The 54th annual JUNO Awards will be hosted by Michael Bublé live from Vancouver on all CBC platforms Sunday, March 30, 2025. As a prelude to the Awards CBC has compiled three wonderful music documentaries that are free to stream on CBC Gem.

The JUNO Awards Collection celebrates all things musical with documentaries including GODDESS OF SLIDE: THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF ELLEN MCILWAINE , the story of a pioneering female guitarist; BORN TO BE WILD: THE STORY OF STEPPENWOLF, about how the iconic rock band got its start in Toronto; and THE STONES AND BRIAN JONES, exploring the band’s early years. See below for more details, and be sure to catch these great presentations.

GODDESS OF SLIDE: THE FORGOTTEN STORY OF ELLEN MCILWAINE is a feature documentary about the legendary, and largely forgotten, Canadian singer and musician, Ellen McIlwaine, who fought for her right to play the slide guitar, a male-dominated instrument in a male-dominated world. Eight months after arriving in Greenwich Village with no prospects, Ellen found herself opening for the biggest blues legends in the world, like Odetta, Richie Havens, and Mississippi John Hurt. But it’s the six magical nights a young fearless redheaded Ellen ignited the stage with Jimi Hendrix that changed the course of her life.

Goddess of Slide features appearances from Taj Majal, Ani DiFranco, former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, blues singer Amanda Marshall, Michael Jackson and Jeff Beck guitarist Jennifer Batten and Canadian expat musician and producer Colin Linden, among others. Jimi Hendrix once approached her after one of her sets at the infamous Cafe Au GoGo to ask if he could sit in with her on stage. For six magical nights, McIlwaine and Hendrix ignited the stage together. Even internationally renowned DJ Fatboy Slim sampled her sound.

 

Born in Tennessee, McIlwaine moved to Japan at the age of two with her adoptive missionary parents and attended an international school in Kobe. It made for an unusually multicultural upbringing, particularly for someone growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. It also introduced her to a wide variety of international music while she soaked up Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Professor Longhair tracks she heard on Japanese radio.

She moved to Greenwich Village in 1966 and began finding her own groove. While there, she began opening for blues and folk greats, warming stages for Odetta, Richie Havens, Buddy Guy and Mississippi John Hurt. She began a residency at New York’s Cafe Au Go Go that paid her $1.50 per night. For six months, she played two sets a night for six days a week.

Within a few years, she had moved to Woodstock and formed the psychedelic blues outfit Fear Itself, releasing one album with the band before embarking on a solo career that produced two acclaimed records for Polydor. In 1974, her label released The Guitar Album, a compilation that features a who’s who of axemen who were on the label at the time. That included Link Wray, Eric Clapton, Roy Buchanan, Rory Gallagher and T-Bone Walker. McIlwaine was the only female guitarist on the album.

Constantly moving from one city to another, McIlwaine became a Canadian citizen in 1987. Her sense of belonging to a new country allowed her to pursue her career on her own terms. She remained on the margins, but she felt accepted and immersed herself wholeheartedly in the Toronto music scene. She even made an appearance on MuchMusic in 1987 to promote her new music video. She would eventually settle in Calgary in 1992.

More recently, she spent her later life quietly in the Bankview neighbourhood of Calgary, where she took a job driving a school bus for an all-girls charter school. For someone so talented, she should have been a bigger name in the music industry than she was. However, sexism in the industry, a lack of proper management, and unsupportive record labels are identified as culprits, but McIlwaine was also an artist who wasn’t willing to compromise and always stood up for what she believed in.

BORN TO BE WILD: THE STORY OF STEPPENWOLF takes viewers on a ride through the legendary band’s journey from their roots in war-torn Germany, to becoming hard rock pioneers in California. This rock documentary explores the evolution of Steppenwolf, from their early days as Sparrow in Toronto’s vibrant music scene to their rise to fame in the 1960s. The film highlights the unique blend of German heritage and blues influences that defined their sound, featuring rare footage and interviews with key members like John Kay, Nick St. Nicholas, and Michael Monarch.

THE STONES AND BRIAN JONES features revealing interviews with all the main players and unseen archive released for the first time, THE STONES AND BRIAN JONES explores the creative musical genius of Jones, key to the success of the band, and uncovers how the founder of what became the greatest rock’n’roll band in the world was left behind in the shadows of history.

Watch all three for free anytime on CBC Gem.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.