40 Years of Sawyer Brown With Shenandoah and George Fox Presented by Centre In The Square

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.

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." 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.