The Peirson Ross Band Born in Toronto, Ontario Canada, Ross was steeped in folk music from his youth. His formative years were spent listening to: Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Beethoven Richie Havens, Peter Gabriel and Neil Young. He went to public school at Lawrence Park Collegiate, when he learned to play the guitar. As a young adult, Ross enrolled in Kings College, Dalhousie to study Literature and Anthropology. While a university student, Ross began performing in local clubs and coffee houses and was first discovered by John "Wheels" Hurlbut, an engineer who has worked with artists such as James Taylor, The Band, Sarah McLachlan, Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Daniel Lanois and U2. Wheels introduced Ross to the studio world and helped him produce his first two records. Many accounts of Ross have focused on his stories of the homeless and his cross-country adventures as a wilderness guide, but a large part of his enduring popularity is due to his meticulous songwriting, odd guitar tunings, lyricism and soothing voice.