THE FATHER’S DAY SPECIAL IS HOSTED BY GORD BAMFORD AND WILL AIR NATIONWIDE VIA IHEARTRADIO CANADA’S PURE COUNTRY STATIONS AND iHEARTRADIO.CA ON FATHER’S DAY (JUNE 21, 2020) IN SUPPORT OF THE GORD BAMFORD FOUNDATION

BAMFORD TO PREMIERE NEW SONG “FATHER’S PRAYER” AND ACCOMPANYING LIVE MUSIC VIDEO JUNE 19

TORONTO, ON (June 18, 2020) – Anthem Entertainment, one of the world’s leading independent music and entertainment content and services companies, and iHeartRadio Canada’s PURE COUNTRY, Canada’s first-ever national country music radio brand, today announced their exclusive partnership and launch of Gord Bamford’s Real Country Livin’ Father’s Day Special – a 60-minute music-based broadcast, podcast and live stream devoted to Father’s Day. The production features and is hosted by Canadian Country superstar Gord Bamford - 26-time CCMA and two-time CMA award-winning entertainer. Executive produced by Anthem Entertainment and directed by Frank Licari, the star-studded special will be broadcast across Canada this Sunday, June 21 at 10 a.m. local time on PURE COUNTRY stations, iHeartRadio.ca, and Pure Country Radio’s YouTube channel.

The special will feature Bamford hosting and performing songs from his catalogue including #1 hits “Dive Bar” and “When Your Lips Are So Close”. He’ll be joined with performances and interviews by other great artists, celebrity friends, and professional athletes, including Adam Hambrick, Brent Burns, Buddy Owens, Eric Ethridge, Hunter Brothers, Kalsey Kulyk, Mackenzie Porter, Madison Kozak, Mark Recchi, Steven Battey, Tenille Townes, Thomas Nicholas, and more special guests. Viewers and listeners will also hear a beautiful duet of “Neon Moon” with Gord’s daughter Paisley Bamford. Fans have the chance to hear personal stories, memories, and intimate performances, all while celebrating Father’s Day through music and storytelling.

Along with new music and visuals, Bamford will perform the upcoming touching new track “Father’s Prayer” for the very first time. “Father’s Prayer” and an accompanying live music video is set for release June 19 via Anthem Records. On the song, Bamford shares, “This song gives me chills every time I hear it. As a father of three, it reminds me of the most important thing in my life and that’s getting to be a role model for my children and supporting and watching them grow as they chase their dreams and find their path. I hope everyone loves this song as much as I do and Happy Father’s Day to all.”

PRE-SAVE “FATHER’S PRAYER”, OUT JUNE 19, HERE

“When I first heard the song ‘Father’s Prayer’ I welled up and wanted to cry,” commented Anthem Entertainment CEO, Helen Murphy. “It drew out all the emotional windows that touch almost everyone on this day every year when thinking about their father figures. It captures the essence of this day of celebration. I knew then that we needed to create a new format to share this storytelling through music. I am thrilled that Anthem is able to partner with Gord Bamford and PURE COUNTRY to create content on this unique music-based broadcast/podcast, especially at this moment.”

“Gord always smashes charts and records, so we are pleased to bring his very touching Father’s Day special to PURE COUNTRY airwaves for fans across Canada,” said Rob Farina, Head of Radio Content, Strategy, and iHeartRadio. “PURE COUNTRY is all about highlighting talented homegrown country artists and delivering exclusive content, and we hope families enjoy this all-new, unique broadcast to celebrate Dads this year.”

With the support of presenting sponsors Kubota Canada and Peavey Industries, the special will raise money for The Gord Bamford Foundation and various youth-based charities across Canada. Since 2014, Bamford and the Gord Bamford Foundation have raised over $4,000,000 in support of multiple charities across Canada. With a passion for supporting youth-based programs, the Foundation provides funds for initiatives that include music, education, health care, sports and multi-use facilities that benefit youth across Canada. Viewers are encouraged to tune in and take action at GordBamfordFoundation.com.

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ABOUT GORD BAMFORD:
Australian-born and Alberta-raised, Gord Bamford stands as one of the most decorated artists in Canadian country music. He has received 26 Canadian Country Music Association awards including Album of the Year, Single of the Year and Male Artist of the Year wins, and multiple JUNO Award nominations. With over 75 million streams globally, Bamford is a two-time winner of the CMA Global Country Artist Award, with 25 Top 10 singles in Canada including the No. 1 hits “When Your Lips Are So Close” and “Dive Bar.” Bamford is the 2019-2020 recipient of the MusiCounts Inspired Minds Ambassador Award, presented by The Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation. The award recognizes individuals who have had an extraordinary impact on music education and MusiCounts over the course of its history. To date, Bamford has donated $200,000 to MusiCounts to support school music programs, the largest donation ever received from an artist in MusiCounts’ history. These donations provide instruments to children across Canada and give generations of students the opportunity to enjoy the incredible benefits of music in school. On June 19, Bamford will release new track and video, “Father’s Prayer” and will follow with his highly anticipated ninth studio album later this year.

ABOUT ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT:
Anthem Entertainment is one of the world’s leading independent music and entertainment content and services companies. It is comprised of a music publishing division, recorded music label, production music division, and a leading film and television audio-visual secondary rights (AVSR) management company. Anthem Entertainment operates offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Nashville, and Toronto with a team of approximately 200 dedicated industry professionals. We support artists, create content, and provide entertainment services around the world. As technology and entertainment evolve, we work hard to create and maximize opportunities for our talent and our clients. Our difference: an approach that combines the resources, power and reach of a major with the agility, entrepreneurism and soul of an indie. For more information, visit anthementertainment.com

ABOUT IHEARTRADIO CANADA:
iHeartRadio, a best-in-class customizable digital listening experience and live events brand, is now in Canada through a partnership between Bell Media and iHeartMedia. A leader in innovative radio programming throughout Canada, Bell Media features the country’s most dynamic, popular, and respected radio brands, including Toronto’s CHUM 104.5 and the ÉNERGIE group in Québec, as well as international brands like Virgin Radio. In the U.S., iHeartRadio has surpassed 100 million registered users, reaching milestones at a rate faster than Facebook or any other streaming music service. In addition, iHeartRadio’s registered user milestone does not account for the millions of listeners who tune into iHeartRadio’s live radio streams without registering. iHeartRadio is now the #1 podcaster in the world, with more than 250,000 podcasts.

For more information please contact:
Tye Worobess, Anthem Entertainment, tworobess@anthementertainment.com, 647.202.6283
Madison McCloskey, iHeartRadio Canada, madison.mccloskey@bellmedia.ca, 647.297.3723
Charlotte Thompson, Red Umbrella P.R., Charlotte@RedUmbrellaPR.com