Cancer survivor, Sean Hogan, award-winning country western musician, will bring his mid-winter Ice Breaker show to the Cowboy Ranch Wednesday, Feb. 19.
Hogan is a firm believer in always giving back and some of the proceeds from the show will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
The latest example of giving back is his lovely song collaboration called Come Hell or High Water (See What Love Can Do) Flood Relief at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhnx9D0rHFA.
When the flood hit in Alberta last June in Siksika, the homes on the reserves of the Blackfoot nation east of Calgary were damaged.
Hogan asked many of his Canadian country music friends, like Beverley Mahood, Jake Matthews, Patricia Conroy, Shane Yellowbird, Angela Harris, Pear, and Wildflower as well as actor friend Amber Marshall of the CBC television series Heartland to contribute to a music video for CMT. All proceeds from the video go to First Nations flood relief.
Many people will remember Hogan from his appearances in the Canadian Country Christmas Charity Concert Tour, that's ran for a decade and often passes through Prince George.
"It's so important when a show is successful and money is raised," said Hogan. "How it helps people out in a big way - food banks, hospital research or cancer foundations, but I definitely learned about balance in life - pursuing your personal agenda as opposed to taking care of yourself and when you take care of yourself you're taking care of your family."
Before his neck cancer, there was a lot of energy going out and not much time for any reserve at all, he added.
"You can't keep putting it out and not taking back in and I learned the hard way - stage IV cancer but here I am, cancer free for over two years now," said Hogan, who is the voice and writes commercials for Chrysler and Ford. "Having cancer puts things in perspective, I gotta tell ya', and wherever it goes is where it goes and one thing I'm not going to do is worry about it."
During the Ice Breaker show, Hogan said it's going to be about hitting the highlights.
"Essentially it's a best of tour that I'm on," said Hogan. "I've never put out a greatest hits album but that's what this show will be. Not to say that I won't put out some brand new material but it's me solo acoustic and pretty intimate and it's not promoting my recent album alone. I'll dig out some older tunes, too."
Ice Breaker is a fun thing to call it as Hogan wants the show to bring the audience a nice warm feeling.
"It's kind of a nice way to take the edge off winter," said Hogan, who's been writing lots with the thoughts of a new album in the future. "But it's just great to be out there playing my music."
The Ice Breaker, from Terrace, B.C. to St. John's Newfoundland, stops in Prince George Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Cowboy Ranch, 2595 Queensway St., show time 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door and $3 from each ticket will go to Canadian Cancer Society.
