Gary Beals

Gary Beals is a Juno nominee, a five-time African Nova Scotian Music Award winner, a Canadian Urban Music Award nominee, a Canadian Independent Music Award winner, a Canadian Radio Music Award nominee and an East Coast Music Award winner. The Premier of his home province of Nova Scotia declared November 22 as Gary Beals Day. He is Gary Beals, and he’s back on the scene preparing to release his sophomore album in spring 2009. The journey began in the small town of Cherry Brook, Nova Scotia, where Gary showcased his skills in church. At age 16, Gary and his brother Shawn formed the gospel group “Light of Day”, and he continued to develop his stage presence and performance abilities. Gary's breakthrough came in 2003 on the debut season of the smash hit television talent show, Canadian Idol. He finished second in the competition ahead of tens of thousands of hopefuls, and touched the hearts of millions of Canadians. Following his successful run on Canadian Idol, industry manager and producer Farley Flex (a judge on the television show), became Gary’s manager and teamed him up with a team of acclaimed producers, including the multi-platinum, award-winning Marcus Kane and Orin Isaacs. The resulting self-titled debut CD, released in August 2004, showcased Gary's amazing voice and songwriting skills. The first single, “Summer Nights”, was played at stations across the country, and the accompanying video’s rotation at MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic and MuchVibe helped to launch Gary into the Top 10. Among other industry recognitions, the album received a 2005 Juno nomination for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year, and a 2004 Canadian Urban Music Award for New Artist of the Year. Throughout his musical career, Gary has used the gift of his voice to spread messages of positivity and upliftment. He is active in the community, donating his time to numerous organizations, including the Canadian Cancer Society, Children's Wish Foundation, ATV's Christmas Daddies and the United Way. In 2004, Gary was part of FLOW 93.5’s anti-violence campaign in which he was a member of the Peace Prophets, a collective of Toronto-based Urban artists who recorded an anti-violence anthem called “Drop the Chrome”. Now, at age 26, a more mature, focused and vocally stronger Gary is ready to offer his fans a closer look inside his life through his balanced blend of smooth, soulful, inspirational and up-tempo tracks. On this album, Gary intertwines his signature soulful R&B gospel sound with his other musical influences from pop to reggae to hip hop. Beals is back, y’all!