Adam Gregory is from my home of Edmonton, Alberta. I have been lucky enough to work with him a number of times and have gotten to know his family quite well. Adam is as you see, a great guy that cares about others. There is a reason he was awarded the Slaight Music Humanitarian Award at the 2013 Canadian Country Music Awards. He is just that guy. Adam is one of those rare artists that hit it big at a very young age. At 15 years old, just into high school, his first release, Horseshoes, went to Number 2 on the Canadian Country charts, with his second release, Only Know I Do, reaching Number 4 that same year. Horseshoes has this line "like Gretzky on a breakaway", only in Canada. It's a blessing and a curse at that age, never having a chance to have learned the business side. He released six songs off that first album, The Way I am Made and never really saw that chart success again. His second album, Workin' On It, saw him work with Billy Ray Cyrus, still with long hair but no broken heart. It's actually a cool tune, When I Leave This House. It's a song from this album that I have chosen to add this week, The World Could Use A Cowboy....
....The lyrics in the chorus sum it all up, "run those bad guys right outta town, round 'em up and hunt 'em down, the world could use a cowboy right about now". It's about right. The world is going sideways and Adam has several references to the white hatted, good guy, the cowboy that evokes that imagery of doing right by others. Three lines say most of it, the first, "tell you what the world could use, is a little John Wayne kind of attitude." If that doesn't tell you that the world needs a little ass kickin' then I don't know what does. The of the three, "I tell you what the world could use, is a Roy Rogers and Trigger too." This sends that picture of the white knight on his trusted steed running through my mind. I am not quite old enough for Rogers, but that classic picture of him or even the Lone Ranger on horseback, their mount rearing up on it's hind legs, a tip of the hat and an "adios ma'am." What is more classic save the day? Well, that would be the last of three lines I am speaking of, "tell you what the world could use, is the cavalry riding to the rescue." I mean, that is something so many of us have even said in our lives. Okay, maybe the younger folk are saying, huh? There is a saying and I have no idea why, but we used to say, here comes the cavalry, when someone was coming to someone's rescue. Now I have never asked Adam about the lyrics, as I don't know songwriter David Martin, but at that time the world was going to hell in the proverbial handbasket. And to be honest, I feel like it still is. Man, the world could use a cowboy.
You can learn more about Adam Gregory here:
About The Curator - Jazz Matthews
I have been in the music business for just over ten years. It started simple enough. Bring my favorite artist to my hometown and enjoy the show. It was easy. I knew the artist and his management. I never thought it would grow like it has. Since that May of 2007, I have produced over 100 shows, managed two artists, produced two CDs and multiple singles, released 4 tunes to radio on our label and put my artist in front of some of the biggest names in Canadian country music. To quote one of those artists, “It Started With A Song”. It all did. Today, I continue in all those roles. Doing what I love on a daily basis is reward enough. Listening to new artists is a bonus.