Samantha Fradette loves singing.
So when she was asked to perform the national anthem at the Williams Lake Mustangs home games she did not hesitate.
“I’m super happy they let me do it,” she told the Tribune.
The first time Fradette sang the Canadian and American anthems in public was at one of the Williams Lake Stampede performances last summer.
A few months later, Mustangs operations manager Leslie Rowse contacted Fradette and asked if she would be willing to sing O Canada at the Mustangs games.Rowse said Mustangs general manager and head coach Tyrel Lucas heard Fradette sing at the Stampede and when they were planning the hockey season he mentioned “this amazing singer.”
“I played detective - gotta love a small town - found and messaged her,” Rowse said. “She’s been an amazing addition to the pre-game atmosphere.”
Fradette sings at every home game and has only missed two because of other extra curricular activities.
“I absolutely love it,” she said. “It has been a great way for me to get back into singing in front of people and a crowd because I haven’t in so long.”
She also plans to audition to sing at the Stampede again and hopes she will get that opportunity.
Learning to sing the American anthem for the Stampede and the Mustangs game against Spokane, Wash. on Nov. 9 was a challenge, she recalled.
“That was like me jumping into the deep end to get back into singing, but it was super exhilarating and one of the best feelings,” she said. “I dreamt of singing at the Stampede since I was a little girl. I’ve gone to the Stampede my whole life and when I was five-years-old I watched the person singing the anthem. It was a huge thing last year for me to do it.”
Born and raised in Williams Lake, Fradette attended 150 Mile Elementary School and Williams Lake Secondary School.
“I was a huge theatre buff,” she said. “I did a lot of drama and theatre and was on stage a lot. From Grade 6 until I graduated from high school I was doing various performances with school and with Williams Lake Studio Theatre.”
While at a drama camp in Grade 7 she discovered her love for singing.
“I had to sing a Disney song from Mulan on stage and that was the first time I did it. I fell in love with it.”
She graduated in 2010 and has been with her high school sweetheart Nathan Barclay for 16 years.
They have three children - Sawyer, 10, Harper, seven, and Brantley who is three-years-old.
Fradette sings with her daughters a lot and said her daughters are huge country music fans.
“I don’t get to perform in front of crowds like I would love to, but I sing with my kids now mostly and for my kids.”
When she’s not singing or working part-time at Chuck’s Auto Supply Ltd.on Mackenzie Avenue, she has a big passion for fitness.
“I do strength training and swimming. Those are my favourite.”
She and her family also spend lots of time in the outdoors.
“We absolutely love hunting and fishing. I grew up camping and quadding and fishing and my husband and I are big hunters. We absolutely love to be outside and it’s great to experience that with our kids now.”
Till Lake and Fir Lake are two of their favourite spots.
“My grandparents actually live on Felker Lake so we are out there a lot of the time in the summer too.”
Through the gig at the Mustangs games, she has received positive comments from the public.
“I’m loving that my singing has touched a lot of people,” she said.
