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by Luanne Hunt With all of life’s uncertainties, there’s one thing country music singer/songwriter George Canyon knows for sure — he was born to fly. The Nova Scotia native originally dreamed of becoming a pilot in the Air Force but had to give that up after being diagnosed with diabetes. However, since 2004 Canyon has been soaring the heights of fame with chart-topping singles, hit videos and countless awards. No one is more surprised than him by his amazing ascent. “Before
all of this success, I made a decision to try to be content with what
I was blessed with,” says Canyon, who released his fourth studio
album Classics in October, 2007. “But then everything took off and I’ve
been continually shocked by what has been bestowed upon me and my family.” In 2003, Canyon began looking for opportunities to take his music to the next level as a solo artist. It wasn’t long before he was on his way to open auditions in Alberta for the USA Network’s country music competition Nashville Star. “I didn’t want to go at first, but my wife convinced me I should at least give it a try,” says Canyon, who lives on a ranch near Calgary with his wife Jennifer and two children. Although Canyon didn’t take home the top prize on Nashville Star, his runner-up finish put his career into overdrive. He signed a recording contract with Universal South in Nashville and released his debut album in 2004, One Good Friend. During its first week, it rose to No. 1 on the Canadian Country Soundscan charts. It produced four top singles, “I’ll Never Do Better Than You,” “My Name,” “Who Would You Be,” and “One Good Friend.” Three albums later, Canyon’s success continues with Classics, a collection of 13 standard country tunes made famous by legends such as Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, and George Jones. Among them are: “Ring of Fire,” “Okie From Muskogee,” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Alberta family-man and country star George Canyon,
Canyon put a great deal of effort into making the songs sound as close to the originals as possible. “This is the album I’ve always wanted to make,” says Canyon, who now records on the Universal Music Canada label. “It was a labour of love to record these songs that influenced me so many years ago. It was important for me to keep the arrangements true to the original in the hope that when people listen to this it recreates the magic I experienced when hearing these songs on the radio the first time ’round. “The music takes people on a little road trip and the fans keep telling me how it brings back so many memories for them.” Taking people back
to simpler times has become a trademark of Canyon’s
music. While so many of today’s country songs centre on immoral
behaviour, his tunes are wholesome and uplifting. Canyon’s song “My
Name,” from One Good Friend, is
meant to comfort those who have suffered a miscarriage. (Canyon wrote
the song for a friend who lost her unborn baby.) The video of the single
went to No. 1 on CMT Canada. Additionally, Canyon recorded a song in
honour of the Canadian Forces called “I Want You To Live.” In
2007, it was nominated for Canadian Country Music’s (CCMA) Video
of the Year and Video Director of the Year. Canyon is also a three-time fan’s choice for Entertainer of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards (ECMA). He is the recipient of a Juno Award, as well as five CCMA Awards and five ECMA Awards. Canyon, who has performed at the Grand Ole Opry several times, credits his spiritual beliefs for helping him to remain a positive force in the music industry. He was raised by Christian parents who instilled in him strong morals and a deep faith in Jesus Christ, keeping him on track and providing him with the strength to resist the pressures that often come with a career in show business. “The almighty dollar is such a driving force in this industry,” says Canyon, whose musical influences include Charley Pride, Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley. “There’s a lot of opportunities to do things that aren’t right just to make lots of money. But I never do anything that I know God wouldn’t support. “And I have never been shy about standing up for what I believe in. I think everyone knows by now that’s what I’m about.” Despite his convictions, Canyon recently went through a difficult patch. He struggled with feelings of guilt for putting worldly pursuits ahead of his relationship with Jesus. But as he sat down to write a song one day, God spoke to him in an unexpected way. “I was getting ready to write some songs ... and I turned the TV on like I always do when I’m writing,” Canyon tells Living Light News. “I usually keep the volume down low, but there was a movie on called Facing The Giants that I felt compelled to watch all the way through. It’s a Christian film about a football team that had to learn some hard lessons about putting God first in their lives. “You want to talk about getting slapped upside the head? Wow, the movie was a wonderful awakening. I realized how foolish it was of me to have been putting so much emphasis on my career. When I fall off the road, God always brings me back.” Canyon hopes he won’t be veering off his
path again anytime soon. But even if his humanity fails him, he trusts
in God’s promise
to never leave his side. Knowing Jesus as His Lord and Saviour provides
him with the assurance he’s headed in the right direction. He adds, “I look back to when I first started in the music business and I see how God laid out the entire path before me. He was there from the beginning and He has never left me, even when I wasn’t there for Him.” photo courtesy 604 Records
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