Chad Brownlee: Canucks pick turned country singer

Chad Brownlee is from Kelowna, not Langley, and Maclean’s says so plainly. The Langley part comes later. By 2014 the Langley Advance Times was calling him “Langley’s own” when he shared a BCCMA songwriting award, and in 2016 it described him as Dallas Smith’s neighbour and friend. That’s as specific as the public record gets, and it’s enough.

The hockey bit. He taught himself to skate at four, played junior A for the Vernon Vipers and went to Minnesota State University, Mankato on a full scholarship, where he studied psychology and captained the team. The Canucks took him in the sixth round in 2003. He played one pro season with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads in 2007–08, and then a long list of injuries (Maclean’s mentions concussions, pinched nerves and a dislocated shoulder) ended it.

The music bit. He’d taught himself guitar in Vernon. After hockey he moved to Vancouver, played open mics, borrowed $20,000 to record a six-song EP, and got sent to Nashville to write. “The Best That I Can (Superhero)” reached the Canadian country Top 20, and the albums followed: Chad Brownlee (2010), Love Me or Leave Me (2012), The Fighters (2014), Hearts on Fire (2016) and Back in the Game (2019 EP, expanded into an album in 2020). His first No. 1 at Canadian country radio was “Forever’s Gotta Start Somewhere” in April 2019.

The trophies. Wikipedia lists BCCMA entertainer of the year in 2011 and 2012, male vocalist four times, and album of the year three times. At the national level he won the CCMA Rising Star award in 2011, was twice nominated for male artist, and was up for a country album Juno in 2013. In 2014 he shared the BCCMA SOCAN songwriter award with Langley producer Mitch Merrett for “Just Because.” In 2016 the Advance Times counted nine BCCMA nominations for him, including humanitarian of the year.

He hasn’t left hockey entirely: Maclean’s says he still skates in the musicians’ game at the Juno Cup.

More Langley country: musicians from Langley.