Greeley's New Album Includes Tribute to Dad
Written by Ashley Fitzpatrick, St. John's Telegram Tuesday, October 13, 2009
On the road last week promoting his new self-titled album, pausing on a drive between Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Upper Island Cove native Jason Greeley said life, right now, is good.
That's despite being on the road just about every day.
"In the last four days, we've covered about 1,200 kilometres. It's quite a bit of going," said Greeley of his national CD promotion tour.
It is a tour, however, he is not about to complain about.
"Not at all, not after 15 years of trying," he said.
The national tour is following the release of the single "Usually" in July and the full self-titled album on Sept. 29.
"This album is very much a tribute to my dad," Greeley said.
The singer said he was living in Newfoundland in 2006, enjoying the notoriety that arrived with his fourth-place showing in 2004's Canadian Idol contest and the selling of some 12,000 copies locally of his debut CD: "Live, Love, Sing," when he was offered the possibility of a record deal.
The deal, with Royalty Records, required him to move to Western Canada.
Greely said it was his father who encouraged him to make the move.
But Greeley's father had been diagnosed with cancer, and the singer was ready to call off the move.
"(Dad) said, 'You can't do that. You got to do what you've got to do. You've got an opportunity here to make a career for yourself,'" Greeley said. "He passed away back in August of last year."
Greeley co-wrote five songs for his new album with Denny Carr in Nashville.
He said he told Carr he had to include a tribute song for his father on the CD.
"It took me a long time to be able to talk about it, or even sing the song, but it became a healing thing for me I guess," Greeley said.
"He was proud and he was strong/ never complained just moved along/ He would turn to me and say/ You gotta do what you gotta do," sings Greeley in "What You Gotta Do (Dad's Song)."
"It took three years, but it's worth the wait now - having what we have in regards to the album," he said, also giving credit to the album's producer, Canadian Country Music Award-winner Joel Feeney.
"We're getting national radio play right now," Greeley said. "In the new year, we're going to be getting on tour."
Fans, he said, can expect to see show dates in Newfoundland.
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