James McGill--Behind the Music

  I grew up in a small town of five thousand people called Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.  It was three hours to the nearest town.  We were very poor and did not have TV or other distractions for most of my growing up years.  When I was young I would entertain myself by playing for hours outside in the forest or on the beach.
  As I got a little older, I began to become aware of the outside world.  The two main loves of my pre-high school years was music and hockey.  I loved watching the Oilers, especially Gretzky, and being on the ice.
  I also loved music.  It was harder to be exposed to many artists in those days.  My parents had a record player and records of Elvis, Kenny Rogers, and other artists of the 70's and 60's.  I still love Kenny to this day.  At this time I started to listen to the radio a lot and when I got a cassette player, to record my favorite songs.  I could then take these recordings with me on the fishing boat to entertain me for the endless hours on the water (with my walkman).
  I remember listening to groups such as Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, which still are favorites to this day.  Somewhere along this time period, I discovered the man that would be my favorite artist for the next twenty or so years to the present day, Corey Hart.
  I remember listening to his songs over and over.  I was struck with how the lyrics actually meant something and were not just about getting laid and partying.  And while I enjoyed songs like Sunglasses, they were not my favorite Corey Hart songs.  I loved the slower songs with their depth and layer of meanings and beautiful melodies.  To me, as a person that listens to all different kinds of music and many different artists, Everything In My Heart and Never Surrender, can stand with any of the greatest songs I have ever heard.  There is no doubt that while Corey may not have the pure power and vocals of an "American Idol" style singer, his song writing chops rank up with the greatest ever.  My favorite artists are singer songwriters that write their own music and have unique voices.  I love Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty (not so much the writer, but definitely the unique voice), Sarah MacLachlan, Adele, and many others.  They all are unique sounding and bring honesty and integrity to their music just like Corey. To me, Corey stands shoulder to shoulder with Paul Simon and John Lennon as a songwriter.
  The song Jenny Fey I had not really listened to much until this year (I only had the early albums growing up).  It is such a beautiful, powerful song.  I keep listening to it over and over again.  And, now that I have read his description of how Corey wrote it, it is that much better.  It is a beautiful tribute to a beautiful mother.  It reminds me of my mom except I was not able to save my mom and keep her with me.
  There are only a few celebrities I have ever been impressed with.  Wayne Gretzky and Corey Hart were my boyhood idols, and neither one has let me down.  Wayne was always described as a even better person than a hockey player, which is pretty high praise when you are the best of all time!  The same could be said of Corey.  I have gotten to know a few celebrities better over Twitter and Facebook.  Some have suffered in comparison to their legend, such as Alton Brown (unfortunately--check out his Twitter feed).  Corey, however, did the seemingly impossible, and has risen in my estimation even more.  Corey interacts with his fans on Facebook weekly answering questions and even giving his fans nicknames (mine is Coach de University McGill!!).
  And while I was too shy to go up and meet Wayne the few times I had a chance (I was even too shy to say hi to Glenn Sather and Ted Green when walking past them at a WHL game), I was finally able to get up the nerve to email Corey on his website.  Amazingly, he emailed me back!  I also, besides getting a nickname, have gotten several shout outs from him on Facebook.  This meant the world to me as I initially thought he was ignoring me but was simply overwhelmed by the legions of fans that are now swamping his Facebook page.
  I do not know how long this can last for Corey as he keeps getting more fans and it becomes more and more difficult to be so gracious.  I am eternally grateful for a celebrity that actually cares about his fans and is not just in love with himself.  I respect Corey so much for walking away from fame and fortune to care for his family.  As someone who loves his kids more than anything in this world, it makes me care that much more for a man that was willing to leave it all behind to ensure that his kids had a father that was present in their childhood.
  My family left Port Hardy for another small town that was even more isolated for my high school years.  It was very tough for me initially as I loved my friends, my school, and hockey.  I hated leaving my idyllic childhood behind.  But I took Corey with me to high school and I have never stopped listening to his music for courage and inspiration.  The words of songs like Never Surrender helped curb my homesickness and gave me the strength to get through high school and math!
  I have been to a few live concerts and they have been great. But, by the time I could go to concerts, Corey was out of the limelight.  The most influential performance I ever saw, was the Corey Hart CBC special.  It resonated with me and I loved hearing about Corey's creative process and how he wrote songs.  I also remember getting choked up listening to Goin Home.  It then and now I reminds me of my hometown and the times I have been back just driving around looking at the places and memories of my childhood.
  Corey is doing at least one more concert next year and I hope to fulfill one of my life dreams and see him in concert. If there is any way possible, I will be there.
  Thanks Corey for being a truly great person and an inspiration to all your fans.