Don
Amero remembers it well. It was the day that changed his life. On
September 15, 2007, he walked off his job as a hardwood flooring
installer and set out to pursue music fulltime. And what a good day
that turned out to be!
In
the past four years, Don has released three albums that generated two
national awards and nine nominations. He has toured the country from
coast-to-coast, been invited to play festivals, been asked to perform
with symphony accompaniment, and appeared on national television
concerts. While a lot has happened for Don in a seemingly short time,
in actuality, it was a long road for him to get to where he is today.
From
the notoriously tough North End of Winnipeg, Don faced his share of
adversity growing up. With poverty, gangs, drugs and violence all
around, fortunately, his life was tempered by love, support, and
faith in a Greater Power. Shaped and molded by his own experiences,
Don’s music now carries both the depth of hardship and luminosity
of hope. For all who take the time to listen, his message is one of
encouragement, positivity and beauty, despite the harshness of the
world.
Don’s
desire to take a serious shot at music was ignited with the
unexpected success of his debut album – fittingly called Change
Your Life.
Released in the fall of 2006, it garnered the #1 spot on the National
Aboriginal Countdown and received a total of seven nominations for
the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA …
Don
Amero remembers it well. It was the day that changed his life. On
September 15, 2007, he walked off his job as a hardwood flooring
installer and set out to pursue music fulltime. And what a good day
that turned out to be!
In
the past four years, Don has released three albums that generated two
national awards and nine nominations. He has toured the country from
coast-to-coast, been invited to play festivals, been asked to perform
with symphony accompaniment, and appeared on national television
concerts. While a lot has happened for Don in a seemingly short time,
in actuality, it was a long road for him to get to where he is today.
From
the notoriously tough North End of Winnipeg, Don faced his share of
adversity growing up. With poverty, gangs, drugs and violence all
around, fortunately, his life was tempered by love, support, and
faith in a Greater Power. Shaped and molded by his own experiences,
Don’s music now carries both the depth of hardship and luminosity
of hope. For all who take the time to listen, his message is one of
encouragement, positivity and beauty, despite the harshness of the
world.
Don’s
desire to take a serious shot at music was ignited with the
unexpected success of his debut album – fittingly called Change
Your Life.
Released in the fall of 2006, it garnered the #1 spot on the National
Aboriginal Countdown and received a total of seven nominations for
the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMAs).
In
February of 2009, Don released his second album Deepening,
which saw two more singles climb to #1 on the National Aboriginal
Countdown. Deepening
also earned him Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year at the Canadian
Folk Music Awards, Male Artist of the Year at the Canadian Aboriginal
Music Awards, and two more nominations at the APCMAs. His
professionalism and perseverance caught the attention of a local
radio host, who bestowed Don with the James
Brown Hardest Working Musician Award. While this one was meant to be
a joke, in reality, it rings pretty true!
Now
working his third album,
The Long Way Home was
released
in the fall of 2010. With impeccable production and presentation, The
Long Way Home
is receiving great reviews from media, and generating excitement
among fans. The country-flavoured first single Right
Where I Wanna Be
has been featured on radio stations across Canada, and continues to
climb the charts. It is also widely distributed
– along with his first two albums – to HMV, 34 CD Plus stores
across Canada, and is available on Itunes, Amazon, CD baby and other
digital outlets.
Grateful
for his success so far, and eager to see what the future brings,
Don’s decision to make music for a living is proving to be a good
one. The year to come is quickly booking up with tours and featured
performances, speaking engagements at youth gatherings, and
invitations to industry and media events. It also holds all the
potential in the world for his latest album, and ever-expanding music
career.
Don
is deeply inspired by his life, his family, and his surroundings.
That’s why he makes a point of spending as much time as possible at
the cabin, canoeing in the wilderness, or traveling with his wife.
Because no matter what else is going on, it’s the little things
that matter most to him.
Even
though you could say it has been a long road for Don Amero, that’s
okay. Because he knows for certain that now, he’s on the
right one.
