HAMILTON, Ont. – It’s not hard to tell GM Paterson does most of his song writing in the cab of a truck, perhaps that’s why his music is at its best when enjoyed at 100 km-h.

He recently stepped into the spotlight to open a show in Hamilton, Ont. for Brooks & Dunn at Copps Coliseum. Paterson not only rev’d up the gathered throng of country fans, he also caught the attention of Truck News.

This commercial operator with Spring Creek Carriers is a dyed-in-the-wool gear-jammer born on Manitoulin Island. His Sudbury upbringing certainly helped to color his influences, which range from Elvis to Def Leppard.

Paterson has been hitting stages across the continent – from the Broken Spoke in Nashville to an Aug. 24 gig at the Winona Peach Festival in Hamilton. In September, he’ll be opening for Jim Witter at the Beamsville Fairgrounds.

If you’re like most folks, the idea of rushing out to see an artist in concert you know little to nothing about isn’t likely too appealing. But if you or someone you love is a truck driving, country music fan, make an exception in GM Paterson’s case.

His story-in-song-style lyrics not only entertain, they beautifully articulate the wide range of emotions felt by North America’s driving community. In fact, his songs are generally based on his real-life experiences or those of the folks he has met along life’s highways and byways.

After 10 years of part-time entertaining, this true-to-life cowboy (he used to raise and show quarter horses) has honed his more than 100 original works down to an action-packed performance.

With incredible range, Paterson’s sure to be leaving the cab soon, trading in the CB for a mic of another kind on a full-time basis.

His fun ditty about Daddy’s Advice is very reminiscent of George Strait and Alan Jackson. His deep, rich tones are complimented very nicely by the heart-pounding country twang of the band.

The lyrics talk about lessons learned on love and money – giving a nod to the fact daddy had it all figured out years ago.

The chorus offers a catchy little hook: “If you’re gonna mess with daddy’s advice, pick a soft place to land.” After only listening to the piece a couple of times, I found these words of wisdom rattling around my head for hours.

This upbeat tune is literally a universal. After all, how many of you have ignored fatherly advice only to pay a price later?

Paterson’s ballad On and on, on the other hand reaches into the darker areas of the heart capturing the lonely lament of life on the road for an unattached trucker bent on a meaningful relationship.

“The tide’s gonna turn for me someday, until then I’ll just go on and on, up and down the Interstate…” sums up the feeling shared by many truckers who have no one to return home to after their stints on the road.

The trucker in the song sees love everywhere he looks, but too shy to even introduce himself, he’s likely never going to find anymore than he has already.

In fact many of this trucker/entertainer’s songs look at relationships. Even Let’s go – a pumping, southern-fried travel tune – seems to be his ideal run, which would crisscross the U.S. with the woman he loves by his side.

Although the song references Tim McGraw, fans of The Bottle Rockets (a band currently distributed on the Diesel Only record label) will likely favor this piece with its great line, “Lets play a little game of pin-the-tail on the U.S.A.”

This is one artist whose life on the road is destined to earn him a life on the road – the only differences being the accommodations will soon get much nicer and the pay will be a lot better.