For a band that broke up in the 1980s and never reunited to tour or release another studio album, Triumph has found a way to remain relevant in the 2020s. When I was growing up in the 1980s, I got wind that Triumph was coming to the Hollywood Sportatorium in South Florida, and I lost my mind. I had already missed them once and was not going to let that happen again.

Triumph, for those of you folks who don’t know, was a Canadian Hard Rock band that was a trio like Rush. Their lead singer and guitarist was Rik Emmitt. Gil Moore was their drummer and other lead singer, and Mike Levine was the bassist. These three guys together created some of the greatest music that ever came out of Canada. It was one of those situations where, without each other, they could never reach perfection, but when the three were and are together, something special happens that is unforgettable.

They align like Orion’s Belt in the sky and together make their mark on the universe. They were like a three-legged stool that only stood when all three legs were there. Triumph’s musicians were serious rock ‘n’ rollers and held a master class live on stage for the world to see when it came to playing their instruments. These guys were the masters, the teachers, and they were my rock gods.

I think as a writer, what has always drawn me to this band was their lyrics. These guys were modern-day poets. They had things to say and they said them better than anyone back in the day. They sang and wrote populist songs for the masses, for the common man, while backing up their lyrics with such clear skills on their instruments. It is unbelievable that only three guys made that beautiful sound.

As a kid, Triumph was coming to town, and that was all I could think of. This time, I was hell-bent on getting great seats for the concert. I wanted to get on the floor of the Hollywood Sportatorium right in front of that stage. I wanted, I needed, I had to get the best tickets I ever had for any concert in the Sportatorium, period. Because I did not have a credit card as a teenager, the only way to get the seats was to camp out overnight at the mall. I needed to be one of the first people in line when the Hollywood Mall opened its doors at 10 a.m. and let the public in to shop.

My friend Chuck and I got to the mall the night before and were among the first few people in line on the sidewalk outside of the closest entrance to the music store that sold the tickets. As the night progressed, the sidewalk filled with people showing up with tents, blankets, and pillows to make it through the night. Chuck and I never thought of any of that.

We had to sit right on the cement sidewalk and tough it out. It was a great night. It was the first and only time in the history of my life that I sat out in front of a store and camped out overnight to buy something. For me, this wasn’t just something to buy. This was my ticket to music heaven. I had spent countless nights in my bedroom wearing Triumph albums and cassettes out. Now I was finally going to have the band sing it all for me live. It was a great time to be a Hard Rock fan in the 1980s. We had a memorable night camping out on the sidewalk under the stars. We told stories of the Hollywood Sportatorium with the rest of the headbangers on the sidewalk.

Everyone there had their Sportatorium story to tell and had their favorite band. We argued over rock bands, rock music, and live concerts. We stayed up all night with fellow-minded Hard Rock enthusiasts. A cop car pulled up to all of us and rolled its window down. He asked us who was playing this time. We yelled out, “Triumph,” but the police officer looked like he had never heard of the band. Then someone on the sidewalk yelled out, “Bad Company is opening!” and the cop’s face changed, revealing he knew that band. As he drove away, we could hear the cop singing “All Right Now” as he rolled the window back up.

The morning came, and we watched all of the mall workers go into the side doors of the mall for work that day. Two hours later, the mall doors opened up and we all sprinted towards the music store, completely abandoning any sense of fairness of who was in line or where in line they were all night. It must have looked like the Running of the Bulls to passersby. When the whole line settled in front of the register and the cash had been exchanged, I looked down at my hands and saw brand new Triumph tickets for row seven right in front of the stage. I could not believe it.

Even though Ticketmaster had already been selling tickets over the phone to people with credit cards since 8 am. I got good seats. I still ended up with the best seats I had ever had for any concert at the Sportatorium. It was like the rock gods understood what this all meant to me, and they aligned all of the stars in the universe to make it happen.

By the time I got to see them in 1986, I had no idea the band was just less than two years away from breaking up. They were touring on the Sport of Kings album, and I loved whatever they did. I was their fan, and I would stay with them and follow them in any musical direction. I loved the harder and bluesier stuff earlier in their career. All I know is these three guys produced the best music I have ever heard, and on December 6, 1986, I walked into the Hollywood Sportatorium and took my seat in the seventh row right in front of the stage.

The opening band that night was Bad Company. It was the year 1986 that Bad Company replaced their lead singer and gave Brian Howe the reins. The former lead singer, Paul Rodgers, went on to form a super group called The Firm, and for me, Brian was the perfect replacement for Bad Company. Most people sided with Paul Rodgers and his version of Bad Company, but that was easy to predict. People voted with their hearts most of the time, but it must be said that the Brian Howe era was kick ass and was just fine for my taste. Bad Company sounded excellent that night.

