You don’t get called a local legend by accident, not in a small town like Owen Sound. That kind of title is earned through years of long days, late nights, and a steady accumulation of shows, festivals, and performances that shape a community’s sound.
As of 2027, Gary Byers has been doing just that for 40 years.
If you’ve ever spent a summer night packed into the Salmon Spectacular fish tent, amidst the humid air, fried fish, and cold beer, and the rising anticipation before the next band kicks up, then you’ve already met Gary Byers. Maybe not face to face, but through the sound.
Born and raised in Grey-Bruce, Gary’s roots run deep. From Arran-Tara Elementary School, to Saugeen District Secondary, his path drew him closer to the world of music. After graduating at Fanshaw College’s radio broadcasting program in 1981, Byers began his career with Bayshore Broadcasting in ’85, where years spent working in radio sharpened the ear that would later define his legacy.
“I really got a knack for mixing live sound the way a record sounded,” says Gary.
His instinct became the backbone of his career.
While at the station, Byers began dabbling in live sound, gradually building to his first paid gig at the International Plowing Match in ‘87. It was the first major step in what would become a remarkable career, spanning festivals, theatres, concert halls, and some of the region’s most beloved events.
In ’99, Byers left the radio after almost 15 years because the tour life took his heart. He left for his first real experience out of the province, let alone out of this small town, and toured coast to coast with a tribute act. First stop was BC, Radium Hot Springs.
“I’m sitting there in the hot springs, looking up at the mountains, and there’s mountain goats looking back at me,” he says and remembers thinking: . “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for music.”
From the Springs in the Rockies to dipping his toes in the waters of Peggy’s Cove, music carried Byers far beyond home, but it always brought him back.
In 2007, Byers and his wife Wendy launched the family business, Gary Byers Sound and Lighting. They were on a road trip to Florida when Byers proposed the idea, and Wendy said “I think we should just do it!”
Twenty years later the business is still thriving. “My work keeps me happily busy,” says Gary.
The tech world is truly like a family, and Byers found himself working alongside respected local sound names like Steve Meacher, Brian Davidson, and Al Burnham (aka the Godfather of Sound). “I used to call us the Sound Mafia,” says Byers.
Through years of collaboration, mentorship, and shared stages, Byers cemented himself as one of the technical cornerstones of the local live music scene. To try and summarize Byers’ career in so many words feels almost impossible, because after nearly four decades behind the board, his résumé reads less like a job history and more like the technical soundtrack of Grey-Bruce itself.
Over the years, Byers has been a foundational force behind Salmon Spectacular from its earliest days where awards were handed out the side of a van with a tarp hanging off it in the pouring rain to becoming into one of the most iconic live entertainment events in Owen Sound
He’s produced and supplied audio for Harbour Nights Concert Series, Movie Nights, and a vast majority of Owen Sound’s outdoor concerts and municipal events; been the Technical Director at Roxy Theatre since 2013; held the Technical Director title and over seen operations with OSCVI Theatre out of Eastridge Community School; handled all offsite production and technical work for Bruce Power events; served as technical supplier and coordinator for the Wiarton Willie Festivities for over 25 years; worked with Nawash Pow Wow for over 25 years; handled all tech and sound for Georgian Bay Symphony; played a role in multiple International Plowing Matches spanning from ’87 through present day; and worked alongside the Beckett family for more than two decades on their beloved annual New Year’s Eve productions.
Simply put, Gary Byers’ fingerprints are all over the soundscape around here, and that list barely scratches the surface. For Byers though, it was never about stacking accomplishments, it was about becoming part of something bigger.
“You know, we like the easy life, and we enjoy sitting on the side of the stage and being a part of it,” he says. “I think that it’s a beautiful thing that we have our little family.”
Family remains central to Byers’ work and now extends to the next generation of technicians learning under his guidance. Young talents like Vaughan Coffey, Isaac Kingshot, and Matt Martin are showing big promise under his wing, and it fills Byers with pride to teach. He sees a lot of his younger self in these very talented “kids” as he says, and honestly, they have some pretty big shoes to fill. I asked what advice he would give to the next young sound tech starting out and he says, “You don’t have to go to the big city to chase your dream.”
For a man who built an extraordinary career in his own backyard, those words carry undeniable weight. Whether pulling off a Johnny Reid performance without a soundcheck after a bus breakdown, weathering chaotic outdoor shows for Owen Riegling, or surviving the humidity of the Shania Twin night at the Derby, Byers is always in it for the thrill of the show and the love of the board.
It’s that community focus that remains the heart of Byers’ work, and that is perhaps what makes him so beloved; not simply for his technical skill, but his consistency, humility, and willingness to build something lasting right here at home.
When it came time for a closing thought, Gary Byers really wanted to thank you all in this community.
“Thank you everyone for all your support over the years,” he says. “None of this success would be possible without my wife Wendy and my family behind me. I love what I do but sometimes I wake up and still can’t believe that I do it for a living.”
Written by Ashley Winters
Photos by Tiffany McMillin
