Waterdown’s Ross took a most unlikely path to headline Open
‘‘ I always say that somehow I would’ve found my way to do this but who knows?
JOSH ROSS COUNTRY MUSIC STAR
You wonder how things might be different today had the young defensive back not gone airborne to break up a pass at that Western Mustangs football practice in the autumn of 2015.
Would he have been where he is had he not landed awkwardly, not torn up all the ligaments in his ankle, not been basically forced to give up his Canadian Football League dream and essentially been pushed right out of the game?
“I always say that somehow I would’ve found my way to do this but who knows?” Josh Ross says.
The “this” he refers to is music. On Saturday evening, the Waterdownborn country star will be headlining the SiriusXM Concert Series at the RBC Canadian Open. He’s become a big, big deal.
He’s won the Canadian Country Music Association’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award, played Boots and Hearts Music Festival, signed a deal with Universal Music Canada, played the Grey Cup halftime show, been nominated for a Juno and had his songs streamed more than 180 million times.
It might have always happened, as he says. But how he got here is just so unlikely.
When he was in high school at
Nelson in Burlington, he became tight with Will Finch, the school’s star quarterback. Their connection came in large part through football but grew as they noodled around playing songs in their basements until 2 or 3 a.m.
Finch was a terrific guitar player. Still is. Ross had the voice.
When they both decided to go to London for university to play for the Mustangs, football was their priority. Both hoped to go pro. But, when they weren’t on the field or in the weight room, they’d get together and figure out cover songs. Until that day and the ankle. “It just immediately felt like a pop snap,” Ross says. “Basically all the ligaments on the outside of my ankle were torn.”
During his postsurgery recovery time, the musical sessions became more frequent. Almost daily. Soon the two were writing their own tunes. Even came up with a band name. Silver Lining.
Were they any good?
“I think we thought we were great,” he laughs.
He isn’t entirely wrong. When they released a song called “Cheap Red Wine” it charted in Canada. You can still find it online. It’s catchy.
That led to some concerts on campus coffee shops, in local bars and in at least one talent show that they may or may not have won (Finch can’t remember). Along with some good-natured teasing from teammates.
But it was clear there was talent there. Ross says music had become the outlet that football once was. His dream pivoted from finding his way as a pro athlete to becoming a full-time musician.
“We were talking one day,” Finch says, “and he was talking about going to Nashville. I was so interested in football — still am — I wasn’t ready to pack my bags and move down there.”
Ross was. And did.
In 2018, he headed to Tennessee and has never left. Except, of course, when he’s on the road. Which is basically all the time.
In the past year, he’s done 110 shows everywhere from Simcoe to Glasgow, London and New York. Playing every venue from the Paris Fairgrounds to the Royal Albert Hall and the Grand Ole Opry.
“Very lucky,” he says. “That’s what I keep saying.”
His old bandmate isn’t sure it’s luck. He says it’s more about the fact that Ross has a great work ethic and discipline that comes, in some part, from football.
In the end, the dream of turning pro ended for Finch, too. He was a fantastic quarterback — McMaster fans will well remember — but his career was halted prematurely due to concussions. Today he’s a police officer in Halton who still coaches on the side. Never wondering if he should have also headed to Nashville.
That said, he was getting into his truck to head to work the other day and his Spotify playlist randomly fired up their song.
He cranked it up.
“It takes you back for sure.”