Stuart McLean

Stuart McLean is the host of the Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio, in which he performs humorous story-monologues about the Toronto family of Dave, who runs the Vinyl Cafe record store; his wife, Morley; their teenage daughter, Stephanie; and their younger son, Sam. Often involving mishaps based around well-intentioned deeds and ideas that don't work out quite as intended, McLean delivers the stories in a droll, inviting manner that's both satirical and affectionate. He's written three short-story collections based on the Vinyl Cafe tales (Stories from the Vinyl Cafe, Home from the Vinyl Cafe, and Vinyl Cafe Unplugged), and has also issued several spoken word CDs of live performances of stories used on the program.

In addition to his Vinyl Cafe projects, McLean has worked as a radio documentarian, journalist, and CBC broadcaster. Author of the books Welcome Home: Travels in Small Town Canada and The Morningside World of Stuart McLean, he is also a professor at Toronto's Ryerson University. McLean has been performing excerpts from the Vinyl Cafe in live concert since 1998.