Covering Canada

Simon Cowell may be famous for generating the craze that led today’s plethora of TV talent competitions, but there was one who came long before Cowell. Don Weiner created Showtime at the Apollo, and his Amateur Night launched the careers of major artists such as Lauryn Hill, Maria Carey, Mary J. Blige, New Kids on the Block, and countless other artists. Weiner is back at it as Executive Producer for Cover Me Canada, a show where undiscovered Canadian acts will be tasked with covering the most well known, chart-topping songs from some of Canada’s most successful artists of all time. Well, how exciting can it be to watch someone sing someone else’s song? The trick is that each artist has to make the cover song their own in order to receive the $100,000 cash prize, a recording contract for their first original single, which will be released by Universal Music, Canada and airplay of said single on CBC Radio 2.

Cover Me Canada is featuring just eight contestants. Among them is Georgia Murray, a native of Port McNeill. The fascinating thing about this piece of information is that a TV talent show is probably the last place you would ever expect to find Georgia Murray.

Georgia comes from a family of singers. Her parents own a tranquil place for fun and respite called Nimmo Bay Resort, BC. Her dad was always singing, entertaining guests with his voice and guitar. Once she was done with her dishwashing duties, she’d join voices with her father. There’s another fascinating piece of information here. Georgia is also the younger sister of Clifton Murray, one-fourth of the popular and award-winning Canadian Tenors.

Georgia and Clifton are as far apart as the North and South Pole are in distance in terms of the type of music they sing. She describes her music as alt-soul with an urban influence. The Tenors are well known for their classical crossover style. But one thing they’re not far apart on is their love and support for each other.

“He’s one of my best friends,” Georgia says. “I’m so lucky to have him in my life. He’s so willing to help me with the resources he has and the position he’s in. He’s always had my back, supporting my creativity and independence as an artist.”

Georgia admits she’s gone against the grain at times in her musical career.

“I probably could have taken some easier routes,” she says. “And I could have been more successful by now. But I wouldn’t have been true to myself. I didn’t want to settle, and Clifton always supported that.”

It was Clifton who actually suggested she try out for Cover Me Canada. She initially resisted, feeling it wouldn’t give her and her band the opportunity to shine as artists. But once the deadline had come and gone, she found a post that the deadline had been extended. So, she decided to go for it just to see what would happen. Now she is one of eight vying for the top prize.

This competition is quite different from others in that it only allows for social media voting. No phone calls. No texting. While the judges have the final say, fan involvement can help “encourage” a judge’s opinion. But the rules to participate can be a bit confusing. Let’s break it down.

• There are two ways each competitor can be granted immunity every Sunday night (which is when the show airs) – voting and online buzz. The judges ultimately decide elimination, but immunity is good!
• Your favorite competitor (which is obviously Georgia!) will rank higher on the Cover Me Canada Chart by the buzz she receives. The more buzz, the higher she is on the chart. You MUST install the Cover Me Canada (CMC) app from cbc.ca/covermecanada, which will then follow your CMC activity on Facebook and Twitter.
• If Georgia posts anything on Facebook, “like” it, repost it, comment on it. Make sure you become a fan on her fan page.
• You can also use Twitter to create a buzz for Georgia. (Have you figured out yet that I’m rooting for Georgia?) Follow her @CMC_Georgia. When she posts, re-tweet, @reply and talk about her! The busier her feed, the higher she climbs. She’s even created her own hashtag, #votegeorgiacmc. But that’s not as important as following her and keeping her feed busy!
• You didn’t think we were going to keep YouTube out of this, did you? Georgia and her competitors will post a new video of their cover tune every week and you get to vote on it. But here’s the key, you MUST go through Facebook first. Install the app . Then, click on the blue button that says vote! Make sure you also click the “like” button below the video so she’s creating more buzz on Facebook! You can watch Georgia’s videos as much as you want. And believe me, once you hear and see her, you will want to watch her videos often. The more views, the more buzz! Here’s a sample:
• Finally, there is a Cover Me Canada Facebook page. This is where you can knock it out of the universe! Like the page, and then post as many wonderful comments about Georgia as you wish.
• More details can be found at: Cover Me Canada

Georgia and her band mates, including long-time boyfriend and producer, Tony Day (D-Whiz) are required to do all of the arranging and instrumentation for each of the cover tunes they’re assigned. They work with top producers who guide them along the way. It’s up to them to put the talent out there. But this is where fans can show how much we appreciate the hard work that goes into the music we enjoy on a regular basis. It’s like watching a good movie. You want to tell someone about it so they can share in the fun, too.

It was once said of Georgia that her voice is connected to her heart. Truer words were never spoken. Her heart comes out of a unique, angelic, crisp voice. Let’s tell everybody about it so they can share in the fun, too.