Singer and storyteller Aaron Boyd has traveled the globe vocalizing and harmonizing his Christian faith and has found a reoccurring appreciation for what the Upper Peninsula has to offer.
“It is absolutely gorgeous,” said Boyd, who hails from Northern Ireland and performed Saturday at the Pickford United Methodist Church.
For the outdoors and adventure enthusiast, the musician’s trips through the Upper Peninsula come a bit less stressful than some of the more troubled locations he has played.
It’s a list that includes Burma which was facing genocide and human trafficking, Thailand, Cambodia and Haiti, where he assisted with orphanage efforts as well as Guatemala and South Africa.
Boyd made a name for himself through songs such as “God of this City” and “Jericho.” He mixes acoustic guitar with personal stories from his own struggles and the ones he witnessed in his world travels.
He was first drawn to the U.P. around five years ago when he was inspired by a video detailing the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Boyd’s been returning ever since, finding more and more frozen waterfalls to climb and creating a fan base in the area.
“He's a normal guy,” Pastor Tim Bashore said of Boyd’s appeal. “He's like you or me. He’s not that Hollywood star. He’s a great musician and he writes great songs and he loves the Lord.”
Boyd’s stops in Pickford have become as much a part of his travels through the area as the scenic challenges he searches out to climb. It's a relationship he plans on keeping.
“I don’t chase these big mega churches. I don’t do that,” said Boyd. “I love building relationships with people and seeing that thing grow and hopefully in 20 years time I’ll be here doing the same thing.”
