George Canyon (born Frederick George Lays, August 22, 1970) is a Canadian country music singer. He was the runner up on the second season of Nashville Star in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia before he moved west to Calgary, Alberta. He also holds an appointment in the Canadian Forces as the Colonel Commandant of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Biography George Canyon has held many jobs: he spent time working as a bylaw enforcement officer/special constable, a slaughterhouse beef inspector, and the owner/operator of his own recording studio. He always dreamed of becoming a professional musician. Canyon is the father of two children. His wife worked three jobs during the day so that he could sing at night. In 2004, George Canyon competed in Nashville Star 2. He was the runner-up in the competition, but became very well known in Canada and garnered much support, being the only Canadian to make the cut for the competition. After the competition ended, he received many accolades from fans and the industry alike. These include the top 5 hit "My Name", a Juno Award for Best Country Recording of the Year (for his album One Good Friend), and, four Canadian Country Music Awards Nominations (CCMAs) including Male Vocalist of the Year and the Fan Choice Award. On September 22, 2007, Canyon performed at China-Canada: Hand in Hand; a joint concert held in Vancouver between CCTV (China Central Television) and CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) to commemorate the one-year countdown of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. One of the songs performed by Canyon was "What a Fine Jasmine Blossom". Sung entirely in Mandarin, Canyon performed the duet with Mandarin singer Tang Can. On January 9, 2008, Canadian defence minister Peter MacKay appointed Canyon to the position of honorary colonel at 14 Wing Greenwood, the largest air base on the east coast. After this appointment expired in December 2011, Canyon was appointed colonel commandant of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Canyon was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 14 and has given talks to children about diabetes. On October 16, 2014, Canyon was named the official anthem singer for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League. In 2020, Canyon will appear as a panelist on Canada Reads, advocating for Jesse Thistle's memoir From the Ashes. Acting In addition to his singing career, Canyon has also performed as