Fan's choice

NEW GLASGOW - Country star George Canyon doesn't get much downtime in his hectic schedule, but when he does he makes a beeline for home.
"It's all about spending time with Jen and the kids and playing a little hockey," he said from Vancouver on Thursday morning. "Every now and then I go into the studio but not as much as I used to, it's more pre-planned now."
A look at Canyon's touring schedule shows there's not a lot of that downtime. There might be a stretch of days when he's off here or there but for the most part he's criss-crossing the country from venue to venue. There's a period next month when he plays eight gigs in a row in eight different Ontario towns.
"We are all over the place. We've been everywhere, trying to do shows and these festivals. We've got two more weeks of festivals and then a week of prep for touring season. We tour right after the CCMAs."
Canyon does find the time to return to his roots in Pictou County too, despite the hectic lifestyle.
"I've been home a lot - a lot more than people know. I just go about my business."
In mid-November Canyon is touring the west with country music legend Alan Jackson.
Canyon has appeared with Jackson before, but this is the first time he's toured with him. He's looking forward to that as a fun time and a learning experience.
"I used to play a bit of Alan's stuff back when I started. I'm really looking forward to touring with him for a bit."
Before that tour takes flight Canyon will make an appearance at the Canadian Country Music Awards in Vancouver on Sept. 13. Canyon is nominated for five awards including the CCMA's Fan Choice Award.
"It's a big category for us," Canyon said. "Any time we get a nomination we're really happy. My guys (band) are all nominated, except for my guitar player. He's from Nashville. I told him it's another reason to move to Canada."
The county native just turned 39 and said his career to this point has surpassed where he thought he'd be by now.
"I'm way past the point that I ever dreamed of being. It's hard to believe."
With that surpassing success comes a type of fear too, Canyon admitted - fear that it could come to an end.
"In any people that are living their dreams, they think 'Is it all going to end tomorrow?' That's why I try to make the best of today and enjoy it. I'm grateful for every day."
He's also grateful for working with 80's pop star Richard Marx, who came on board as co-producer.
"It's awesome, he's one of the nicest guys. We are gearing up to start writing the second album together, it's fun. I remember listening to his stuff at the West Pictou dances. I never thought I'd be working with him."
The next single from his latest album, What I Do, started life as a basically a joke. It's called Betty's Buns and it's about his mother-in-law Betty Fehr's home cooking.
"I wrote it with my wife about my mother-in-law. Jen's not a songwriter but now she is."
Canyon said he played it for Marx, who thought it was great, and then next thing Canyon knows, the song appears on the album.
Betty thinks the song is kind of cool too.
"She absolutely loves it."
One thing Canyon loves is performing for his fans at home. He gets the chance to do that in December when he's booked for a pair of shows in Pictou at the deCoste Centre on Dec. 13 and 14.

Getting the word out
To be a good songwriter, it never hurts to be a good reader.
No one will argue that George Canyon isn't a good songwriter, and he's the first to recognize the importance of literacy.
"It's an extremely important part of growing up. My kids, they read more than I did as a kid. I didn't have to force them to. They always want to stop at Chapters. The more educated you are the better your choices will be. Madison and Kale are miles ahead of me at that age. Kale knows more about history than I'll ever know."
Canyon agrees that it helps to be a songwriter if you're well-read, but he humbly suggests that he's not a voracious reader.
"I wouldn't say I'm well-read, I read, I get different ideas. There are some entirely poetic writers out there."
Canyon said when he writes a song he goes back over it, working the song to make it more poetic with each draft.
Canyon is a supporter of the Adopt A Library Literacy Program and even has a link for it on his website.
"It's important that we get the word out there."
He's taking part in the Country Rock and Read for Kids special fundraising auction in support of family literacy at the Waterloo Public Library in Ontario.
Each participating artist is donating an autographed CD and/or other items as well.