Country Music legends Sawyer Brown, celebrating their 40th anniversary, have announced Canadian tour dates for this fall alongside Shenandoah and special guest George Fox.
Kicking off in Edmonton on Oct 17th, the run will visit multiple Canadian cities including Westoba Place at the Keystone Centre in Brandon on October 27. Tickets to all dates go on sale this Friday, April 19th at the Keystone Centre Box Office (204-726-3555), and on-line at Tickets for Concerts, Sports, Arts, Theatre, Family, Events, more. Official Ticketmaster site
When asked what has set Sawyer Brown apart in the music business to account for four decades of success, lead singer and frontman Mark Miller answers, “One of the unique things about the band is we don’t really have a lot of love songs. We have life songs.”
Years before The Voice and American Idol, there was Star Search with Ed McMahon. In the first season, an eclectic and charismatic country-rock band appeared on the show, taking America by storm. After being told no time after time in Nashville showcases, Sawyer Brown won over millions of fans with their electrifying TV performances week after week in Hollywood. Capturing the hearts of all ages, their sound was compared to country super-groups like Alabama and Charlie Daniels Band, but they looked more like the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith.
Riding on the wave of sudden TV popularity, the band spent their first year-and-a-half on the road with country and pop icon Kenny Rogers, opening his shows in arenas across the U.S., all while learning from the best. From there, Sawyer Brown began to quickly carve out their own niche, delivering hit after hit, selling out venues, and constantly wowing an ever-growing fanbase. Navigating the music business on their own terms, the band blazed a new trail through uncharted territory to constantly beat the odds and win the day in the volatile world of the entertainment industry.
Since 1984, the band’s high-energy reputation, uncompromising dedication to their fans, along with their relentless drive to stay true to themselves have never wavered. For the past forty years, “the boys” legendary live shows have captivated audiences with no signs of ever slowing down. Today, Sawyer Brown just keeps on delivering their unapologetically blue-collar, grass-roots message through music. One of their fan-favorite songs says it all: “They were searchin’ for stars when we came along, it was rock ’n roll in a country song, there were five of us thinking that we can, this is the life and times of a travelin’ band.”
Fans will also be treated to the sounds of Shenandoah. Marty Raybon and Mike McGuire formed Shenandoah in 1984 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with bassist Ralph Ezell, keyboardist Stan Thorn and guitarist Jim Seales. Shenandoah inked a deal with Columbia Records and began establishing a national fan base with their self-titled debut in 1987. However, it was the band’s sophomore effort, The Road Not Taken, that spawned their first top ten hits, “She Doesn’t Cry Anymore” and “Mama Knows.”
The group followed with three consecutive No. 1 hits, “Church on Cumberland Road,” “Sunday in the South” and “Two Dozen Roses.” “The Church on Cumberland Road” spent two weeks at the top of the chart and made country music history as it marked the first time that a country band’s first No. 1 single spent more than one week at the summit. Shenandoah became known for delivering songs that celebrated the importance of faith and family while reveling in the joys of small town life. “Next to You, Next to Me” topped the charts for three weeks and “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart,” a beautiful duet with Alison Krauss, won a Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the year and a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Shenandoah also won the Academy of Country Music’s Vocal Group of the Year in 1991.
The group currently consists of original members Marty Raybon (lead), Mike McGuire (drums) along with Paul Sanders (bass), Donnie Allen (acoustic guitar/fiddle), Andrew Ishee (keys), Nicky V Hines (guitar).
Legendary Canadian singer George Fox will open the shows. Fox has a mantle of country music awards, has recorded 11 albums, opened for some of the biggest names in country music, and headlined sold out shows coast to coast. Throughout the eighties, George opened for country greats like Randy Travis, Dolly Parton, George Strait and Willie Nelson. In 1995, George was honoured by his hometown of Cochrane, Alberta with the naming of a local roadway ‘George Fox Trail’. In 2022, George was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
For more information on tour dates, visit sawyerbrown.com, shenandoahband.com and georgefox.com.
