George Canyon
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| George Canyon | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Fred George Lays Jr. |
| Born | August 22, 1968 |
| Origin | Pictou County, Nova Scotia |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Guitarist |
| Years active | 1996 – present |
| Label(s) | Shoreline, Universal South, Universal Music Canada |
| Website | http://www.georgecanyon.com |
George Canyon (born Fred George Lays Jr. on August 22, 1968 to Fred Lays Sr. and Cheryl Lays) is a country music singer from Canada. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, NS (where he still owns land) before he moved west. He currently lives in Okotoks, Alberta. He also holds an appointment in the Canadian Forces as Honourary Colonel at 14 Wing Greenwood.
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[edit] Biography
George Canyon has held many jobs: he spent time working as a law enforcement officer, a slaughterhouse beef inspector, and the owner/operator of his own recording studio. He always dreamed of becoming a professional musician.[1]
Canyon is the father of two children. His wife, Jennifer, worked three jobs during the day so that he could sing at night. In 2004, George Canyon competed in Nashville Star 2. He was the runner-up in the competition, but became very well known in Canada and garnered much support, being the only Canadian to make the cut for the competition. After the competition ended, he received many accolades from fans and the industry alike. These include the top 5 hit "My Name," a Juno Award for Best Country Recording of the Year (for his album One Good Friend), and, four Canadian Country Music Awards Nominations (CCMAs) including Male Vocalist of the Year and the Fan Choice Award.
On September 22, 2007, Canyon performed at China-Canada: Hand in Hand[2]; a joint concert held in Vancouver between CCTV (China Central Television) and CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) to commemorate the 1 year countdown of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. One of the songs performed by Canyon was "What a fine Jasmine blossom". Sung entirely in Mandarin, Canyon performed the touching duet with Mandarin singer Tang Can[3].
On 9 January 2008, Canadian Defence minister Peter MacKay appointed the Nova Scotia-born Canyon to the position of Honourary Colonel at 14 Wing Greenwood, the largest air base on the east coast.[4]
[edit] Diabetes
George, who is a diabetic himself, is a proud supporter of Animas Canada who makes the very insulin pumps that he himself uses. George talks to families about diabetes, the struggles he has gone through, and how to push through. He has been very inspirational to many people with type 1 diabetes and their families. (On his official website you can read some of the touching letters from people with whom George has spoken.)[5]
[edit] Band
George's Band Consists of:
- Joe Butcher (bass)
- Stuart Cameron (guitar)
- Erick Hedrick (guitar)
- Shane Guse (fiddle and mandolin)
- Adam Dowling (drums)
- Mike Little (keyboard)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | CRIA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Heat | |||
| 1996 | Ironwolf | |||
| 1999 | George Canyon | |||
| 2004 | One Good Friend | 35 | 23 | Gold |
| 2005 | Home for Christmas | |||
| 2006 | Somebody Wrote Love | |||
| 2007 | Classics | |||
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Country | CAN Hot 100 | US Country | |||
| 1999 | "Her Everything" | George Canyon | |||
| "Enough Said" | 71 | ||||
| 2000 | "Way Too Much" | ||||
| 2004 | "Good Day to Ride" | ||||
| "I'll Never Do Better Than You"A | 7 | One Good Friend | |||
| 2005 | "My Name" | 4 | 44 | ||
| "Who Would You Be" | 7 | ||||
| "One Good Friend" | 6 | ||||
| 2006 | "Somebody Wrote Love" | 5 | Somebody Wrote Love | ||
| "Drinkin' Thinkin'" | 6 | ||||
| 2007 | "I Want You to Live" | 9 | 76 | ||
| "Ring of Fire" | 26 | Classics | |||
| 2008 | "Seven Spanish Angels"B | 46 | |||
- A Released in the US but failed to chart.
- B Current single.
[edit] Awards and Nominations
- 2004 – winner, CCMA, Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award
- 2004 – winner, Music Industry of Nova Scotia, New Artist Recording of the Year – for the album George Canyon
- 2004 – winner, Music Industry of Nova Scotia, Country Recording of the Year – for the album George Canyon
- 2005 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Galaxie Rising Star
- 2005 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Country Recording of the Year – for the album One Good Friend
- 2005 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year
- 2005 – winner, Canadian Radio Music Awards, Best New Group or Solo Artist (Country) for his single Good Day To Ride
- 2005 – winner, Juno Award, Country Recording of the Year for One Good Friend
- 2005 – winner, CCMA, Fans' Choice Award
- 2005 – winner, CCMA, Male Artist of the Year
- 2005 – winner, CCMA, SOCAN Song of the Year, for the single "My Name"
- 2005 – winner, CCMA, Single of the Year, for the single "My Name"
- 2005 – winner, Music Box Awards (Paris, France), New Artist Male US/Canada
- 2005 – winner, 2005 Nova Scotia Crystal Tourism Awards of Excellence, Ambassador Award
- 2006 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year
- 2006 – winner, CCMA, Male Artist of the Year
- 2006 – winner, CCMA, Single of the Year, for the single "Somebody Wrote Love"
- 2007 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year
- 2007 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Country Recording of the Year
- 2007 – winner, The East Coast Music Awards, Video of the Year, for the video Drinkin' Thinkin'
- 2007 – nominee, ECMA, Best Album of the Year, for the album Somebody Wrote Love.
- 2007 – winner, Juno Award, Country Recording of the Year for Somebody Wrote Love[6]
[edit] References
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This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page. This article has been tagged since June 2008. |
- ^ Biography. Official Community of George Canyon. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMrWYKUT7No#
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inXXkLw00K0&feature=related
- ^ Meet Col. Canyon, the country star. CBC. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- ^ Animas Canada. The Official Community of George Canyon. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- ^ George Canyon Awards. The Official Community of George Canyon. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
[edit] External links
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