Wingham native nominated for Juno award

Stirling John. (Photo by Michelle Spice Photography, provided by Stirling John)

Wingham native, Stirling John, has been nominated for a Juno at the upcoming Juno Awards in Nova Scotia.

His album, Where I'm Meant to Be, is up for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year. The passion for music, which led him to this nomination, all started in Wingham.

"I grew up in Wingham up until about 12 years of age, went to the school, and went to the church there and that's really where my music passion started," said John.

He started singing in the church at five, which eventually turned into his family performing throughout Ontario. But, it wasn't a direct path to success. John decided to step back from music for a while to focus on his career.

"I became a police officer when I was 19," he said. "They shipped me off to southern Alberta, up to northern Alberta. It was when I was in Fox Lake, Alberta as an isolated post, we were there for two weeks at a time, I brought my guitar with me."

John added at the time, he wasn't a songwriter yet. But in his spare time, he would play. Eventually, he turned to music during a hard divorce in 2013.

"I really found music was a great way to fill the loneliness so I decided to start that band and really had the right people in my life to song write with, to record with, and now I have a six piece band."

As far as music goes, John and his band are on radios across Canada, all streaming platforms, all leading to the Juno nomination, which he called their biggest accomplishment.

"Sometimes there people out there that don't want to see you grow and I've experienced that," he said. "That's the story behind some of the songs we put out. I'll never give up and you have to persevere. Sometimes you have to figure out what your definition of success is."

John wants to make a positive change through his music and share his journey for others to relate to.

"We've really been given some great opportunities to grow in the industry and develop a backing that supports your music," said John. "To now be on a billboard around Edmonton alongside Nelly Furtado and Nickelback is just an absolutely amazing feeling. It's confirmation for me to say look, this is where you're meant to be."

For the younger audience, or anyone with a dream, John has a message.

"Go for your dreams and go for your passions," he said. "Don't be afraid of what people will think because even if you're not ready right now to pursue those dreams, you can always find alternative ways to get there as long as you put your 100 per cent passion and motivation into it."

Looking forward, John is hoping to put together a tour. One of his desired locations is to come home to Wingham.

He also is looking to bring his foundation, the Stirling John Foundation for Youth Empowerment, to Ontario to give kids more opportunities in music.

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