Rising country star Jaydee Bixby lives on the road.
He is coming back to Lethbridge to play Casino Lethbridge, July 11.
“ I don’t think my tour manager owns a map,” chuckled the Drumheller born singer, who now lives in Vernon, from a road outside of Amherst, Nova Scotia.
He was in Fort McMurray for Canada Day and is currently in the middle of a quick Maritimes tour based around the Cavendish beach Music Festival on Prince Edward Island then heads over to Ontario, then back to Alberta.
He is excited about releasing his third CD “Work in Progress ” at the end of the month.
“The third CD’s a charm. You have to write a lot of bad songs before you can write a great one,” he said adding response has been excellent to the first two singles.
‘Walk You Home’ and and the latest “ On And On.” The new music is very much a personal affair.
“For example the first single, ‘Walk You Home.’ I won’t lie to you in high school, I wasn’t very popular with the ladies. I’d sit at the n back of the class because I was usually in trouble and see a pretty girl. I’d lie and exaggerate to my friends. But the most I’d ever get to do was hold her hand and walk her home. I’m sure there’s a couple of guys out there who can identify with that,” he laughed.
Lethbridge has always been good to Bixby.
“I’ve become quite the matchmaker. I introduced one sister to a guy and they‘ve been together for three years. And I introduced my other sister to a guy in Lethbridge and they’re married and moved to Blackfalds. Lethbridge has been good to my whole family,” he said.
“I guess I’m looking to get hitched next. Though not soon,” he laughed.
“I’ve been on the road constantly since 2007. The Canadian Idol experience couldn’t have turned out better for me. I feel blessed. I can’t believe I get paid to do this. It’s like a kid being paid to play in the park all day. I think my band feels the same way,” he said.
being a singer was the only thing he ever wanted to be.
“ I never wanted to be a fireman or fire-fighter like most kids. I wanted to be a musician. My mom owns the funeral home with my dad and they’d disappear on the weekend to play weddings and things and they looked like they were having so much fun,” he said.
last time he was in Lethbridge, both his parents joined him on stage.
His da dplayed guitar while his mom sang Bill Haley and the Comets’ ‘Rock around the Clock’ with him.
“ That’s the stuff I grew up watching so it wasn’t any surprise I’d grow up wanting to be a musician and a singer,” he said.
He doesn’t know if they will come down to Lethbridge for this show.
While he is playing the Casino this time, he doesn’t play a lot of them.
“I play a lot of festivals and I’ll play the Casino in Calgary and Edmonton. Casino shows are more intimate, so it depends on the show if it’s a ticketed event or not,” he said
“If they have a room, or if you are looking out at the room, where it is twice as bright. I have a $20 limit at casinos. If I lose it, that‘s great, if not it’s better,” he said.
“ We’ll be trying out the new album on them. I hope they like it. I don’t think the show will disappoint anybody who comes out,” he said.
The show begins at 8 p.m., July 11. There is no cover for it.
