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wrtreaux) cumNIcuz - Wednesday. November 20. 2012 - 21 . â€"â€"~â€"â€" WW l g A night at the Opry ’ O O U C , Canadtan country star George Canyon celebrates the classws at Humanities Theatre BY BOBVIMNM: $1”. Iifilif'lv;j‘.ft;i*‘4'?L;.$_ ._ 1: , it even includes a radio £30151 fluflm_ ___7 t. %W‘i”'iiw§';; ' , g- . ' ‘ . announcer introducing each song jig-1%.“? v.5; View ; .: , > just like you would have heard on \‘t'll his natne is a throwback -. *.’sfis ‘. . ‘;s‘\,3’t*‘:* 12f; . -‘: " the traditional radio broadcast. E to the golden age of the _ , we; 2 fliw‘fif ”1’25; “Really it’s not me that's the Grand Ole Opry. so it's no ‘ ‘ « ' . i ”in . _‘ ., .. 3‘”?ng 73.33“"; theatrical part. it's our tour man- surprise that Canadian country ' . . , . ‘15-'15" ‘93 v" ej%éi «4,3 ager Rick who comes out and is crooner (ieorge Canyons~ latest .. it”, doing the WSM radio announcing ’ tour will bring the best elements just like the Opry." said Canyon. of that musical heritage back to “He's doing the theatrics of saying life this l~ritlay at the University of ' this segment is brought to you by Waterloo's Humanities'lheatre. I ’ _ blah. blah. blah. and we're busting iispectally since the tour is in . ’ a gut listening to him because he support of his latest album. Clas. . « puts on a full radio voice like the stcs II, which revisits the music 4 old fellow used to do it at the and moments that served as the . ' Opry.” soundtrack to his life. it includes The combination of music and I?» of the greatest country songs . ‘ theatrics has been a hit with the ever recorded, including his ver~ e7. audience since he opened the tour sion of Rhinestone Cowboy. He's in Saskatchewan. not alone in thinking so. as the “lfthat's any indication ofwhat first album he recorded of country we can expect on the tour it will be staples. Classics I. released in amazing,” said Canyon. “There 2007. went gold in Canada. ‘7" was laughter. there were tears â€" “This is the stuff i grew up on.” “ these songs bring back so many said the Juno Award-winning memories. singer. "The fans made Classics l I, . “To me music is about sharing, go gold. so I figured they're saying ‘ " it's not just standing up there and what they want. let's see ifwe can ‘ . playing and waiting for the do it again. applause and then you leave. it's ’We had a list of 50 songs and a about sharing the stories and we whittled it down to 15 songs. § b sharing your heart when it comes and it was so much fun to record ‘f ' to these songs and you really hear this.” ' it from the fans. - (anyon. who got his big break "They come up to you and say as the runner-up on Nashville Star Canadian country crooner George Canyon is touring in support of his latest album, Classics II. which recalls the ‘My granddad used to sing this 2 on the Nashville Network back in golden era of the genre and the songs he grew up with. Mom song'. or ‘My mom used to see me i 2004. said the hardest part was this song and it means this to me.’ :‘ settlingon the final list. Every song County. N.S.. before settling in my career blossomed I finally and put them all together and liust love that." .' he recorded had a story to tell and Alberta. was immersed in East ended up getting to do my own recreate it to a degree so that peo- The tour wraps up in Alberta : was linked to a moment in his own Coast music tradition and hasa lot stuff. But with 25 years in the pie who might not have gone, or just in time for the holidays and ! life. That included the l0 long of musical influences Those musi- music business. I can play some of may nevergo. get to experience it. the devout family man said it will 1 years of trying to make it as a cal influences were apparent on those songs again.” “I've played at the Opry many benioe celebrating Christmas with ' musician before he became an his last two albums. What I Do and It's not just the music that will times and have been blessed to do his children. But a month on the ‘ overnight sensation. Better Be Home Soon. when he be a throwback. it will be the per- that. so it’s a real cool experience.“ road with these old standards is a ‘ “It was a bit heart-breaking in recorded the old Crowded House formance itselfas Canyon and his That includes wearing the nice traveling companion to have. some ways because there were hit for another gold record. He band are doing a bit ofa theatrical rhinestone suit for the perform- “Me and the boys in the band 3 songs I really wanted to have on also worked with 1980s hit maker restaging of the famous Grand Ole ance of the namesake song, and were talking and for years we all there like The Gambler. because Richard Marx. ()pry shows. it shouldn‘t be a up other elements of the radio and played in bar bands and were try- I'm such a huge Kenny Rogers 'I grew up on all these genres of prise from a performer who has stage show that has become syn- ing to get away from playing these tan." said Canyon. “For me. it was- music. i was very blessed that branched out into acting in the onymous with country music. songs and playing your own stuff.” n't just growing up on these songs. way.” said Canyon. “But it was last few years, including TV and ”We've got the foot lights and said Canyon. “And here we are a I played these songs daily along these old country songs that kept movieappearances the mike stands and the Opry bunch of grown-up kids really, with folk songs and Celtic songs tugging at me. 'What we did was recreate the background. and it's classic coun- grinning ear-toâ€"ear getting to play and rock songs." “I played them in bars and l Grand Old Opry.” he said. “We ty from the first song until wewalk Rhinestone Cowboy and Blue Eyes Canyon grew up in Pictou played them in pubs. and when took the Classics l and Classics ll oflthe stage.” Crying in the Rain." . . U 1‘ :‘ BLACK FRIDAY SALE TILL SUNDAY 4PM \t‘i \\ / . “4' “WIN '- - - .' a. J ‘ ‘ . i . .. ,. writ] t w - ;. are“ i 2011 - ‘ - c" ; 2’5, ‘ " . . t x‘ . . . .1 .t ‘ ' ,' : ‘ f v . . . . . L y . ‘ I)i|-('QP‘, tilt- ~y’ 5 “a t ~ -. ~ ,..§->}’ «51;» " ”‘ ' a» fig)?” s" a 38;“ '1‘?“ we (if ‘ tea brldg Kin - I. -~ Gelaytwmtwsc Jam» l