Biggest
names in country music love Merritt
Merritt rolled out the red carpet over the weekend, and here
is just some of what the stars thought of the Walk of Stars
gala event.
Always
a huge supporter of Merritt, Aaron Pritchett believes Merritt
has been instrumental in his climb to the top of the Canadian
charts.
“In
a lot of ways this is where I got my start, and I’ve
always kind of held it close to my heart, to be honest,”
he explains. “I love the murals here, and the stars.
It is important to me to come back and support country music
and help get people up here.”
He
says through the years he has enjoyed watching the project
and the passion behind it grow. Now when he comes here people
recognize him and approach him. He says it is rewarding to
see that and makes him appreciate Merritt that much more.
Although
he has seen his mural on a number of occasions and has endorsed
his star, he still finds it a bit overwhelming.
“It
is still surreal to look behind me and see there’s me
in a 12 foot mural – me in the large scale – because
I have to live up to that.”
He
says he is a pretty down-to-earth kind of guy, and he doesn’t
want to ever do something in his life that makes them want
to paint over his mural.
Pritchett
says he enjoys supporting the Walk of Stars projects and the
community. He now makes sure he mentions it everywhere he
goes.
“Word
gets around and I think all of us as artists really appreciate
what Merritt and the Walk of Stars has done for us, and we
talk about it as much as possible.”
This
summer he looks forward to releasing his somewhat controversial,
and his favourite, new video and to work on breaking into
the United States. If you want to check out what’s new
with Pritchett go to www.aaronpritchett.com.
Singer
songwriter Deric Ruttan took time out of his busy recording
schedule to play a few songs for Merritt.
Not
only did he perform at the gala on Friday night, but he also
took part in a star unveiling event on Friday afternoon, the
songwriters circle Saturday night and the closing party at
Cactus Annie’s on Saturday night. He says it was an
exciting weekend, and he’s glad he escaped Nashville
long enough to take part in it.
He
says it is an honour to have a star in Merritt’s walk,
but the most overwhelming part is how much work goes into
the WOS project.
“I
was immediately impressed with how seriously they take the
promotion of country music,” Ruttan says. “Their
support of Canadian talent is really impressive.
It’s
great to have them in our corner.”
He says the murals and the stars are an great example of what
a community can accomplish together with a bit of heart and
a lot of hard work.
He
says it is because of projects like Merritt’s that the
Canadian country music scene is stronger than ever.
“It
boosts the morale of the domestic artists and makes them feel
great about the path they have chosen.”
Ruttan
says he has been trying to return to Merritt ever since he
first came here and put his hands in cement, but his busy
writing schedule made it impossible. This time the date fit
in to his schedule, so he was glad to return.
“I
was happy when they called. I am always eager to show my support
for people who have a real passion for supporting country
music.”
Ruttan
is ready to release his first single in a year and his first
album in almost four years. He says, although his success
as a songwriter has taken away from his recording career,
he is confident his fans will enjoy his newest ventures.
If
you want to see what else is new with Ruttan check out www.dericruttan.net.
Rising
star Brett Kissel returned to Merritt just after his 17th
birthday to take part in the Walk of Stars festivities.
He
says as much as he enjoyed every part of the weekend, the
highlight was playing in the bar with The Divorcees on Thursday
night.
“We
just really clicked playing stone-cold country music.”
He
says it is exciting playing with some of his heros in country
music like Aaron Pritchett.
“Playing
with him is just fantastic because he is paving the way in
many ways.”
Kissel
is still not off the high he felt last summer after making
a star in downtown Merritt, but he says there have been a
lot of exciting events for him in the last year.
Not
only is his fan base growing, but he is reaching a younger
crowd with his traditional style of music.
He
also has some exciting news for his fans.
“I
want my fans to know I grew facial hair,” he joked.
“It only took five months but I grew it to play with
The Divorcees.”
If
you want to know what else is new with Kissel, check out www.brettkissel.com.
George
Canyon was the headliner this weekend, and he says it was
a huge honour to take part in the event and to see his mural
for the first time.
He
didn’t hesitate to come back to Merritt when the Walk
of Stars called.
“When
someone does that kind of thing for me, the least I can do
is do what I can to say thanks.”
He
says having a mural is indescribable.
“I
just sing songs. It’s not rocket science. It is a huge
honour to be part of something so big. If I die tomorrow it
will still be there. It’s my legacy, and I’m proud
to have it. There are certain things I dreamt of, certain
things I hoped I would have in my life. That’s not something
I could ever have dreamt of – it’s huge.”
He says the mural is right up there with playing the Grand
Ole Opry.
He
believes what this project is doing for Canadian country music
is extremely important. He says it is easy to get lost in
an industry that competes with the United States in this country
and can’t compete with them in their country, so the
more opportunities that are available to artists the better.
“This
is our home, this is where we’re from – doing
things like this helps to show bands and the industry that
we have talent here that we are very proud of.”
He
says this will only make the industry in Canada even more
healthy.
Canyon
believes Merritt is doing all the right things, but he says
they can always do more. He points out that it is essential
that the city promote itself more and that it gets word out
that it has a lot to offer the industry and the country.
He
says the timing couldn’t be better to see his star and
mural alongside so many greats in the industry as he is currently
working on an album of classics. He says he may even include
some of the photos from Merritt on his album cover.
To
find out more about what Canyon has in the works go to www.georgecanyon.com.
As
they rolled into town, The Higgins almost felt like they were
coming home.
In
the past six months the group, made up of John, Eileen and
Kathleen Higgins, have spent a lot of time in Merritt.
“We
love coming back,” Eileen explains. “When we come
along the curve in the highway we know we are almost there.
I feel like Merritt is really getting to know us and us them.”
She
says that is important to them, especially as a family group.
Last
fall The Higgins made a star, and Eileen says they still haven’t
quite gotten over the excitement the star created for them.
“We
were so surprised and honoured to leave our mark on the community.
We always have a ton of fun when we come here, and we hope
to keep coming back.”
The
group has a new CD in the works and they are excited to share
it with their fans. If you want more information on this group
go to www.higginsmusic.com.
