A Maple Ridge man who was playing the piano before he could tie his shoes is part of a coming gala concert event and cancer fundraiser.
The late Ron Routledge seated his little boy on a piano bench when Brad was still a toddler. Ron was a concert symphony vocalist, and inspired his boy's musical talent, with his wife June, a music teacher. Brad scored among the highest marks in Canada for Royal Conservatory piano, and studied piano performance at the University of Alberta.
He learned from the best – renowned Marek Jablonski is one of the globe’s foremost Chopin specialists. Later Brad moved to the Lower Mainland, studied sound engineering, and settled in Maple Ridge.
Brad will be performing as one of the artists a the Gone Country Jamestown 2025 event on June 7 in Langley, alongside Karen Lee Batten, Dawson Gray and more big names that are being held back for a big reveal.
The unique concert is being organized by twin brothers Chris and Jamie Ruscheinski – Langley philanthropists known for hosting entertainment-based cancer fundraisers that have garnered more than $6 million over 20 years.
The event is at an old-west movie set on the MacInnes Farm in Langley. The 100-acre farm is the home of Jamestown Studio, where the TV series "When Calls the Heart" is filmed. Locality Brewing is also based there, and the proprietors have arranged for a special permit to host the fundraiser.
Thousands of concert-goers in their best country duds will roam through the old-west town, enjoying food, beverages, and of course live music. There will be about 40 actors doing pop-up performances – the promoters bill it "Westworld meets Nashville."
"I’m incredibly proud and humbled to be volunteering for the 2025 Gone Country Jamestown event, joining the fight against cancer with The Twins Cancer Fundraising Team," said Brad.
It's a cause that's personal for him, because his father had a long cancer battle that started in 2007. Ron had just retired, and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. But he had immediate surgery and radiation, and with the support of June lived another 17 years. June made sure he ate right and lived a healthy life. Brad describes a brilliant mom who absorbed books about the topic, and could keep pace in discussions with oncologists.
Cancer cells spread, and the fight continued in his later years. Ron died in April of 2024.
Brad's work at the cancer fundraiser is part of his tribute to his father, and he will entertain the festival-goers in a piano bar in the old west town. The performers are donating their time.
"They want every dollar to go to fighting cancer," he explained, adding that the impressive events have raised well over $1 million in past years.
Brad said his dad’s rich singing voice turned heads wherever he performed, whether in choirs, musical productions, or as a symphony soloist.
Ron had a career as a BC Parks Manager, and each summer father and son would venture into the backcountry on multi-day treks.
"Even into his 70s, he was still carrying a 60-pound pack and sleeping in a tent," said Brad. "Fellow hikers often expressed admiration for his strength and spirit. With his decades of experience, he was exactly the person you would want by your side if you ever got lost in the wilderness."
This summer, Brad plans to hike into some of their favourite remote places in the Rocky Mountains, and scatter his father’s ashes in the wilderness.
Brad hadn't played much lately, but his friend Karen Lee Batten got him back on the piano bench. He’s got hours worth of songs, from Garth Brooks to Billy Joel, sounding tight. Being asked to take part in such an impactful cancer fundraiser means a lot to him.
"It's everything," he said.
For more information about Jamestown 2025, or to donate, see twinscancerfundraising.com.
