Good Samaritan gets Stampede anthem singer to the show after car breakdown

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Country music artist Michela Sheedy was at risk of missing an important gig at the Stampede on Monday when the kindness of a stranger turned everything around.

Sheedy often sings the national anthem at Calgary Flames games. On Monday, she was driving to Calgary from her home outside Okotoks to sing the anthem at the Stampede rodeo when her car broke down on the highway.

“I kind of had a bit of a panic attack in my car,” she said. “I was pulled over on the side of the road. Luckily somebody had helped push my car off to the side.”

An RCMP officer then showed up and helped set up pylons around the vehicle before leaving again. Sheedy said she was frantically calling anyone she knew, looking for a ride, to no avail.

She had left early for the show, but time was running short. That was when Ajay Chattha appeared on the scene, pulling over just as the RCMP officer was pulling away.

“He was like, ‘Are you OK?’ I was like, ‘No,’ and I explained the situation,” said Sheedy.

Chattha, who lives in Okotoks, said he was just driving to get gas, and his day was wide open.

“She said that she had to go sing the anthem at the Stampede. And then I told her I could drive her there. She needed a ride, her car wasn’t working and I wasn’t busy that day, so I thought, why not help her out?”

When they arrived, Chattha said they didn’t have to deal with the usual parking headaches. He said he felt like a celebrity chauffeur.

“As soon as I pulled up, there was a person there who immediately had a backstage pass for us. They put that in my car and we were just following her all the way through backstage of the Stampede, which is cool. Like, I’ve never been backstage.”

Sheedy said she had about 10 minutes to spare when she finally got to the stage. She sang the anthem, they saw a bit of the rodeo, and then Chattha drove her back to Okotoks so she could make her next gig on time.

She said Chattha’s gesture reflects the spirit of Stampede.

“Despite all of our challenges that we’ve all faced these last couple of years, there’s still kind people out there,” said Sheedy. “The Western spirit is alive and people are here to help when you’re in need.”

Chattha said he’s just glad Sheedy chose to leave a bit early that day. He’s also happy that he got a great story out of his adventure.

“I love this story,” he said. “It’s just one of those crazy Stampede stories.”

brthomas@postmedia.com
Twitter: @brodie_thomas