A rising star is enjoying the view from his recent win at the Canadian Country Music Awards, even though he's used to a high profile as a former Vancouver Canuck. Chad Brownlee has only been in the business about three years.
"On the grand scale that's light speed," said Brownlee of his quick rise to fame. "Especially where we're at today. I'm extremely fortunate."
Brownlee opens for Dierks Bentley at CN Centre Feb. 17.
When it comes right down to it, the Kelowna-born singer's success isn't really about his story of being an injured hockey player that turned to music as an alternative career choice.
"I'm really confident in the music that we're putting out there -- best song wins, I think," said Brownlee. "It doesn't matter how intriguing your story is, it's going to fade in time and what needs to remain consistent is the music that you put out and people have to have that sense that it's authentic and it's coming from a pure and honest place and that's what I take pride in."
Picking up a guitar at 17, Brownlee learned cover songs to play at after-game parties during his junior hockey league days. Sitting in a college dorm room at 19, he started writing songs for fun.
"It was the seed that was planted and from there I wrote songs for my parents and girls present and past," said Brownlee. "I wasn't doing it for radio play, I wasn't doing it to put on an album, it was more of my journal in musical form. I think it's great when music comes from that place -- that's where it's at its purest form and that's where the honesty comes from."
Brownlee's upcoming album will Love Me or Leave Me on Valentine's Day, its title track already released to radio last September. But it's not his first.
Brownlee's self-titled debut album was released in August 2010, followed by a 2010 Best New Artist Showcase Award from the Canadian Country Music Conference, as well as a 2010 CCMA Rising Star nomination.
Single, Day After You, cracked both the top 10 on CMT's Chevy Cross Canada Countdown and peaked at No. 9 on the Broadcast Data Systems Canadian Country radio chart.
Brownlee, still considered a rookie in the music world, has admired Bentley for a long time.
"When I played hockey I had certain players I looked up to -- Trevor Linden, Steve Yzerman and it's kind of like I'm doing the same thing in music and Dierks Bentely is one of them. I've never met him but I hear nothing but great things about him so I'm looking forward to traveling around the country with him."
The show is going to be great for country music fans, he added.
"When people are watching or listening, I want them to believe that this guy is really enjoying what he's doing and when you see someone in that environment you can't help but gravitate towards it in a positive way and then we feed off of each other," said Brownlee. "I love the interaction with the audience -- they give me energy and I give them energy so I like bringing people a good time. I know they have things in their lives they want to get away from and we want to bring them an environment where they can have some fun."
Tickets are at all Ticketmaster outlets.
