Carl Dixon

Carl Dixon was at the height of his musical career as the lead singer of the iconic Canadian band The Guess Who, when he was almost destroyed – mentally, physical and financially – in a head on car crash. He was left with a brain injury, assessed as having 75% disability and PTSD. On top of that he could no longer work, his family fell apart and his business advisor left him with a mountain of debt.

Yet with perseverance, Carl survived the accident and went on to rebuild his career and reinvent his life, achieving six-figure success. Today he is back on tour as a solo artist and with his original band Coney Hatch.

Carl’s inspiring story of how he overcame adversity can be applied across business to personal, mental health & worker safety.

More about Carl Dixon:

Carl is a legendary Canadian rock musician who originally hails from Sault Sainte Marie, in Northern Ontario. He was signed to his first international record deal at just 22-years old with his break through band Coney Hatch.

Carl toured North America, opening for Iron Maiden for 40 shows and Judas Priest for 27 shows. He went on to tour with some of the biggest names in North American music. Carl became lead singer of The Guess Who after Burton Cummings left the iconic Canadian band. Carl held that position for eight years until he suffered a head on car accident in Australia. It was 2008 when Carl took leave from The Guess Who to sort out family issues in Australia but the stress took its toll. Distracted and worried while driving at night, Carl was involved in a horrific head on car collision in rural Victoria. He sustained 52 injuries including traumatic brain injury, crushed legs and crushed internal organs. Trapped in the mangled car wreck for one hour and forty-five minutes there seemed little hope.

Remarkably, ten years on, Carl Dixon is walking tall. His rescue by dedicated volunteers and emergency surgeons and staff in Australia is the stuff of legends. His unlikely survival was followed by family and business difficulty. When the dust settled his business was in tatters and he was left with a mountain of debt.

Doggedly Carl returned to doing what he loves: music. His injuries caused him to rethink his approach and Carl became an author and inspirational speaker sharing his survival story. Ten years on from his accident Carl sings better than ever, he’s rebranded his business to six figure success. His book of memoirs was published in 2015. In 2016 he had a triumphant return to The Guess Who as special guest, then he returned to touring as a solo artist and with his original band Coney Hatch to sell out events!

Carl Dixon talks about:

Carl’s story of rebuilding his life and coping with traumatic brain injury is inspiring, remarkable and entertaining as he weaves his story in words and music with a dynamic video backdrop.

• The five pillars of rebuilding
• Survival of the organism
• No illusions
• No fear, no weakness
• Perseverance & mental health
• Collaborate for the future