Emerson Drive band members returned home to Canada for the recent Canadian Country Music Awards and planned a big charity event to coincide with the trip. The two-day fundraiser in lead singer Brad Mates’ hometown of Grande Prairie, AB included a charity concert and celebrity golf tournament.
Proceeds from the concert go to the Grande Prairie Regional College, while the Brad Mates/E-Drive Celebrity Golf Tournament benefits the Parkinson’s Disease Research Program at the University of Alberta Hospital. The golf tourney, now in its third year, has raised over $165,000 for Parkinson’s research, so the band is well on its way to reaching the $500,000 goal.
Emerson Drive’s newest single, “I Love This Road,” just entered the Top 10 in Canada. Mates co-wrote the song with Tommy James. For the first time, the band produced its own music video. Fiddle player David Pichette edited hours of footage from the band’s life on the road along with some performance footage. It has been airing on CMT Canada and is available for fans outside of Canada to see on Emerson Drive’s Web site, and You Tube channel.
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Sarah Skates has worked in the music business for more than a decade and is a longtime contributor to MusicRow.View Author Profile
