A look back on George Fox’s Hall of Fame career
When George Fox looks back on his Hall-of-Fame career as a country singer, there's a lot that comes to mind.
Singing the national anthem the night the Blue Jays won their second straight World Series. Accompanying soon-to-be prime minister Kim Campbell as her date to the Juno Awards. Meeting Loretta Lynn on the Tommy Hunter Show. Having a street - George Fox Trail - named after him in his hometown of Cochrane, Alta. Winning a Celebrity Goat Milking Championship (Yorkton, Sask., 1996).
A gentle reminder, however, sends his mind back to Hamilton Place in 1993. It was a standout night in his career and a pivotal one for his personal life. It was the night he met his wife, Monica.
Oh my god," Fox says with a laugh. That's becoming a legendary story."
Fox is on the phone from his 270-acre farm in Ancaster, where he has lived with Monica for more than 25 years. We're chatting about his long career in advance of his induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame next month in Calgary.
Back in 1993, Fox was one of the biggest stars in Canadian country music. He was hosting the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards for the third consecutive year. Fox was also up for this third win as male vocalist of the year. Monica, a native of Copetown and a recent graduate of Mohawk College's broadcasting program, was working backstage at Hamilton Place as an assistant stage director.
I was trying to get through the drudgery of the rehearsal and then I saw Monica," Fox recalls. That kind of sparked things up. I said I'm up for the male vocalist award this year.'
I was trying to impress her. Of course, she hadn't heard of me. But I was like a dog on a bone. I said If I happen to win that award, I'm going to find you back stage and you're going to be the first person I give a hug to. Would that be OK?'
She gave me that little grin. I took that as a yes and then the good lord looked down and saw fit for me to get that award. That's the last one I won."
Fox traded his homes in Nashville and Toronto for a rented apartment in Ancaster, just to be close to Monica. His unfailing charm won out. The wedding was held in 1996 at Mount Mary Retreat Centre on Wilson Street. He wrote a new song I Give You My Word," and put it on his 1997 Greatest Hits album as a gift to his wife. It became one of his most enduring hits.
George and Monica are now looking forward to being the guests of honour at the CCMA awards banquet in Calgary Sept. 10, the night before the nationally televised awards show (Global Sunday, Sept. 11, 8 p.m. ET).
During his career, Fox released 10 albums, five certified gold. Besides winning a bucketful of CCMA awards, he also won three Junos for male country vocalist of the year. As well, there were plenty of TV specials and guest appearances alongside stars like Shania Twain, Rita MacNeil, Anne Murray and Loretta Lynn.
I can't believe I did all this stuff," Fox, 62, says. I've been very lucky. I've won the lottery."
Since the arrival of the Fox's two daughters - Anna May, 18, and Ruby, 16 - George has been spending more time working the farm than performing music. (His next Ontario show is Sept. 4 at the Hollyrood Fall Classic in Belleville).
I throttled back on the music a lot when we had the girls," Fox says. I've got about as much as I can handle."
Fox, who was raised on a ranch outside Cochrane, had to fully restore the 1860s wood-frame farmhouse on his property. With the help of family and friends, he reconstructed a 120-year-old barn that had lain dormant since being clobbered by hurricane Hazel in 1954. Now there's sweet corn, beef cattle, hay, soya beans and pumpkins. It's a life he loves.
I still marvel at the way this land produces," George says about his Ancaster farm. I love this place. I call it the Garden of Eden ...
I've been here for over 25 years. I'm getting close to having spent more time in Ontario than I did in my native Alberta. I still consider myself a recovering Albertan."
One more thing. What about that date with Kim Campbell?
That didn't do much for either of our careers," Fox laughs.
It only happened once, Fox explains, at the Juno Awards in March, 1993, in Toronto's O'Keefe Centre, just a few months before Campbell's brief stint as Canada's first and only female prime minister. Fox was escorting her to their seats, next to Leonard Cohen and actress Rebecca De Mornay. Rocker Sebastian Bach was nearby with a wild look in his eye.
I said to myself George, you've gotta keep your ears clean and your eyes open because your kind of responsible for Miss Campbell,'" Fox explains. All of a sudden out of the blue, I hear Hey, I hear you're going to legalize pot. I got a joint right here. Let's light it up.' It all cooled down, but it was crazy at the time.
How many men can say they dated a future prime minister? Yeah, that's right up there with my Celebrity Goat Milking Championship."