Dr. Glenn Graham stands out as one of Cape Breton’s most sought-after traditional fiddlers, while also embracing roles as a composer, songwriter, music instructor, published author, and academic. His deep-rooted connections to Cape Breton's musical heritage are particularly notable through his maternal lineage, as he is a member of the esteemed Beaton family from Mabou. This family has a long history of producing a myriad of musicians, including fiddlers, piano players, Gaelic singers, pipers, poets, composers, and dancers. Among his notable family members are his mother Mary and grandmother Elizabeth, both skilled pianists, his uncle Kinnon Beaton, a celebrated dance fiddler, pianist Joey Beaton, and fiddling cousins Andrea Beaton and former Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald. His grandfather, Donald Angus Beaton, is remembered as one of the island's most esteemed fiddlers and received the East Coast Music Awards' Stompin' Tom Award posthumously. Glenn's father, Danny Graham, is a talented Gaelic singer, while his other grandfather, Alex Graham, was a step dancer. Oral tradition indicates that Alex’s grandfather, Stephen, was also a notable step dancer, emphasizing the continuation of step-dance traditions brought by Gaels to Cape Breton prior to the 1840s. Additionally, Glenn’s lineage includes Gaelic style fiddler and grand-uncle Alex Francis MacKay and acclaimed Cape Breton composer Dan R. MacDonald.

Growing up in Judique, Glenn was immersed in Gaelic culture, frequently hearing his father and grandparents converse in Gaelic. His early education included learning Gaelic words and phrases from his father before he reached school age. Glenn's public performance debut occurred at the age of 7, when he sang a Gaelic song alongside his father at a concert in Glendale, Nova Scotia. At 10, he and some cousins received violin and music notation lessons from uncle Kinnon Beaton for about a year. Although he stepped back from practicing for a few years after these lessons, they laid the groundwork for his later dedication to music, which began in earnest at age 15. He honed his skills by listening to both home and commercial recordings of the Beaton family and took additional lessons from Stan Chapman and later from Little Judique fiddler Neil Beaton. Glenn became largely self-taught, seeking guidance from his parents and Kinnon and Betty Beaton as needed. His learning approach included studying tunes from various books, extracting melodies from recordings, and observing older musicians at concerts and dances. He gravitated toward the "Mabou Coal Mines" fiddle style, drawing inspiration from fiddlers such as Donald Angus Beaton, Kinnon Beaton, John Morris Rankin, and others like Alex Francis MacKay, Buddy MacMaster, Jerry Holland, and Howie MacDonald.

In 1996, Glenn released his first solo album, Let ‘er Rip, while completing a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Political Science at St. Francis Xavier University. The following year, he collaborated with Rodney MacDonald in the studio, resulting in the album Traditionally Rockin’, which was nominated for two categories—Instrumental and Roots Traditional Artist of the Year—at the 1998 East Coast Music Awards. The duo, known as "Rodney and Glenn," quickly became popular for special events, festivals, and dances.

In 1999, Glenn embarked on a solo career as Rodney transitioned into politics, releasing STEP OUTSIDE in July 2000. This album featured contributions from his sister Amy, who is a singer-songwriter and step dancer, which enhanced Glenn's songwriting and singing. As a result, he received ECMA nominations in 2002 for Male Artist and Roots Traditional Artist of the Year. In 2004, he recorded with the Beaton Family for the Smithsonian Folkways label, followed by his 2005 release, Drive: A Traditional Cape Breton Fiddle Recording, which received a nomination for Roots Traditional Solo Recording at the 2006 ECMAs. This album included some of Glenn’s original compositions and showcased his distinctive traditional style. His 2007 release, Decade: A Compilation, featured 18 tracks from his previous recordings, along with "Silent Heroes," a previously unreleased vocal piece written by Glenn, featuring Amy on lead vocals. Glenn has composed a vast number of tunes, and in 2010, he published The Glenn Graham Collection of Cape Breton Violin Music, a book containing over 200 original compositions alongside a few collaborative pieces. Another collection of his works is set for release in 2023. His original compositions have gained recognition from music publishers and recording artists, appearing in international television series such as Dawson’s Creek and Party of Five, in various CDs and compilations, television specials, independent films, and DVD productions.

Glenn has performed at numerous venues, including the Chicago Folk Festival, Milwaukee Irish Fest, California’s Villa Montalvo, the Celtic Colours International Festival, Stan Rogers Folk Festival, Lunenburg Folk Festival, Saint John Festival By the Sea, Granville Green Concert Series, and the Wayne Gretzky Invitational, among others. He was part of the inaugural Cape Breton Live on Tour production, which toured Quebec and Ontario in November 2006 alongside prominent Cape Breton musicians. In terms of education, Glenn has taught at institutions such as the Gaelic College in St. Ann’s, Ceolas in South Uist, Musicamp Alberta in Red Deer, and the Celtic Arts Foundation Winter School in Seabeck, Washington. When his schedule permits, he continues to perform and teach fiddle across the Maritimes, Canada, the Northeastern United States, and the United Kingdom.

Academically, Glenn has taught at Dalhousie University, St. Francis Xavier University, and Cape Breton University, where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor in L'nu, Political and Social Sciences. He previously held positions as an Assistant and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Science at St. FX. Glenn is also revising a new book, currently in the "R & R" stage with University of Toronto Press, and has published articles in journals such as the Journal of Canadian Studies and the Canadian Political Science Review. His research interests include electoral redistricting and health policy in Atlantic Canada. He completed his PhD in Political Science at Dalhousie University in 2016 and was awarded the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Scholarship/Fellowship from SSHRC. His dissertation focused on regionalism and region-building in Cape Breton within historical and global contexts. He also holds a Master's degree in Atlantic Canada Studies from Saint Mary’s University, where he is recognized as a notable alumnus. His Master’s thesis examined the evolution of Cape Breton fiddling in the context of globalization, and he published a peer-reviewed book, The Cape Breton Fiddle: Making and Maintaining Tradition, in 2006 with CBU Press, which has been cited by numerous scholars. Glenn is also dedicated to sustainable regional and community development, having completed related accreditation from the University of Cambridge, and he previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique, Nova Scotia. He resides in Lower South River, Antigonish County, with his wife, Dr. Claire Hamilton, and their children, Alec and Eva.