When he climbs up on the stage of Toronto’s Sound Academy on Thursday, a dream will come true for Michael Ure. The third-year nursing student will play and sing his country music as the opening act for the Toronto stop on singer-songwriter Tyler Ward’s North American tour.

Ure beat out thousands of competitors for the honour in an online contest judged by Ward’s management team, by TOPBLIP.com and by fans’ votes.

“It’s an amazing feeling to win this competition. I’ve been so lucky the past year with the opportunities and this takes number one,” Ure said. “Even in this competition everyone pulled together to vote and helped me get to the winner’s seat. It makes everything worth it to know that people believe in me and will help me reach my dreams.”

Ure said he can trace his love of music to time he spent in his parents’ Harrow business, Ure’s Country Kitchen.

“There was always music playing on the radio,” he said. “There was also one customer, Rob Oriet, who figured out that I wanted to learn how to play guitar, so that same day he brought in a Fender Telecaster and told me I could have it if I learned to play. He got me to where I am today.”

It’s the second time in a month that a UWindsor student musician has won big. In November, LaSalle’s Danielle Wade was chosen to play the lead role in the Toronto musical, The Wizard of Oz.

To hear some of Ure’s work, visit his video channel on YouTube.

— by Robert Agnew