Deborah Cox is being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame decades after the industry closed its doors to her. Here’s how she feels about it

When most kids were mowing lawns or babysitting for some extra cash, Deborah Cox was doing session work and getting paid to sing at only 12 years old. The fact that she is who she is today — a platinum-record-selling artist and actor — is no surprise. But what might come as a surprise to some people is that Cox had a tough time getting her career off the ground at home in Canada. Even though her talent was so clear, she was rejected by almost every major label in the country. It wasn’t until she moved to the U.S. that her career really took off and she became a legendary artist in R&B and beyond. Now, she’s being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. She told Tom Power her story, about being honoured by Canada and how you hold the present with the past.