Obviously when people are going through tough times, music is pretty healing, and it’s tough to explain until you experience it firsthand, but for me it’s a pretty cool life lesson every time. I get to experience seeing music change people’s lives, from children’s hospital visits to Make-A-Wish Foundation to Ronald McDonald House. Most importantly, it’s probably the most satisfying part of what I get to do. It only makes sense to give back to all those people in whatever way we can. We rely so much on human consumption of records or tickets, or just people being fans and coming to our events for us to make a living. I mean, our jobs require people buying music or coming to shows and buying tickets. So, as an entertainer who’s been lucky enough to be successful in the music business over the last decade, combining the industry with a charitable aspect was a natural fit. Then it just grew so big, and it kind of got to a place we never really expected. It was a guy who was working with me at the time that came up with the idea for a golf tournament, and it just made sense to give back and do that. It’s really been so good for everyone.įor our readers who don’t know about the Gord Bamford Foundation, can you tell us a little bit about how that got started? We’re hoping to do a few more while the snow holds off. The whole experience has been so positive for us, and that just snowballed. It was really the perfect fit for me because of course that’s the kind of thing we do, but when you talk mental health it’s also meaningful for us as musicians and entertainers, and it kept us working during a really gloomy time. They supported our first five and then jumped on a couple others, and basically underwrote the cost for us to perform and play - so we were able to give back all of the ticket sales to mental health organizations in each of the communities we were playing. He basically wanted to do something for mental health and to give back, and we were able to get these drive-ins together. Everybody was kind of down in the dumps and really wanted to go back to work, and I ended up just getting a text one night from the president of ATB Financial, which is a bank out here in Alberta. When this pandemic came about, we didn’t know what we were going to do. It’s really young-orientated and driven, with 90 percent of it being shared across Canada. The Gord Bamford Foundation has been going for 13 years now, and we’re very passionate about the fact we’ve raised just over $4 million. In addition to just having the desire to keep performing and keep connecting with your fans, you’re obviously going above and beyond, adding a charitable aspect by raising money for mental health alongside ATB Financial. It’s been pretty good as far as figuring out what we can do in a time like this, and we’ve found a way to keep working, all while make a difference. It seems you’ve been really busy with so many drive-in shows out in Alberta, and all raising money for an amazing cause. Well, there’s no better way to kick this off than by asking about your summer. We talked to Gord about his inspiration, motivation, and what he has in store for fans in 2021. #Gord bamford how to#One of the most decorated entertainers in Canada country music history – Gord Bamford – knows how to put on a show.Īnd even in the midst of a constantly changing musical landscape, the 26-time CCMA Award winner has continued to rock the stage with drive-in (and even fly-in) shows across his home province of Alberta, raising over $100,000 for local mental health charities.
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