Paul Quarrington: Canadian Novelist of Whale Music Dies at 56

Paul Quarrington was a Canadian novelist, screenwriter, playwright and musician. Born on July 22, 1953, in Toronto, he played bass in several bands.

He won the Governor General's Award for Fiction in 1989 for Whale Music, a novel about a reclusive rock star. He also wrote King Leary, which won the Stephen Leacock Award, and the screenplay for Perfectly Normal, which won a Genie Award.

He died of lung cancer in Toronto on January 21, 2010, at age 56. He was posthumously awarded an honorary doctorate by Nipissing University.

Achievements: Governor General's Award (1989), Stephen Leacock Award (1988).

Birth: July 22, 1953 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Profession: Novelist and screenwriter.

Interesting Facts: Penthouse magazine called Whale Music the greatest rock and roll novel ever written.