Canadian singer-songwriter Donovan Woods was born and raised in Sarnia. He now lives in Toronto and spends a fair amount of time in Nashville, writing for some of the industry’s biggest acts. “I started playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager. I didn’t really play gigs in Sarnia. I started playing when I went to Guelph for school,” says Woods. “I did take lessons from the late Terry Titian in Sarnia for about six months. It wasn’t that long and that probably explains why I am not that good at guitar,” he adds with his self-deprecating sense of humour.
His first album, The Hold Up, was released in 2007. “I look at this as running a business. You have to keep your expenses in check, while trying to produce a really great product.” Woods says he started to really care about music when he began writing his own songs. “I wrote 1,000 really bad songs before I wrote anything that was any good. I was probably 22 years old by that time. I had been playing for a decade before I started to turn a corner.”
Don’t Get Too Grab, Woods’ third record, was nominated for the Folk Album of the Year Juno. “When that happened, a lot of things started to fall into place.” He had a number of jobs before his songwriting could support him. One of those jobs was in an administrative role at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. “I was working there when I was nominated for a Juno. When they found out, they put the newspaper story in their newsletter. Look, ‘Even the people working at the front desk get nominated for a Juno!’ All kidding aside, my parents have been so supportive of my career.” Woods has released five albums.
Alongside touring and playing his own music, Woods writes songs for other artists. “I’ve written songs for Tim McGraw, Charles Kelley from Lady Antebellum, and Billy Currington, who is a big country star in the US. The James Barker Band had the #1 Country Song in Canada last year with a song I wrote, called Chills. It was the most played song on country radio in Canada last year.” He likes the balance that song writing brings. “Coming up with new things out of nowhere is the best feeling. I love performing, but writing is like a fun day off.”
Some tours are about laying the groundwork for a future tour, such as the one he recently completed with Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea. “I want to have the best musicians, tour managers and when it comes to the show, I want it to be great.” While he played the storied Massey Hall a few years ago, the Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg is his favourite place to play. “It’s about getting in front of a new audience and developing a performance history. Now that this is my job, I try to keep a long view on things. You always want to be building towards something. Touring is great and I love playing.”
Tyler Savage didn't know it at the time, but a bad knee that cost him one career turned out to be the open door that led him to another. The owner and operator of Sav-vy Solutions was following in the family tradition of working in the construction industry, but a nagging knee problem forced him t
Using high-quality photos for Real Estate listings has proven to sell houses. Dean Holtz Photography has developed an expansive portfolio of services including photos, slide shows, and walk-through videos. I also provide aerial photography and videography. The drone pilot I use is very experienced.
Farming is in Joe Dickenson's blood. Growing up as the son of a dairy cattle farmer just outside of Sarnia, Dickenson decided at a young age he would like to join the family business. Well, sort of. Having grown up milking cows twice a day, Dickenson understood the time commitment a dairy farm would require.
The Caudle family opened Ice Cream Galore in 1977 at 105 St. Clair Street in Point Edward. Holly Howell lived next door to the Caudles and worked at the ice cream shop every summer throughout high school. In 2007, Howell learned t...
Nicole Breyer believes in destiny and is convinced she was meant to own and operate Home & Cottage Interiors in Sarnia. I used to come to the store to buy my paint and I got to know the previous owner, Diane Galvin, Nicole says. On a visit to the shop last fall, Diane shared that she was g
The Sarnia chapter of the Awesome Foundation was started in 2013. The idea was simple: the trustees come together once a month to hand out a $1000 grant to someone with an awesome idea. The first Awesome Foundation chapter was founded in Boston in 2009. John DeGroot learned about the movement the fol
Long before 1950, Rotarians and the Sarnia community recognized the need for local therapy in Sarnia-Lambton for children with physical disabilities. That first year, the Rotary Club provided services to 18 children in church halls and basements. 68 years later, Pathways Health Centre for Children a
When it comes to caring for the homeless and those in need, Renee Card and Audrey Kelway think The Beatles nailed it when they sang: All You Need Is Love. Of course, that is a rather simple and idealistic approach to an otherwise huge problem, but love is certainly the foundation at River City Viney