Born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1954, Holt exhibited musical ability in early childhood, playing piano at the age of four.
[1] By the time he was a teenager, Holt was a regular on the Montreal club scene.
[2] Holt also became a student of Kenny Barron, traveling regularly to New York City for private lessons with the pianist.
[2] He has worked with jazz musicians Larry Coryell, Eddie Henderson, and Archie Shepp.
[2] In 2017, he opened a health food store in Warkworth, Ontario,[4] that operates as a jazz venue once a week.