Aaron Halliday is Glidden’s best-kept secret
By Joan Janzen
Aaron Halliday is one of Glidden’s best-kept secrets. Two years ago, this award-winning singer/songwriter and his wife, Sharyn, moved to Glidden. Aaron was recognized as Entertainer of the Year in 2021 by the International Singer Songwriter Association for his original music and has enjoyed three decades of doing what he loves.
Singer/songwriter Aaron Halliday and his wife Sharyn call Glidden, Saskatchewan home. The travelling musician and his wife are currently performing in Mazatlan, Mexico and will return to Saskatchewan in the spring before beginning their Canadian tour. SUBMITTED
“Our decision to move to Glidden, SK, was one of convenience,” Aaron admitted. But they truly appreciate the beauty of the vast prairie landscape and the simpler life. Aaron was born into a musical family in Nova Scotia, but his musical career only began in the 1990s when he moved to BC.
“While we are in Canada, we rarely get time to stop long enough to check our mail and hit the road again,” he confessed. The travelling musician made this observation from Mazatlan, Mexico, where he performs as a soloist three days a week for three hours at each show.
“So I need lots of different material to keep things fresh on a weekly basis,” he noted. “It helps me to keep pushing myself to learn new songs and write new songs as well. I must say it is a very inspirational place for writing!”
Mazatlan is the couple’s home away from home. “What I love most about performing in Mexico is the laid-back feeling,” Aaron said.
While he entertains, Sharyn ensures all is going well for everyone attending, greeting them at the door. “She is the backbone of the operation,” Aaron said. He credits his career taking off after he met Sharyn, who handles the business side of things. “Thirteen years of love and support together is proof that something great is happening.”
When Sharyn and Aaron head back to Saskatchewan, they take the opportunity to visit their children and grandchildren on both ends of Canada. Technically, Glidden is Aaron and Sharyn’s home, but they spend a great deal of time touring throughout the country.
“The Canadian touring is amazing as I get to play with some of the country’s best musicians and see this great country with Sharyn,” Aaron said. “Our tour this year begins in Prince Edward Island in May, along with dates across the Maritimes and Ontario into July. We are in discussions with the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority about a series of performances during August before heading west to Alberta for performances there in September.”
Their shows in Canada are much different from the performances in Canada, where they play theatres across the country for six months of the year with a full band. They perform a tribute to Alan Jackson as the main attraction of the tour, but Aaron also includes some of his original music.
“This year, I have become a member of the Saskatchewan Country Music Association, which is great!” Aaron said. As a member of the International Singer Songwriter Association, he has been nominated for International Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Band of the Year for the awards ceremony in August held in Atlanta, Georgia.
When asked if he would ever perform in the local area near Glidden, Aaron replied, “Sharyn and I absolutely love our life of music and would love to find an opportunity to bring the show to a venue in the Kindersley/Glidden area at some point in the not too distant future.”