Canadian country music recording artist Murray Williams played one of his first shows at the Burford Fairgrounds more than 40 years ago.
He did so again on Friday night, as the opening act of the 2022 Country Roots Music Festival.
The two-day festival was a dream come true for Williams and his daughter Carolyn Aucoin, wanting a way to support Make A Wish Canada that seeks to fulfill the wishes of children with critical illnesses.
The father-daughter Brant County residents witnessed the positive impact on a family member who was granted a wish trip, citing it as a main motivator to put on the festival.
“It’s been an exciting weekend,” Williams said. “We made sure to let people know what it’s all about, and people have been very generous.
“We’re well on the way to make a good contribution to Make A Wish Canada. People are already asking about next year.”
After performing as the opening act, Williams spent the rest of the festival running the sound board and helping set up between bands.
“It’s beyond what we expected,” he shared. “There are almost 100 trailers in the camping area. They were lined up here for two hours before we opened for campers on Thursday.”
Aucoin was equally as busy throughout the weekend, co-ordinating volunteers and doing a myriad of tasks behind the scenes.
“I wish I could have been here as an attendee and take everything in,” she said. “But I got little glimpses here and there. When I went to see my Dad at the sound board, I turned and said, ‘there are people here.’”
The line-up of performing artists included: Murray Williams Band; Mike Pollard; John Atlee Band; Mackenzie Leigh Meyer; Michael Warren; Greg Williams; Naomi Bristow; John Anderson; Southbound; The Darren Hancock Band; Jess and Tay; Jesse Slack; Sarina Haggarty; and Jason McCoy.
Haggarty, a 23-year-old pop singer/songwriter from London performed a short set and shared her story as a Make A Wish recipient.
“I had brain surgery when I was 16, and then I became a wish kid,” she said. “It’s amazing what Make A Wish has done, and I feel very fortunate to have been involved.”
Haggarty’s wish to perform on a big stage came to fruition when Canadian artist Shawn Mendes let her take the stage at his 2017 concert in Cleveland, Ohio.
Since then, she has traveled to Arizona and Ireland, and will soon be touring the United Kingdom.
By the time headliner Jason McCoy took the stage Saturday evening, about 1,000 people sat in lawn chairs and the beer garden to see the 25-year Canadian country veteran perform hits from both his solo career, and his country-rock band The Road Hammers.
At one point during his performance, McCoy paid homage to the late Terry Sumsion – one of his favorite singers while growing up — by performing Sumsion’s hit song Our Lovin’ Place.
Sumsion lived in nearby Harley, Ontario and enjoyed a successful recording career in country music before passing away in 2011 at the age of 64.
Jordan Shaw of Wellesley and his wife Tricia were among those who camped for the festival.
Frying burgers in a cast iron pan on a Coleman stove outside their 32-foot house trailer, Shaw admitted to being a big fan of the John Atlee Band, and smaller music festivals.
“It’s not like you’re going to a big show like Garth Brooks where there are 50,000 people, and the crowd drowns out the music,” he said. “Here you get to hear them play and feel their feeling. To me that’s what it’s all about. It’s a really nice hometown feeling.”
