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Opry North

Name: Erin Fleury

Age: 20

Birth Date: October 2, 1981

Birth Place: Dauphin, Manitoba

Hometown: Roblin, Manitoba

Resides in: Roblin, Manitoba

Pets: Two cats, Trixie and Chassa

Group name: “Running On Empty”

Instruments played: I don’t play any, but there is an electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, drums and bass in our band.

Started performing at age: 11

Most memorable performance: Dauphin’s Countryfest on the main stage when I won the contest.

What do you do to relax: Lie in bed, watch movies all by myself and take hot bubble baths.

Finished CD’s: Just the two song CD I recorded from winning the Countryfest contest, entitled “Erin Fleury”.

Management: Richard Kostur from our band. He is from Ashville, Manitoba and he gets all of the gigs we perform at.

Record Label: None (Independent)

Website: None

Contact: Box 1295

Roblin, MB

ROL 1PO

Canada

If you wish to contact Erin or would like more information please contact Opry North at countryis@oprynorth.com. We will forward your request to Erin and her management.

The central provinces of Canada have become famous for producing some of the best country music talent to ever grace a stage. Names like Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Terri Clark, Paul Brandt and Tara Lynn Hart come to mind. But for one town in particular to produce more than one ‘star’ is mind boggling, don’t you think? Well, Roblin Manitoba produced not only Tara Lynn Hart but now is poised to launch another new, young star into the country market…Erin Fleury. Erin started out very young, like most of Canada’s success stories. She’s accomplished a great deal for her age and has demonstrated a dedication to her dreams that will lead you to believe that she will do what she sets out to do. If innovation is what will take the stars of tomorrow into the sky then Erin is ready for takeoff! Rarely have I come across a young performer who is working as diligently as Erin to pull herself up to the next step. For this young woman that innovation is nothing new. It’s been a big part of her all along.

At five years old she began participating in spoken poetry contests, developing that clear, strong delivery that always earned high praise from the judges. Elementary school introduced musicals and plays to her performing experience and the trend continued into high school. Along the way Erin (at twelve years old) started a ‘Sing Along Club’ during the summer, to teach and encourage other local kids to sing various types of songs. At this same time she had begun entering talent shows and performing at music festivals, leading to her winning the Dauphin, Manitoba’s Countryfest Talent Contest in 2000. The prize of twenty hours of studio time at Sunshine Studios in Winnipeg came in handy when she recorded two songs, the second of which she had co-written, called “Movin’ On”.

Now, she performs with her sister Amber and the band ‘Running On Empty’ at venues and events in Manitoba. The past couple of years have been very eventful for Erin, with 2000 including opening for the Wilkinson’s in Thompson, Manitoba (in January), winning the ‘Countryfest’ contest in July and singing with that amazing trio I know and love – Lace, in July also.

Now, that story is very interesting. As an ardent fan of Beverley, Giselle and Stacey Lee it was only natural that Erin would head out to see them when they performed nearby. Beverley spotted Erin singing along out in the crowd and invited her up on stage then handed her the microphone and Erin began to sing the song. Beverley was very impressed and encouraged Erin to remain on stage and finish the song with them, then the trio had a chance to get to know Erin a little better after the show. They encouraged her in her career aspirations, praised her abilities and left her with a memory that she will always treasure. Shortly afterward Erin encountered them again at another event and, recognizing her from the stage again, Beverley and the girls again called her up to sing that same song with them for another crowd. And they say lightning rarely strikes twice!

How many other young performers are there across the country with dreams, talent and the determination to find a way to make their dreams come true? You might know a couple yourselves. I know I’ve encountered more than a couple. But Erin strikes me as one of those that definitely deserve to be watched, because I think she may work her way to the top. And what a delightful thing that would be!

There are many of those ‘new’ television shows on right now featuring young people trying to make their dreams come true, either as a member of a singing group or as a newly discovered ‘super’ model. You watch as they parade around, trying to impress those who will ‘judge’ them and lamenting their flaws to the ever-present cameras. But there are many young people in towns and cities all across Canada who are trying to make their dreams come true too, only the old fashioned way – through hard work. And one of them is a young woman from a town in Manitoba whose name is Erin. Erin has a dream that I can relate to, and her words could be mine. “Music is what consumes my life…” I know that feeling well. But the reason for my feeling is people like Erin. Those who have a talent and want to be able to share that to the best of their abilities with others. To make a difference through something that they can do well, something that makes them (and others) happy. That talent, and that desire to share the joy that music gives us is a gift. With no strings attached.

Recent years have demonstrated that there is no shortage of talent coming from all corners of Canada and their success is what keeps the ‘next wave’ working. But it’s more than that…it’s an obsession that just can’t be denied and will always be a part of that person. The extent of music’s infiltration into Erin she describes this way, “Singing really gets inside a person, and it is such a huge dream to have…” She goes on to add, “The most important thing to remember is to never stop dreaming and I know how easy it is to be discouraged sometimes when you are in this type of industry. But if you know that you have what it takes and you believe in yourself, you can make it happen.” She may be young, but there’s a realistic view behind the work she’s doing to get closer to her dream. How could you not support someone like that?

In our years of doing this ‘promotional work’ we’ve met a lot of performers. And we understand their total devotion to what they do. Sometimes it’s hard for others to understand this ‘one track mind’ devotion that makes them forgo holidays, change jobs (sometimes often), move to new areas or do whatever they feel they must to keep the ball rolling. We feel the same way about what we do. “It” comes first, always. And when we happen upon someone like Erin Fleury we want to work harder, to make her road a little less ‘bumpy’. You can hear it in her voice, see it in her photos. You can read it in the words of the letters she’s sent you and the songs that she’s written. She is music. And music is a gift to the world, always.

Written by Kim Jamieson

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