Small-town boy Jason McCoy to be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame

Canadian country singer and Simcoe County resident Jason McCoy will be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association's (CCMA) Hall of Fame.

"It's still surreal. It's an amazing thing. I'm very humbled by this honour, but I feel I have so much ahead of me that I still want to do," said McCoy from his Pure Country 106 studios in Orillia Tuesday morning.

The small-town boy and decorated country singer/songwriter started his musical career at the age of 12, learning much of his talent from his father, who also played the guitar.

"My interest to country music was, I think, always through my dad's love for country music. He always pointed out which artists on the radio were Canadian; you know, he really held them in high regard," he said.

By the time he was 16, McCoy had formed a band and embarked on his musical journey, hitting the road just two years later.

The country music veteran has since become a two-time CCMA male vocalist of the year, been named the CMA Global Artist of the Year and become a three-time CCMA winner for Group of the Year with his band 'The Road Hammers.'

The 53-year-old says his roots in Simcoe County run deep.

"With Gordon Lightfoot having been from this area just 30 minutes up the road, that was a big inspiration to me as a kid. It was things like that that kept me not just in the business but in this area as well.

When it came time to raise our family, I wanted to be at home, so I don't just consider myself a country singer but a Canadian, and a local Minesing guy at that, so that's a big part of my identity," McCoy said.

Country music veteran Jason McCoy hosts the morning show at Pure Country 106 in Orillia, Ont., on Tues., Sept. 12, 2023. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)

Carey Moran co-hosts the morning show with McCoy on Pure Country 106 and said the induction is "well-deserved."

"No one is really shocked that it happened, but we are just so pleased and proud for him," she said.

Reflecting on his career journey, McCoy candidly shares, "It will sound a little weird, but I've never really had a lot of confidence in recording, you know, and now I feel like with a few years under my belt and this recognition, I can relax a little bit and record in a way that I've never done before so I'm looking forward to doing that."

The CCMA's are being held in Hamilton this year. McCoy will perform on Thursday night and be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday. The entire event will be broadcast on CTV on Saturday.