is being honoured at home in the Norfolk Music Hall of Fame

Michelle Both · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 14, 2026 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 14

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He sang with Meat Loaf, Billy Joel, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor and Air Supply. Remember that duet of Total Eclipse of the Heart with Bonnie Tyler? He sang that, too.

Born and raised in Port Dover, Ont., Rory Dodd made a career out of singing with the stars. His voice is featured in some of the biggest hits of the 1970s and '80s.

Now, the life-long musician is being honoured at home as one of the latest inductees into the Norfolk Music Hall of Fame, alongside musicians Tia McGraff and Ian Bell.

Rory Dodd is one of the latest inductees into the Norfolk Music Hall of Fame. In 2022, he was also inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame in Ontario. (Forest City London Music Awards/Facebook)

"It means a great deal to receive that recognition from your hometown—to have people back home recognize that I made something of myself beyond just being the guy singing with Meat Loaf. It's a genuine honour," he said on CBC's Afternoon Drive.

"Coming from a small town of 3,200 people, it was surreal suddenly finding myself in studios with icons like Lou Reed, singing on Walk on the Wild Side, or recording with James Taylor and Carly Simon," he said.

From small-town Ontario to Broadway

Dodd's love for music started in Port Dover, where his mother worked as a music teacher. She had her children singing Irish folk songs early on, and by the time Dodd was four years old, they were singing four-part harmonies together, he said.

"I never learned to read or write sheet music, learning harmony by ear stuck with me. It shaped my ability to arrange background vocals," Dodd said. "We would listen to a track, figure out the arrangement on the spot, and record what was in my head."

It was when he travelled to New York to audition for Rockabye Hamlet on Broadway that he would make an impression on Meat Loaf , which would later launch his singing career.

Rory Dodd sings on stage with Meat Loaf. (Submitted by Rory Dodd)

"Being a harmony vocalist, I jumped in a third above him [while singing Wake Up Little Susie together]. He abruptly stopped, stating that nobody sang higher than him," he said.

Dodd replied: "Well, I do.'"

Meat Loaf then introduced him to Grammy-winning composer and record producer Jim Steinman, who sat him down at a piano to play through the forthcoming Meat Loaf album, Bat Out of Hell, which ended up being one of the greatest-selling records of all time.

"The sheer power of it blew me away, and I knew I wanted to be involved," Dodd said. "We spent a couple of years trying to land a record deal. When my visa status became an issue and I had to leave, Meat Loaf insisted I couldn't go back and offered me his couch, so I moved in with him."

Rory Dodd was a close collaborator of hitmaker and Grammy-winning music producer Jim Steinman, who featured him on many of the tracks he produced. (Submitted by Rory Dodd)

Steinman was a hitmaker and became close collaborators with Dodd.

Dodd stood out for his impressive four-and-a-half octave vocal range and an ability to pull off falsetto seamlessly, London music historian Mario Circelli said.

"He is the voice of thousands of songs you've heard, but never knew who it was," he said. "His catalogue is a who's who of what was happening in music in the '70s, '80s and '90s."

LISTEN | How Rory Dodd launched his music career:

Afternoon Drive12:03Southwest Sounds: Rory Dodd

Originally from Port Dover, Ont., Rory Dodd's voice can be heard all over some of the biggest hits from the 1970s and 80s, including songs by Meat Loaf, Lou Reed and Bonnie Tyler. He was just inducted to the Norfolk Music Hall of Fame.

In 1983, Dodd had backing vocals on three of the top tracks in the United States: Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart, Air Supply's Make Love Out of Nothing At All and Billy Joel's Tell Her About It.

"Walking down New York streets and hearing your own voice coming out of local stores was mind-blowing," he said.

"Eventually, hearing yourself everywhere just felt like part of daily life, almost beyond full comprehension."

'The vibe is still there'

Dodd said he still performs from time to time around his hometown with his friend Mark Hukezalie, who is known for making it big in the jingle business, and also retired back home.

"We just do it when we want, and we do it for friends that we grew up with," he said.

"We're doing it just for ourselves, just because he can still play, and I can still sing, and the vibe is still there."

WATCH | Rory Dodd on the world stage:

London is a City of Music with Mario Circelli - Rory Dodd

March 3|

Duration

5:33

London music historian Mario Circelli joins London Morning every month to discuss the city's musical roots and highlight what's happening today. Mario told the story of Rory Dodd, a name you might not recognize, but a voice you definitely will. Dodd is from Port Dover and has sung with artists from Meatloaf to Celine Dion to Billy Joel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle Both is the producer for CBC London. She has roots in rural Ontario and holds a master's degree in journalism and communication from Western University. You can reach her at michelle.both@cbc.ca.