Barry Canning
Who: Barry Canning
What: Melodic, polished pop-rock
Where: St. John's NF
To Contact: (709) 726-6497, barrycanning@hotmail.com, www.barrycanning.com

The 12 songs on his debut CD, Soul Parade, released this past August, build a strong case for Newfoundland's Barry Canning as a rising singer-songwriter. The first single, "The One", has garnered a lot of radio airplay, with "Didn't Know It Was You" released as the follow-up. Canning has a knack for writing catchy melodies and well-developed, polished song structures. While his songs would generally fall into the catch-all category of pop-rock, there's also an underlying rootedness to the music. Combined with his fine vocal abilities, it's a winning combination. Literally. At the 2001 Music Industry Association of
Newfoundland & Labrador (MIANL) awards, Canning walked away with "Male Artist of the Year" and "Best Pop/Rock Artist of the Year" honours. Of his music, and the title Soul Parade, Canning says: "A lot of the songs were based on people and things and music and relationships that kind of inspired me, came into my life, and left my life. I usually try to use stuff that's relevant to me and I know that other people can understand as well, and I try to stick to that." When I spoke to him in
mid-January, he was looking forward to this year's ECMAs in February, where he was invited take part in a songwriters' circle alongside such notable peers as Bruce Guthro, Jimmy Rankin and Gordie Sampson. Pretty good company to be in. At the rate he's going, Barry Canning better get used to it.