Canyon
is a country whiz
By DAVID SCHMEICHEL
They're
aren't too many people out there who'd be thrilled to win a
Cheez Whiz award. But to country crooner George Canyon, that
honour represents the highest praise available.
"It's
the fan's choice award, so it's the big one," Canyon explains
during a rare break in his hectic schedule. "I'm still
in shock that I won it last year, so to be nominated again this
year is pretty amazing."
Canyon
spoke to the Sun a full month before the 2006 Canadian Country
Music Awards were held in Halifax. At the ceremony, he lost
out on the Cheese Whiz award (to Montreal-born Terri Clark)
but did score trophies for male artist of the year and single
of the year. And, as he explained beforehand, he sees awards
shows as more of an opportunity to catch up with old friends
than a chance to be feted by peers or fans.
"They
are a great thing to have for country music here in Canada,"
said Canyon, who struggled in obscurity for 14 years before
being catapulted to fame as the runnerup on American talent
show Nashville Star. "It lets the fans see all their favorite
performers, all at the same time, and it's great for us (performers)
because we all get to see each other, which we don't get to
do when we're on the road. As for the awards, well, music is
kind of in the eye of the beholder."
Despite
having been in the business for some 16 years, Canyon says there's
still no way to prepare for award shows or to gauge the trends
that might favour certain artists over their contemporaries.
"For
me it's just about enjoying the time I'm there," says the
lantern-jawed 35-year-old, whose last album (Somebody Wrote
Love) spawned the hit of the same name for which he was honoured
last month. "It's a good way to celebrate the health of
the industry and our pride in being part of such a tightly knit
family."
Canyon,
who recently shot a cameo for the season finale of TV's Trailer
Park Boys, has a few theories on why country music is experiencing
such a surge in popularity.
"Part
of it is that country music is real," he says. "The
music itself is about real people in real situations, so you've
got to live it a bit before you can get into it."
And
catching a country act live is an even more visceral experience,
which explains why Canyon doesn't have to think too hard about
whether he'd rather be recording or performing.
"Getting
out there and performing, definitely," he says. "The
entire process is fantastic, but getting out there and performing
is the cat's meow. There's nothing like seeing it in the audience's
faces, and hearing it in their applause. Hopefully not in their
boos, of course, just their applause."
Tickets
to Canyon's concerts can still be purchased through Ticketmaster
(www.ticketmaster.ca or 780-3333) for $35.50.
---
GEORGE
CANYON
Tomorrow
@ The Burt.
With
David Gunning & Gord Bamford.
