Shari Ulrich hosts Shari hosts: Stephen Fearing, Daryl Burgess, & Mercy Walker on Tues. Sept. 1st's Songbird North - Vancouver's longest running songwriters showcase (30+ years!) presented by the Songwriters Association of Canada.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS –Sept. 1 2026
DARYL BURGESS
Vancouver born and known as much as a drummer as a songwriter, Daryl moved to Nashville in 1995 and recently returned home to Vancouver. He has well over 1000 songs under his belt and has partnered with many major publishers over the years.
Best known for penning the Colin James number one “Stay” and the Juno winning and Billboard Top 10 “Just came back”, Daryl’s cuts also includes “This Heartache Never Sleeps”, for Mark Chesnutt, singles by Patty Loveless “Where I’m bound, T. Graham Brown’s “Never in 1 Million Tears”, Alicia Elliott’s “I’m digging it”, Jamie O’Neal’s “Sanctuary”, Aaron Pritchett’s “Big Wheel”, “The Bride” and “New Frontier” as well dozens of songs by world renown artists.
A multi-instrumentalist, Daryl has been a session and live drummer with a wide range of artists including: Alanis Morissette, Chris Stapleton, Colin James, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, Jim Lauderdale, , Patti Loveless, Brenda Lee, Bo Diddly, and too long of a list of others!
STEPHEN FEARING
Born in Vancouver in 1963 and spending much of his youth in Dublin, Ireland. Stephen launched is career in Canada in the early 80’s. An iconic Canadian roots and folk singer-songwriter and co-founder of the roots-rock trio Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, he is known for his intricate guitar work and vivid, narrative songwriting, he has won two JUNO Awards and released numerous critically acclaimed albums.
Fearing describes himself as a "storyteller" who views his songs as a lens into broader human experiences rather than straight autobiography. Over the course of writing for 16 solo albums—including his most recent project The Empathist—plus nine albums with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, his lyrical style blends personal observation with deep empathy.
MERCY WALKER
Mercy Walker is a young Vancouver-based country-folk artist whose heartfelt melodies reflect the trials and triumphs of life. Born and raised in the Downtown Eastside, she draws inspiration from the rich storytelling traditions of classic country music. From an early age, Mercy found comfort and creative spark in songs that speak to resilience, heartache, and hope — themes that continue to shape her songwriting today.
https://www.instagram.com/thisismercyy
SHARI ULRICH (Host)
Starting out as a multi-instrumentalist and singer with the legendary Pied Pumkin, Shari began writing songs at the end of the reign of The Hometown Band in 1977. Her first song "Feel Good" was a hit and her solo career followed in 1978 with radio hits with "She Remembers", "Bad Bad Girl", "Romeo", "Every Road" and others. She has released 9 albums of original material along with another 16 with collaborations with UHF (Bill Henderson & Roy Forbes) and BTU (Barney Bentall & Tom Taylor) Her work has garnered two Juno Awards, an induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, and a CFMA for English Songwriter of the Year. She has been a songwriting educator at UBC and Humber and has been a long-time champion for writers, hosting and producing Bluebird North and SongBird North locally and nationally, for the Songwriters Association of Canada for over 30 years.
