Far from home, Sault-born artist sings for his military heroes

Tyson Hanes has had no shortage of exciting moments in his music career.

Living just outside of Nashville, the 34-year-old country artist from the Sault has performed thousands of shows throughout the Music City strip, meeting countless celebrities and sharing many of his own songs along the way.

But of all those memorable experiences, few can measure up to a pair of international tours he recently completed for troops in the U.S. military.

Last week, Hanes returned home from the second leg of his travels with Armed Forces Entertainment, a touring company that provides live performances for troops and their family members who are stationed overseas.

The 15-day trip included seven shows in three countries: The Bahamas, Honduras, and Cuba.

“I didn’t even know you could do this unless you were famous,” Hanes told SooToday. “I’d see Toby Keith and these other guys doing stuff like that, but I never knew it’d be an option for me, which is why it was even cooler to me that it happened. It really shocked me.”

The Korah Collegiate graduate was first approached by Armed Forces Entertainment during one of his live gigs at Lucky Bastard Saloon in Nashville last year.

“This guy came up to me and handed me his card,” Hanes recalled. “He said, ‘I’ve never seen energy like you have – we need your energy.’ Six months had passed, so I assumed it wasn’t going to happen. Then he suddenly messaged me and said we’re ready to start setting up your tour.”

Last summer, Hanes had the opportunity to travel to the Middle East and perform for the troops at several military bases in Kuwait and Jordan.

He described the environment of every base as being completely different from the last, making for a truly well-rounded trip.

“Some bases would have these giant stages like an outdoor festival, while other stages would just be at a local bar on their military base,” he said. “I ended up crowd surfing at a base in Kuwait on the 4th of July – it was just a wild party. One of the best shows and one of the best memories I’ve ever had.”

“The bases in The Bahamas, Honduras, and Cuba this month were a lot looser because they’re allowed to drink,” he added. “It’s a whole different concept on this side of the world, it’s more training facilities than they are combat. But these people are still gone for years at a time, so they need the entertainment.”

While the adrenaline rush from the shows themselves made for an incredible experience on the stage, Hanes noted the best part of the tour always occurred off the stage.  

“On some bases, there would be up to a two-hour line of troops waiting just to meet us,” he said. “Talk about how they make you feel like a rockstar. They were so unbelievably appreciative for us doing that for them – that was better than the show. It was so rewarding.”

“To see what they do and go through, these people are missing their families sometimes for years at a time – stuck on a base,” he added. “It’s so much sacrifice.”

Feeling jetlagged at five in the morning following a show in Kuwait, Hanes began writing a song in his hotel room about his gratefulness for the military and the special opportunity to perform for them.

Twenty minutes later, he had a song written. The next night, Hanes performed it live for his heroes.

“I get told that I’m amazing, and that ain’t true. Cause you all are the reason I get to do what I do.”

“It’s called ‘Thank You’ and it’s really special to me,” he said. “Most songs don’t happen that easy, but that one was just a ‘in the moment’ one where it flowed out so simple. I played it live and the response was awesome.”

Hanes released the song last month just in time for his recent second leg of the tour. He put together a lyric video and included photos of his followers’ family members who served for their country.

“I get asked all the time if I’ve met famous people, and I’ve met a lot of them,” he said. “Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Luke Combs, even Sidney Crosby to name a few. But in my opinion, I’d rather meet the troops again. They’re the true heroes.”

While the bright lights of Nashville and momentous international tours have kept the country artist busy, Hanes hasn’t forgotten about his roots.

He credits Korah music instructors Greg Ryckman and Denine Williams for helping him discover his love for guitar and vocals as a young high school student in the mid-2000s.

“I don’t know that I’d be here doing this if it wasn’t for them,” Hanes said. “In Ryckman’s guitar class itself, once I started singing, he really pushed for it. They both helped in giving me that extra boost I needed to make more of a serious go of it. They gave me the confidence that I don’t know I would have had.”

Following high school, Hanes credited Mike Case for helping him land a number of local gigs while he improved his guitar skills and learned how to work the industry.

A then 19-year-old, he played in a band called Asylum Country with Terry Eaton, Larry Nelson, and TJ Case for several years before making the big move to Nashville at the age of 23.

“That band was one of the highlights of my musical journey,” Hanes said. “I have lots of great memories in the Sault, from my first live performance at the Steamy Bean to my final one in the basement of The Canadian.”

Among Hanes’ great supporters is his mom Brenda, as well as his aunt and three siblings, all of whom are proudly cheering on the passionate musician from afar.

“There’s never been a moment where they said, ‘Hmm, maybe you shouldn’t do this’ – I’ve never heard that from any of them,” he said. “It’s been 100 per cent total support from the second I started until now. Even if it hasn’t been the full-blown record deal that turns me into the next Garth Brooks, it’s really cool to see how proud they are of what I’ve been able to accomplish in music.”

Now married with a family of his own, Hanes is still enjoying the live shows in Nashville roughly three times each week.

Although his long-term future in the music industry is still a bit unclear, he’s confident about one thing.

“If the opportunity is there to tour for the military again, I’d do it for sure,” he said. “It was easily one of the best experiences of my life. It’s just a whole other aspect that I didn’t really understand music could do. It brought a whole new energy.”