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Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination a first for Surrey’s Pat Chessell

‘I hope to make the awards show this April in Prince Edward Island,’ the musician says
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Pat Chessell is a Celtic-Canadian” musician based in Surrey. (photo: patchessell.bandcamp.com)

Surrey-based musician Pat Chessell has earned his first Canadian Folk Music Award nomination.

The “Celtic-Canadian” singer-songwriter is up for Traditional Singer of the Year honours, along with four other artists (Sophie Lavoie, Nicolas Boulerice, Ewelina Ferenc and Ray Schmidt).

Chessell, a frequent performer at Surrey-area venues, is among six B.C.-based artists nominated for 2021 CFMAs. Announced Tuesday (Sept. 28), the full list is posted to folkawards.ca/nominees.

“A big thanks to everyone who helped out on my latest album and made this all possible!” Chessell posted on Facebook. “I hope to make the awards show this April in Prince Edward Island!”

Released nine months ago, Chessell’s latest album is “The Road Not Taken.” The eight folk-pop songs were recorded at The Warehouse, the Bryan Adams-owned studio in Vancouver’s Gastown district.

(Story continues below)

• RELATED STORY, from 2020: New song but no gigs on St. Patrick’s Day for Surrey’s Pat Chessell.

The album’s first song, a cover of Robert Ford’s “Like A Rock,” was released on St. Patrick’s Day in 2020. The Vancouver-based Ford, a founding member and leader of the trailblazing Celtic-rock band The Stoaters, died in 2019. Turns out, a Stoaters concert was the first Chessell ever attended as a kid, at Vancouve’s WISE Hall.

During recording at the Warehouse, rock star Adams dropped by and said hi.

“It was pretty cool, and kind of funny how he came in,” Chessell said last year. “He and Nick Gilder knocked on the door and asked if it was OK for them to come in and listen, like they needed permission or something.… He’s a super down-to-earth guy, and asked about the album and all that.”



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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