Meet Karen Bliss, Top 25 Women of Influence+ Award Recipient

Karen Bliss’ long career as a music journalist in Toronto includes 13 years as the Canadian correspondent for Billboard (US) and more than a hundred articles for Rolling Stone online. A freelance music journalist since her teens, her work has also appeared in Variety (US), Spin (US), Pollstar (US), Music Week (UK), Zoomer, Melody Maker (UK), NME (UK), Time, and dozens more. 

She has interviewed thousands of artists, including Kurt Cobain, Eminem, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Eddie Vedder, Lauryn Hill, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, Shania Twain, Shawn Mendes, Michael Bublé, Britney Spears, Metallica, and Gwen Stefani. Among her other ventures, she co-authored the book Music From Far and Wide: Celebrating 40 Years of the JUNO Awards. 

Karen was also a co-producer, researcher and interviewer on the music documentary Chasing Fortune, about former INXS frontman JD Fortune, which aired on Superchannel and CBC Documentary. She also founded and ran an online magazine, Samaritanmag.com, about good people trying to change bad things, for which she is seeking funding or sponsors to relaunch in 2025. 

Most importantly, for over two years she worked in secret and confidence on an investigation into an alleged serial rapist and predator in the Canadian music business, Adrian Strong, for top US trade publication Billboard. She is immensely grateful to the women who entrusted her with their story and to Billboard for their guidance and allowing her to tell this difficult story. Karen views it as by far the most important thing she has ever done. 

Trigger Warning: The following article contains details about sexual assault, which may be distressing to some readers. Please take care while reading: https://www.billboard.com/pro/canadian-radio-promoter-adrian-strong-sexual-predator/