George Canyon

You can go ahead and just dance to the music of George Canyon, if that’s what you want. He’s a country neo-traditionalist par excellence, producing music situated somewhere between the bright and studio-tooled Nashville ideal and something a little older, with a voice that can soar with emotion or linger in a heavy bottom-end that feels like a kick in the chest from a faith healer. It’s instant.

When you see the man, with piercing eyes that hang above his square jaw, the star appeal becomes even more obvious, and you remember all those achievements – the string of hits, a shelf-full of Junos and Canadian Country Music Awards, not to mention his rocket-ride to American fame on Nashville Star 2 in 2004, and the subsequent blockbuster albums One Good Friend, and Somebody Wrote Love.

But there’s more to Canyon; a gravity evident in songs like 2007’s “I Want You To Live”, and which leaps from the title song of Canyon’s newest album, What I Do.

“If you were to pick a theme for any of my albums,” he says, “it’s always gonna be somewhat to do with my family, somewhat to do with moral issues, maybe miracles, and faith for sure. My faith plays a very important part in my life. If it wasn’t for that I’d probably be long gone. Who knows where?”

“What I Do” will resonate with anybody who’s ever raised a kid, since it describes with diamond precision the gentle act of chaperoning a child through life. Says Canyon, “My son said to me about six months ago, ‘Dad, why don’t you have any songs about me on your albums?’ And he’d just turned 10. I said, ‘You know what buddy, you’re right.’ So I wrote two songs about him on this album”.

Canyon’s praise is breathless for all of his collaborators on What I Do – and there are some surprising names that turn up in the mix. Nickelback, anyone?

Canyon’s faith and moral strength can be seen in his extra-curricular activities. He works tirelessly on behalf of Juvenile Diabetes (he was stricken at 14). When diagnosed with this disease he was told he would never realize his dream of piloting an airplane for the military. In June this year Canyon launched a campaign named, The Sky’s Not The Limit where he would fly his own light aircraft from BC to Nova Scotia making many stops in between to perform mini-concerts for free in airport hangers for children with Type 1 diabetes. His purpose was to inspire them not to give up on their dreams.

He is also well known for his support of Canada’s Armed Forces. After a handful of visits to Kandahar, Canyon was made an Honorary Colonel, by Canadian Defense minister Peter MacKay and CDS, Gen.Hillier, (it was for his involvement in these areas that he received a Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Country Music Association).

Canyon sings about things that are bigger than him, and the humility is flattering. As he says, “In country music, sincerity is everything,” which might be why the likeable 40 year-old from Nova Scotia is a rapidly ascending star on both sides of the border.