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Canyon
upholds family values
By JENNY FENIAK -- Edmonton Sun
He
loves God, his family, our troops and life in southern Alberta.
George
Canyon also loves playing music and is bringing his family friendly
country music to the Jubilee Auditorium Monday night.
Having
just stepped off his bus in Lloydminster, Canyon took a few
minutes
to chat with the Sun about the whirlwind he's been caught up
in over the
last couple of years, and the array of projects he has slated
for the near
future.
Canyon,
which is a performing name established 13 years ago, grew up
in
Pictou County, Nova Scotia. where music was a part of everyday
life.
"I
had a wonderful musical upbringing," says Canyon, whose
mother still
sings. "I look back at it now and go, 'Wow, was I ever
lucky.'"
He
has two children with his wife Jennifer, who at one point worked
three
jobs so Canyon could focus on his music career 100%.
In 2004, it was his wife who convinced Canyon to audition for
the second
season of Nashville Star. As a runner-up, Canyon was thrust
into the
spotlight of the country music scene at the same his debut album
One Good
Friend was released by Universal Music.
That
album reached No. 1 on the Canadian country charts its first
week out
and won the 2005 Juno for country recording of the year. Somebody
Wrote
Love, his follow-up released in July, has already garnered successful
singles, including his edgiest song Drinkin' Thinkin'.
The
song's video features Mike Smith, a childhood friend who plays
Bubbles
on the cult favourite Trailer Park Boys. And in return, Canyon
is acting
in the series' final three episodes of the year.
"My
character's a very upstanding American forest ranger, so there's
no
cursing for me or any of that," says Canyon. "They
were very conscious of
me, of who I am and what I represent."
Without
going into details, Canyon is also appearing in a cowboy flick
with a couple of big-name actors.
With
gospel and new full-length albums in the works, Canyon's busy.
But
for now, "I'm just going to enjoy and be thankful for what
I'm being
given."
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