Truly Canadian acoustic music in the style of Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot.

10 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Modern Folk, COUNTRY: Bluegrass



Details:
Blu Hopkins is a performing songwriter from B.C.âs southern interior. Born in Fort Smith N.W.T. he was surrounded by folk music and musicians as a child.
When his family moved to southern Ontario their house was the home of many a late night "jam session" with local and touring musicians playing tunes âtill the early morning hours. These early influences were the stimulus for Blu to begin songwriting at about age ten. At fifteen he hit the road, his troubadour lifestyle carrying him across Canada from coast to coast, hitchiking and riding freight trains, performing on the streets of cities and towns from Halifax to Vancouver.

Blu has worked logging, in sawmills, as a trucker, a railroader, a farmer , a heavy equipment operator and a mechanic, but he has returned to songwriting and performing full time for the past eight years. Often compared to Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot, his storytelling songwriting style reflects the breadth of his experience as well as his traditional roots.

Blu has appeared with Roy Forbes, Jim Byrnes, Bill Henderson, Ben Mink and Veda Hille and played Bluebird North Songwriters Showcase at he invitation of Shari Ulrich . He has also opened for Kelly Joe Phelps, Allen Dobb, Roy Forbes, Todd Butler and Ken Hamm. With his multi instrumentalist wife Kelly, he has performed at The Pemberton Folk Festival, The Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, The Whatshan Lake Music Festival, The Sorrento Bluegrass Festival, The Coombs Bluegrass Festival and many other festivals and clubs across B.C. He and Kelly regularly share the stage with Valdy and Gary Fjellgaard on their tours of the B.C. interior.

Blu has been a nominee for the Okanagan Music Awards seven times in various categories, including, "Songwriter of the Year" , "Male Performer of the Year" , "Bluegrass Artist of the Year" , "Roots Album of the Year" for his Album "Canyon Wind" and with his band Silvercreek as "Folk Roots Band of the Year".

Blu has released two albums to critical acclaim. The first, "Never Say Never" in 2000, and the second, "Canyon Wind" produced by Roy Forbes and recorded at the venerable Mushroom Studios in Vancouver, in 2004. His latest project with his band Silvercreek, entitled "Homegrown" is scheduled for release in late of 2007.

Blu & Kelly keep busy looking after their two dogs, working, songwriting , and performing as well as producing and recording several projects of their own and other artists in "Silvercreek Studios", their basement recording studio which threatens to take over their home.

"Great songs...I was reminded of Stan Rogers with a little Lightfoot thrown in...I loved "No Life on the Brine" and "Hyland Valley Mine" with their "in the gut" message.....these songs deserve a wide audience."

...Robert Bateman

" his delivery and story telling songs are instantly and intuitavely relatable....with his lived in baritone, he connects easily and is the real deal...the warm friendliness of his music speaks honestly and without pretense"

...Dean Gordon-Smith
The Morning Star