I had such a good seat, I was afraid to leave for even a bathroom break for fear of losing my spot. After the opening band, the lights went back on, and I stood there just waiting for my boys to appear. Suddenly, after a time, the lights went dark and the curtain once again was lifted, but this time Triumph had the stage. The first thing I realized was that the lights that always appeared spelling out Triumph behind the band were way brighter in person than watching it on MTV.

I could feel the heat of the bulbs when the band’s name would light up behind the drum set. The band opened up with their classic “Fight the Good Fight,” and I was screaming and going nuts. I was so close. I felt like they could look into my eyes. I was like some schoolhouse bitch waiting on the tarmac for the Beatles to get off the plane but fuck the Beatles, they sucked, this was Triumph. I melted into a stew of groupie, real fan, and teenage angst all in one. I must have screamed throughout the entire first song because the next thing I knew, the band transitioned into the next song off their latest album, “Tears in the Rain.” I was just learning this new album, Sport of Kings, and hearing this new song live almost made my head explode.

The band played the songs “Spellbound” and “Somebody’s Out There,” and I just knew at that moment this was the best band in the history of music. My proof came when they played “Magic Power” and “Lay It on The Line” with such perfection. By the time they played “Follow Your Heart” and their guitar and drum solos, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the Canadian band Triumph had no peers. They were the best Hard Rock band in the world, period. December 6, 1986, was the only time I ever got to see Triumph play live. A couple of years after that night in 1988, Ric Emmett left the band, and they broke up forever from their original form.

Phil X replaced Ric on the band’s tenth album, Edge of Excess. They had some live albums released, post-breakup, including one reunited show in Sweden, but for us fans, there would be no Triumph reunion. On March 10, 2007, Triumph was finally inducted into the Canadian Music Industry’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel. All three original members of the band showed up for that well-deserved event. I believe it is now time for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio to welcome these three master musicians into their ranks. It has been long overdue.

All I have left is all the music they created, my memories of seeing them play live, and their images on my computer for my desktop to my screensaver. It will remain there until I die. I carry their music with me still. I will always be a Triumph fan. I’m an old man now in my fifties as I write this, and I have played their music to my daughter her whole life. She is in college now, and I convey to her a timeless message from Triumph. I tell her to listen to her heart and “Hold On” to her dreams.

I thought that was it for the band, and then to my utter delight, they came out with a documentary called “Rock & Roll Machine,” and they were back on the lips of music fans. On May 13, 2022, their global premiere happened, and I got to see the film. Of course, I am biased, and I acknowledge that, but it was a good film. The animation that was used was so smart and helped tell the story. It brought me back in time and brought me to tears. I only wish that the end we got to see the three songs they sang for the Super fans who were surprised and lucky that they, and they only, got to see the trio after all these years play live. Man, I wish they would release that film!

Then, Triumph’s song “Hold On” was selected as the anthem for Music Monday 2025 in Canada. Thousands of students and musicians across the country participated in a nationwide sing-along of the song on May 5, 2025, according to the Coalition for Music Education in Canada. This event aimed to raise awareness of the importance of music education in schools. So, you see, I know how to pick a band. All of this Triumph swirling around after all these decades was a treat for me; it made me proud that I picked the right band to follow for a lifetime.

Just when I thought it was all over with Triumph in the news, my childhood friend Kenny texted me and told me that there was a tribute album coming out that honored Triumph, sung by many of our favorite musical artists. I was blown away. A star-studded tribute album to the Canadian rock band Triumph, titled “Magic Power: All-Star Tribute to Triumph,” is to be released on June 6th, 2025. The album features a diverse lineup of musicians, including Sebastian Bach, Nancy Wilson, Joey Belladonna, Slash, and more, covering classic Triumph tracks. The project was conceived by Mike Clink, known for his work with Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, and Whitesnake. Triumph released a few songs from the album that kicked ass with Nancy Wilson of Heart, Dee Snider of Widowmaker (one of my favorite bands), and Sebastian Bach of Skid Row and I loved all three remakes! So, in the end, all I can say is, thank you, Gil, Mike, and Rik, and in the words of Triumph:

“Something’s at the edge of your mind

You don’t know what it is

Something you were hoping to find

But you’re not sure what it is

Then you hear the music

And it all comes crystal clear

The music does the talking

Says the things you want to hear”

C. Rich

C. Rich is the voice behind America Speaks Ink, home to the America First Movement. As an author, freelance ghostwriter, poet, and blogger, C. Rich brings a “baked-in” perspective shaped by growing up on the streets and beaches of South Florida in the 1970s-1980s and brings a quintessential Generation-X point of view.

Rich’s writing journey began in 2008 with coverage of the Casey Anthony trial and has since evolved into a wide-ranging exploration of politics, culture, and the issues that define our times. Follow C. Rich’s writing odyssey here at America Speaks Ink and on Amazon with a multi-book series on Donald Trump called “Trump Era: The MAGA Files” and many other books and subjects C. Rich is known to cover.  CRich@AmericaSpeaksInk.com

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