Drew Gregory wins male artist of the year

Melissa Strle
Times Reporter

 

Local country singer Drew Gregory won male artist of the year at the first annual YYC Music Awards (Calgary’s Music Awards) at the National Music Centre in Calgary on Sept. 25.
The awards were designed to give recognition to the achievements of Calgary’s music community, and a variety of music genres were recognized.
An industry panel selected all the artists and winners.
Gregory, who lives in Strathmore with his wife Erinn and nine-month-old son Ty, said he didn’t really know what to expect at the awards but, “It was awesome.”
He also said it was “a little bit shocking” to receive the male artist of the year award.
Gregory enjoyed seeing all the different music genres at the awards including the different pop, rap and rock bands.
“I’m sure they’re all the best at what they do in their genre. But being in the country genre, I wasn’t as familiar with some of them so I really didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “It was really cool to see some local talent in Calgary that I don’t usually get a chance to get out and see.”
Jason Hastie and The Alibi, TwoShine County and Lindsay Butler were all up for awards, and Gregory said that they all come from a “pretty tight knit” country music community in Alberta and southern Alberta.
Gregory’s manager Angie Morris from Sirroma Entertainment was at the award show to support the country singer and commended the singer for his talent.
“It’s amazing, it’s incredible, it’s awesome. It’s quite an honour, especially being the first inaugural awards – that says a lot about him,” she said.
She added that Gregory is “very capable and deserving” of the award and noted that “he’s having a very good year.”
Gregory also won the Association of Country Music in Alberta (ACMA) Male Artist of the Year award last January in Red Deer.
Gregory’s I Was There album was released last March. The title track “I Was There” was the first single released and has appeared on the Canadian country music charts.
Different radio stations have started picking up Gregory’s latest single “All About It,” and he said the track has been very well received and is also hitting the charts.
Gregory started playing guitar when he was in Grade 10 and performed at parties where everybody encouraged him to start singing.
“I started guitar a little later than most do when they’re serious about music but I think I just always had that love and passion for it,” he said.
He didn’t start taking it really seriously as a career until about six or seven years ago.
“Seven years ago I took my first trip down to Nashville and when I came back from that, I thought that’s what I really want to do as a career.”
He’s been going strong ever since.
According to Gregory, his grandfather was the one family member who was involved in playing music; however, music was always in the house when he was growing up, and he always turned up the radio while driving and listened to his dad’s records.
The singer said the only thing he wanted to do when he got home from school was “crank up the amps and play guitar. We’re just such lovers of music. I think that’s what gave me the passion to want to pursue it as a career,” he said.
Performing is Gregory’s favourite part of the industry.
“That’s where I feel most at home and that’s what I want to be doing,” he said. “I love performing – I want to be on the stage as much as I possibly can.”
The singer grew up in Standard, Alta. and still farms there on the family farm.
He cites being inspired to sing from “just living in the country,” with lots of time to sit out on the tractor and the grain truck and think about and write songs.
“I’ve always tried to pull from real life events,” he said. “I think each one of my albums has been in the moment of where I’m at in my life.”
In August, the singer performed at the first Country Thunder concert in Calgary, which also drew big name acts like Tim McGraw. He also performed at Nashville North at the Stampede.
Going forward, the singer has a lot going on, He will be performing at Bar None at the University of Alberta in November with Aaron Pritchett. Then in October, Gregory will perform at Wild Bills in Banff. This will be followed by a performance at the Ranchman’s in Calgary at the end of October for Halloween.