Merritt boasts being: The Country Music Capital of Canada. Merritt annually hosts the largest country music festival in Canada where over 150,000 visitors come to Merritt for the 4 day event. Some of Country Music biggest recording stars perform at the event.
To honor and pay tribute for their performance a plaque with their hand prints, signature, picture and some with a personal note are encased in a wooden frame display case and installed on the streets of downtown. The Walk of Stars walking tour highlights some of the historical, western and country music murals painted on the side of many of the downtown buildings. Many of these murals highlight some of Country Music biggest stars.
Paul Rennée Belobersycky was born July 21, 1972 is a Canadian country music artist, known professionally as Paul Brandt. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric RN at the time of his big break.
In 1996, he made his mark on the country music charts with the single "My Heart Has a History," propelling him to international success and making him the first male Canadian country singer to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in the United States.
Since 1996, Paul Brandt is the most awarded male Canadian Country Music artist in history; since his million-selling debut album “Calm Before The Storm”.
Source: Wikipedia