The Mike Little Legacy Fund - Music For Life (MFL) has been established to carry forward a lifetime devoted to music, mentorship, and community. This fund exists to honour keyboardist Mike Little’s legacy by continuing the work he cared about most: music education, mentorship, artist development, and creating opportunities for future generations of musicians.

After successfully beating cancer TWICE, it returned, having spread to his brain. This change was rapid and unexpected but was met with bravery, humour and positivity. Mike continued to play, to practice, to create, and to teach through it all. His love of serving others through music gave him purpose, drive, and comfort to his very last day.

For over 40 years, Mike Little dedicated his life to music. He always knew it was his destiny. As a Hammond B3 organist, Mike was widely regarded as one of the finest of his generation, earning the respect of fellow musicians and establishing himself as one of the most recorded keyboard players in North America. Mike performed on more than 1,000 recordings, hundreds of radio singles, and over 30 Top 40 hits. His work contributed to multiple Gold and Platinum records, two JUNO Awards, and countless projects heard around the world. A twenty-time CCMA nominee and three-time CCMA Keyboard Player of the Year.

Throughout his career, Mike performed and recorded with artists including B.B. King, Richard Marx, Colin James, Johnny Reid, George Canyon, The Rankin Family, Long John Baldry, and many others. As a studio musician, touring musician, producer, educator, and collaborator, his influence can be heard across hundreds of recordings and performances throughout Canada and beyond.

For more than 20 years, he also built and operated KLM Backline, supporting live music across Western Canada by providing instruments and technical expertise for touring artists, festivals, and major productions. Behind the scenes, Mike helped make live music possible for countless musicians and audiences.

Yet none of these accomplishments fully explain who Mike was.

Above all else, Mike was a teacher and mentor.

He learned from some of the greatest musicians of his generation and carried those lessons forward with one belief at the center of everything he did: if you are given knowledge, you must pass it on. His greatest legacy was not the music he played for himself - it was the music he shared with others.

Over the course of his career, thousands of students passed through his lessons, many going on to successful careers in music, performing and recording with Grammy Award winning artists and major touring acts around the world. Teaching was never something he did alongside his career. It was the heart of it.

Nothing brought him more joy than watching someone discover their skill and style on an instrument and realize what was possible for them. He loved being part of that moment when everything ‘clicked’.

One of Mike’s proudest accomplishments was Universe of Keys, the global online music education community he built alongside his wife and musical partner, Candace Lacina. What began as a shared vision grew into a thriving educational platform serving more than 1,000 active students and reaching a growing online community of over 40,000 musicians worldwide. Universe of Keys became a living extension of Mike’s passion for teaching. Through it, he mentored, encouraged, and inspired musicians every day, continuing to create lessons and educational content right until the final days of his life.

Their creative partnership also gave rise to The Hello Darlins, the internationally acclaimed Americana collective that became a significant part of Mike’s artistic life. Making music with Candace was one of his greatest joys and their work together reflected the deep connection they shared both personally and musically.

Music was never simply Mike’s career. It was his purpose and his way of serving others. He practiced his instrument daily - and always wanted to keep growing and learning.

Those who knew him understood that he was most alive when he was teaching, creating, producing, collaborating, and helping others grow.

Even in the final chapter of his life, Mike never stopped creating.

One week before his passing, he released his debut solo Hammond Organ album, Keys To The Universe, fulfilling a lifelong dream after decades of performing, recording, teaching, and collaborating. The album reflected everything he loved about music and the life he built within it.

On the final day of his life, he was still teaching, recording a lesson for his students, sending studio tracks and and continuing to share his knowledge, generosity, and passion. He gave his all - to the very end.

That was Mike - offering musical gifts of love - to the very end.

The Mike Little Legacy Fund Music For Life exists to continue that spirit by supporting music education, mentorship opportunities, scholarships, artist development, and initiatives that help musicians pursue their dreams. Mike spent his life opening doors for others. This fund keeps those doors open.

Every contribution helps ensure that his legacy continues far beyond the recordings he made, the stages he played, and the businesses he built. It creates opportunities for future musicians to learn, grow, create, and experience the same sense of purpose that music gave Mike throughout his life.

His music lives on. His mentorship lives on. His generosity lives on.

And through this fund, so do the opportunities he spent a lifetime creating for others.

MFL Music For Life -

A lifelong devotion to music.

A lifelong commitment to teaching.

A legacy built on playing it forward.

Donations made in memory of Mike will be used to establish a permanent music education legacy fund supporting musicians and lifelong learning. A committee consisting of family members and trusted colleagues will oversee the transition of these funds into a permanent scholarship structure. UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED TO ALL DONORS.