'COLONEL GEORGE' SHOWS WHAT HE DOES WITH A PASSION!

George Canyon, stricken with diabetes when he was just 14 and told he’d never be able to fulfil his ambition of flying a plane for the Canadian military, is still living a dream.
Friday night, the 39-year-old Calgarian said he had to pinch himself a couple times after being asked to open for Alan Jackson at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.
And the Juno and CCMA-award winning musician didn’t disappoint on this aptly named Good Time Tour.
Starting with All or Nothing and then reeling off such hits as Somebody Wrote Love, Betty’s Buns, Happy Man, Drinkin’ Thinkin’ Let It Out and Johnny Cash’s popular Ring of Fire, Canyon was embraced by a Friday the 13th crowd in the mood for hot country cats to cross their paths.
Canyon proudly shared the story of how 10-year-old son Kale requested that he write a song about him. He played the touching Just Like You and earned his first standing ovation of the memorable night.
The two were sitting in George’s pickup outside Kale’s school one morning when the song came on the radio. “He sat there with the biggest grin on his face. As a dad, that’s a pretty cool feeling and the song will always be one of my favourites.”
His music also reflects unwavering support and appreciation for the military and his songs In Your Arms Again and I Want You to Live brought out the Kleenex boxes en masse.
And about that military dream?
Well, following a handful of visits to entertain the troops in Kandahar last year, Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Gen. Rick Hillier made him an Honorary Colonel.
And the Canadian Country Music Association, knowing a good man when they see one, gave him a Humanitarian Award this year for his unselfish work.
In June of this year, Canyon launched a campaign called The Sky’s Not The Limit where he performed mini-concerts for free in airport hangars for children with Type 1 diabetes. The purpose? He wanted to inspire them not to give up on their dreams.
Canyon’s new album is called What I Do. Consider it part of this scribe’s Christmas wishlist. And the note to Santa is to bring him back to Abbotsford to perform ASAP!
FINAL LICKS – Next musical act at the AESC goes this Sunday night when ZZ Top and Charlie Major unite to rock the rink . . . Expect the next guaranteed sellout at AESC to occur when superstar Reba McEntire visits Abbotsford on March 18, 10 days before her birthday.